To Boil Sparrows or Larks is a traditional Elizabethan recipe for a classic dish of small birds cooked in a sweet and sour mutton broth base with mace, butter and parsley. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Elizabethan version of: To Boil Sparrows or Larks.
Take two ladles full of mutton broth, a little whole mace, put into it a peece of ſweet butter a handful of Parſly being picked, ſeaſon it with ſugar, veriuice, and a little pepper.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
500ml mutton broth
4 partridges (or other small birds)
2 blades of mace
2 tbsp butter
1 generous handful of parsley, shredded
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp verjuice (or white wine vinegar)
freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Method:
Sit the birds in a heavy-bottomed pan then add the mutton broth, mace, butter, parsley, sugar, verjuice and black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover the pan and cook for about 30 minutes, or until the birds are tender.
Remove the birds from the pan and set aside to keep warm, bring the stock to a boil and continue boiling for about 15 minutes, or until reduced. Strain the stock and serve to accompany the birds.
