Pawaru-Grahmata

№ 75II. nodaļa

Mežu irbe ar skābainu sulu

Hazel grouse (or partridge) with olive and caper sauce

  • Serves 4
  • about 1¼ hours
  • Melnraksts · vēl nav izmēģināts

1796Meschu irbe ar skahbainu sullu.

Modernizētslpp. 115–116 · PDF 129–130
4 porcijas

The book gives no quantities; the amounts below are ours.

Method

5 soļi
  1. Check the birds: singe off any stray feathers, feel for lead shot and cut it out with the bruised flesh around it, and pat dry. Lard the breasts with the fat strips using a larding needle, or tie the bacon over them.
  2. Put the birds in a casserole they fit snugly, pour over the hot salted water, cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
  3. Heat the oven to 180 °C. Pour off the liquid and keep a cupful. Dot the birds with the 60 g butter, cover and roast for 25–35 minutes, basting twice, until tender and the thickest part of the thigh reaches 75 °C. Uncover for the last 10 minutes to brown (our addition).
  4. Meanwhile, melt the 20 g butter in a small pan, stir in the flour and cook for 4–5 minutes, until brown. Whisk in the wine, then add the chopped olives, chopped capers and lemon zest. Simmer for 5 minutes until it thickens; thin with a little of the reserved liquid if needed.
  5. Pour the sauce over the birds and all their buttery juices in the casserole, add the whole capers, cover and simmer gently on the hob for 5–10 minutes.

Notes

What the book says vs. what we added

the book plucks, cleans and lards the bird, braises it in a pot with hot lightly salted water, then cooks it under butter in a covered pot on coals until soft. The sauce is flour browned in butter with chopped olives, capers, lemon peel and wine. The bird goes into it with its roasting butter and whole capers and simmers a little longer. The amounts, oven temperature and times are ours, and we brown the birds at the end.

Which bird

mežu irbe is the hazel grouse (Latvian mežirbe, German Haselhuhn), a small woodland grouse. It's protected or rarely sold in most of Europe. Farmed partridge is the closest substitute; poussin is milder.

Doneness

partridge is often served pink in restaurants today, but the book cooks it until soft. For wild birds, cook to 75 °C.

Lead shot

wild game may contain lead shot. In the UK, the Food Standards Agency advises against eating lead-shot game often, especially for children and pregnant women.

Sharp sauce

the book's skābaina sula gets its sharpness from olives, capers, lemon and wine, not from vinegar.

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