Fried Woodcock
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Tie the legs of the woodcock and skin the head and neck.
Turn the beak under the wing and tie it in place.
Place a slice of bacon over the woodcock.
Fry and serve
Immerse in hot fat for 2-3 minutes.
Serve on toast.
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
- Woodcock
- Provides the main lean game meat that is cooked and served whole.
- Bacon
- Lays fat over the bird, adding flavour and moisture as it renders during frying.
- Toast
- Serves as a base that soaks up juices and gives a crisp, contrasting texture.
The step that matters
Immerse in hot fat for 2-3 minutes. Lean game can dry out quickly, so the fat must be hot enough to brown the surface fast. Too little time leaves the bird underdone, while too long toughens the meat.
“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.
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