It is going to happen in April.
I am very excited.
Click on the image to read the blurb!
Every good book has some good out-takes, and every follower of this blog likes a historic recipe, so here are the instructions for a nice Lark Pie for you, from that intriguing Frenchman, the Baron Brisse.Lark Pie.
Pluck, singe, and flatten the backs of two or three dozen larks, draw them, throw away the gizzards, and pound the trail [the intestines] in a mortar with scraped bacon and mixed herbs; fill the larks with this, and wrap each one in a slice of bacon. Line a plain mould with paste, fill it with the larks, sprinkle them with salt and pepper, spread a thick layer of butter over them, add two or three laurel leaves, and a pinch of mixed spice; cover with paste, and bake for two hours and a half. Turn out of the mould, and serve cold.
From The 366 Menus and 1200 Recipes of the Baron Brisse (1868)
9 comments:
The recipe for Lark Pie is very timely. Noted gourmand and writer Alexandre Dumas tells us that lark "is only good in the month of November and those which follow, up to February."
That is WONDERFUL news. The blurb looks terrific. Can't wait to order a copy.
Cindy
Well done completing the book! I look forward to it!
Obermuda :)
This is wonderful. I can't wait to read it :).
What a wonderful feeling it must be! Congratulations:)
Ever eaten this, or any small bird pie, for that matter? I am wondering about the bones. Do you eat them, too? Or does some kitchen monkey have to bone out (?!) three dozen larks?
Fantastic news! I can't wait to see it!
Congratulations!
My husband is an Aussie and a good meat pie or sausage roll always make him home sick. Will this be published eventually in the US as well?
--Kathryn
Thanks everyone - I hope it will live up to your expectations! I think it is a fun book.
Kathryn: Reaktion books do distribute internationally, so I suppose it will be available in the States but it will certainly be available at Amazon - in fact a blog reader told me it is already there for pre-order!
HunterAngleretc - the pie functioned as a sort of casserole dish in this situation - the birds were scooped out of the pie shell, medieval style.
srhcb - Dumas and Baron Brisse were northern hemisphere folk, so the seasonal advice was timely: down under it is reversed, so I must wait for May to Aug for larks :)
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