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Woodcock, Potted

Take any number of fresh woodcocks. Pluck them carefully, and cut off their legs and wings. Split the birds in halves, and lay them on a dish. Take away the gizzards with the point of a knife, and with this exception, leave the inside or trail undisturbed. Line the inside of an ordinary potting-pan with thin slices of fat bacon. Fill it with the woodcocks placed neatly and closely in layers upon the bacon, and season each layer with salt and black pepper. When the pan is full, pour over the woodcocks as much clarified butter as will cover them, and cover the pan with a coarse paste of flour and water. Make a hole in the centre of the lid, and bake the woodcocks in a moderate oven. They must not be eaten till they are quite cold. When a skewer can be pushed easily to the bottom of the pan, the woodcocks are sufficiently baked.