Roast Snipe
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the snipe
Thoroughly clean the snipe and remove the skin from the head.
Cut off the wings.
Twist the legs to bring the feet behind the thighs.
Pass the bill through the thighs and body.
Carefully singe the snipe.
Wrap the snipe in rashers of fat bacon and secure with string.
Roast and serve
Roast the snipe over a clear fire for 20 to 25 minutes.
Place toasted bread under each bird to catch the gravy.
Baste the birds frequently.
Serve on a dish with toast underneath each bird, garnished with watercresses.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Snipe
- The main meat, cooked whole so it stays moist and juicy over the fire.
- Fat bacon
- Wrapped around the birds, it bastes the lean meat and adds fat and flavour as it renders.
- Toast
- Sits under each bird to soak up the drippings and gravy.
The step that matters
Roast the snipe over a clear fire. A clear, steady fire gives even heat without heavy smoke or scorching. Frequent basting keeps the small birds from drying out, since lean game cooks quickly and loses moisture easily.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
You might also like
Tomato Soup526 recipes
Brown Bread461 recipes
Mutton Broth292 recipes
Yorkshire Pudding264 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.