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Quails, White

Pick six nice, tender, fat quails, singe, draw, neatly wipe, split through back without separating, crack main bones, lightly flatten with cleaver and lay on a dish. Place in a mortar fifteen shelled, peeled and roasted almonds, the clear meat of six very sound walnuts, a very small, sound, peeled and finely chopped shallot, and pound all well together until a fine pulp. Add a half ounce fresh butter, light teaspoon each French mustard and salt, two saltspoons paprika, a saltspoon curry powder, strained juice of quarter of a sound lemon, and briskly pound again for a minute and a half. Take up pulp, carefully rub quails evenly all over with it, then infuse for thirty minutes, being careful to rub frequently meanwhile. Peel and carefully clean twelve good-sized, sound, fresh mushrooms and thoroughly drain. Mix on plate a light teaspoon salt, three saltspoons pepper, a tablespoon each oil and sherry, repeatedly turn mushrooms in seasoning, then neatly arrange one beside another in a baking dish. Place quails on top of mushrooms cut side downward, spread all butter in dish over birds and set in oven for twenty minutes, being careful to baste frequently with their own gravy once in a while. Broil six exceedingly thin slices raw lean ham for one and a half minutes on each side, remove from oven, dress ham over and send to table in same dish.