Roast Black-cock
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the birds
Hang the birds for a few days to improve tenderness.
Pluck and draw the birds.
Wipe the insides and outsides with a damp cloth.
Cut off the heads.
Truss the birds.
Remove the toes.
Scald the feet.
Roast and serve
Baste the birds with butter.
Roast them over a moderate fire for 45 to 50 minutes.
Serve with toast and a good gravy.
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
- Black-cock birds
- Provide the main meat, which is firm and lean, so hanging helps tenderise it.
- Butter
- Adds fat and moisture to the surface, helping the skin brown and stay juicy while roasting.
- Toast
- Serves as a plain base that soaks up juices and gravy alongside the birds.
The step that matters
Roast over a moderate fire. Moderate heat cooks the birds through while the butter basting keeps the surface moist and golden. Too hot a fire can scorch the outside before the centre is cooked.
“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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