COOKERY OF THE PARTRIDGE 273 



are browned in butter on not too fierce a fire ; some 

 glaze, some stock, and a little white wine are added, 

 with a slight dredging of flour, pepper, and salt, and 

 then they are simmered for three-quarters of an hour 

 or thereabouts, and when done are served with the 

 sauce strained over them. Partridge a I'estouffade is 

 a little more complicated, but not much. The birds 

 are larded, put in a saucepan with onions, carrots, 

 bacon, herbs, stock, white wine, and, of course, 

 pepper and salt, covered up, simmered till done, and 

 served as in the other case, with the sauce strained 

 and poured over them. To these two excellent ways 

 may be added, as of the same family, partridge a la 

 chasseur and partridge a la Portugaise, which are 

 slightly different ways of cooking the jointed and 

 dismembered birds in butter, with easily variable and 

 imaginable seasonings including in the last case, of 

 course, garlic, and the substitution of oil for butter. 

 They are all good, and always supposing that the cook 

 knows his or her business well enough to prevent 

 greasiness, there are no better ways of cooking really 

 good birds, except the plain roast. But as there will 

 always be those who love mixed, and disguised, and 

 blended flavours, let us end with two arrangements of 

 greater complexity partridge a la Cussy and partridge 

 a FItalienne, 



