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Broiled Ortolans in Papers

Rub with melted butter or salad oil as many sheets of paper as there are birds and cut them just large enough to double over the birds and turn in all round the edges like a hem in order to preserve the fat and trail while the birds are being cooked. Carefully pluck and singe the birds, cut off the beaks and claws, skin the heads and necks and wipe them with a clean cloth; twist the feet, lay the heads close to the sides of the birds and inclose in the paper. Place them on a gridiron over a very slow fire and broil for about five minutes or until they swim in their own fat. Serve them at once in the papers on a plate covered with watercress. The papers are not to be removed till just before eating the birds.