THE COOKERY OF THE PHEASANT 257 



invariably ingredients which make it fatal to the 

 bouquet of Burgundies of haut cm. 



But the sublimest form of art, endeavouring to paint 

 the lily and improve upon nature, is undoubtedly the 

 faisan a la Sainte- Alliance, to which we have already 

 alluded. The name indicates the date of introduction 

 in the Parisian restaurants, though for the original 

 idea we are indebted to Brillat-Savarin. He first 

 gives careful instructions as to preparing the bird, and 

 then passes on to directions as to stuffing and dressing. 

 You get a couple of woodcocks — bone them, and 

 separate them into two portions, the one consisting of 

 the flesh, the other of the liver and trails. Then you 

 mince up the flesh with beef mixed with grated 

 bacon, condiments, and fine herbs, and proceed to 

 plug up the intestines with the best truffles. If the 

 bird has been long hung, it is rather difficult to seal up 

 the contents hermetically, which is indispensable to 

 complete success. You spit the pheasant delicately 

 above a broad slice of bread, which is covered with the 

 stuffing of the trail, &c., with pounded truffles, with 

 more grated bacon, an anchovy, and a sufficiency of 

 butter. Then as he roasts before the carefully regulated 

 furnace, he drips and sheds his choicest succulence 

 into bread that is turning to toast. Brillat-Savarin 

 recommends you to serve him surrounded with bitter 



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