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Snipes, Raised Pie, Hot

Take four snipes, pluck and singe them, and cut them in two lengthwise. Carefully remove the gizzards with the point of a knife, put the trails aside till wanted, and season the birds with salt and cayenne. Fry the birds in a saucepan with a little clarified butter till they are set; they will take about ten minutes. Drain them, and put them in a cool place till wanted. Make a little forcemeat as follows. Cut four ounces of calf's liver and four ounces of fat bacon into dice. Melt the bacon in a saute-pan over a brisk fire, add the liver, and season the mixture with salt, pepper, and a pinch of aromatic powdered herbs. When the bacon and liver are cooked, put them aside till cold, then pound them till smooth in a mortar; add, whilst pounding, the trails of the birds, and press the paste through a sieve. Butter a moderate-sized pie-mould, line it evenly with crust (see PASTE FOR RAISED PIES), and put a layer of the forcemeat in the bottom of the mould, taking care to leave it hollow in the centre. Put half the pieces of snipe in a circle upon the forcemeat, and place a little ball of forcemeat between them to keep them in position. Spread a layer of forcemeat upon them, put in the rest of the birds, and put a layer of forcemeat over all. Fill the hollow in the centre of the pie with bread which has been covered with fat bacon, put the pastry-cover on, pinch the edges of the pie securely, brush the top over with egg, and bake in the oven. When done enough, take off the cover, remove the bread, and fill its place with scalloped truffles. Pour a little good brown sauce over all pile truffles on the top, and serve. The brown sauce may be made as directed in