Game Sandwiches

A two-line entry from Ranhofer that assumes you already have cold roast game and a compound butter on hand. The whole thing hinges on the foie gras butter, which the original does not explain.

• Foies-gras butterIn The Epicurean this is one of the compound butters: foie gras (or a good mousse/pâté) pounded smooth with softened butter, roughly equal parts or a little less butter, and generally passed through a fine sieve. It should be spreadable but not oily — work it cold and use it cold.
• What "game" means hereCold leftover roast birds, chiefly partridge, grouse, pheasant, woodcock or snipe, carved off the breast. Venison or hare works as well. Supermarket duck breast, roasted rare and sliced thin, is the closest easy substitute.
• The breadA close-crumbed white sandwich loaf, cut thin (about 1/4 inch) from a day-old loaf so it slices without tearing. "Pare neatly" means trim all four crusts off after assembly, not before, so the filling stays enclosed.
• Butter both slicesNot decoration — the fat layer seals the crumb against moisture from the meat, which is why these hold on a buffet. Butter right to the edges.
• Press, then restStack the finished sandwiches, lay a board and a light weight on top, and refrigerate 20-30 minutes. They cut cleanly and stay square. Cut into fingers or triangles at the last moment.
• Yield and servingThe recipe gives no quantity; as a side dish, reckon on about one sandwich (two thin slices) per person, which from a small loaf works out at roughly two to three dozen fingers. "Dress on a folded napkin" is the period presentation — a linen napkin folded on a flat platter, which absorbs any weeping and keeps the sandwiches from sliding.
• Season lightlyFoie gras butter is rich and already salted, and hung game is strongly flavoured. A grind of pepper and a few drops of lemon on the meat is enough; skip mustard, which will bury both.