Spring Chickens As an Entree, Roasted—Small

Singe three small chickens weighing three-quarters of a pound each; draw, and clean well; truss as for an entree (No. 178), cover the breasts with a dry matignon with Madeira (No. 406) and tie on this thin slices of fat pork to keep it in place, tying the pork with three rows of string; run iron skewers lengthwise of the chickens and fasten them on the spit; three-quarters of an hour before serving roast them in front of a bright fire basting over with butter and the fat from the dripping pan. When done, remove, unwrap and untruss. Invert on a dish a decorated and poached quenelle forcemeat (No. 80) border; lay in the center of the dish and on this a triangular center of fried bread covered with the same forcemeat, poach in the oven and range the chickens in a triangle on this border, leaning them up against the fried bread center. Dress between each one small clusters of round and peeled truffles rolled in meat glaze (No. 402), insert a garnished skewer in the bread center and the chickens. Pour some Madeira sauce (No. 492) reduced with truffle parings into the bottom of the dish after straining it through a tammy and serve more of it in a sauce-boat.