Wipe the inside of the partridges with a damp cloth. Cut off the heads, and truss the legs like boiled fowls. Put them into a stewpan with two tablespoonfuls of oil and a piece of garlic the size of a pea, and shake them over a clear fire till slightly browned all over. Then pour over them two tablespoonfuls of strong stock, one glassful of sherry, and two tablespoonfuls of preserved tomatoes, with a little salt and plenty of pepper. Simmer all gently together until the partridges are done enough, and serve very hot. The sauce should be highly seasoned.
Blanquette of Partridge aux Champignons.
Raise the flesh of a cold partridge, take off the skin; cut the flesh into scallops; put some velouté sauce in a stewpan with half a basket of mushrooms skinned and sliced. Reduce the sauce till very thick, adding enough cream to make it white. Throw it over the partridge scallops, to which add a few mushrooms.
Broiled Partridges.
Take off the heads and prepare them as if for the spit. Break down the breast bone and split them entirely up the back and lay them flat. Shred an eschalot as fine as possible and mix it with breadcrumbs. Dip the partridges in clarified butter and cover inside and outside with the crumbs. Broil them over a clear fire, turning them frequently for a quarter of an hour, and serve them up with mushroom sauce.
Chartreuse of Partridges.
Boil some carrots and turnips separately, and cut them into pieces two inches long and three quarters of an inch in diameter. Braise a couple of small summer cabbages, drain well, and stir over the fire till quite dry; then roll them on a cloth and cut them into pieces about two inches long and an inch thick. Roast a brace of partridges, and cut them into neat joints. Butter a plain entrée mould, line it at the bottom and the sides with buttered paper to form a sort of wall, then fill it up with cabbage and the pieces of partridge in alternate layers. Steam the chartreuse to make it hot, turn it out of the mould upon an entrée dish, and garnish with turnips, carrots, and French beans. Send good brown sauce to table with it.
Partridges aux Choux.
Truss a brace of partridges for boiling, and mince about half a pound of fat bacon or pork, and put it into a saucepan on the fire; when it is boiling, immerse the birds quickly, and sauté them till nicely coloured. Have ready a small savoy, which has been well washed and drained, chop it up and place it in the saucepan with the partridges, a bouquet garni, two pork sausages, pepper and salt to taste; add about half a pint of stock, and let all simmer together for two and a half hours. When ready to serve, remove the bouquet garni, and serve the chopped cabbage round the birds, and the sausages split and divided into four pieces each.