Woodcocks on Canapes a la Perigord

Prepare some bread croutons three and three-quarter inches long, two and a quarter inches wide and half an inch thick; cut off the four corners and empty an oblong square on each side one and three-quarters inch long by one inch wide; from each side of the middle remove a half circle an inch in diameter; hollow out the center so that when the bird is dressed it can stand upright on it; fry these in butter and empty the slit. Chop up some woodcock intestines with as much grated fat pork and as much chicken liver, season with salt and pepper and add chopped parsley, a little game glaze (No. 398) and a few egg-yolks, fill the hollowed out spaces on each end of the crouton (Fig. 41) with this, forming it into dome shape on top and push into the oven with butter poured over. Cook some pieces of truffle with grated fat pork, salt, pepper and fine spices (No. 168) and have it get cold. First begin by picking, singeing and cleaning the birds well; withdraw the gizzard, pouch and intestines; stuff the birds with the truffles and truss well for roasting and inserting the beak into the breast aperture; wrap in thin slices of fat pork, tying on with three rounds of string; roast for ten minutes and dress on the center of the croutons; serve these with a Madeira half-glaze sauce (No. 413) with essence of truffles (No. 395).