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Ortolans, Potted

Cut off the necks, heads, and legs of some ortolans, and season the birds with pepper, salt, and grated nutmeg. Prepare some chicken force-meat--the quantity to be regulated by the size of the potting-pan and the number of ortolans. Spread a layer of forcemeat at the bottom of the pan, place an ortolan upon it, and then some more forcemeat, and continue until the pan is full, remembering only that the topmost layer should consist of forcemeat. Lay some thin slices of fat bacon on the top, put on the cover, and bake in a moderate oven. Two or three truffles finely minced, and spread upon the layers of forcemeat, are a great improvement to this dish. To be served cold. Time to bake, one hour. Probable cost, uncertain, ortolans being seldom offered for sale.