A Salmi of Moor Fowl, Pheasants or Partridges is a traditional British recipe, based on Eliza Acton's recipe of 1845, for a classic starter of game fowl meats served in a sauce made from the carcass and trimmings of the birds. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: A Salmi of Moor Fowl, Pheasants or Partridges.
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This is a traditional British recipe redacted from Eliza Acton's 1845 volume Modern Cookery, the first classic Victorian cookbook.
Original Recipe
A SALMI OF MOOR FOWL, PHEASANTS, OR PARTRIDGES.
(ENTRéE.)
This is an excellent mode of serving the remains of roasted game, but when a superlative salmi is desired, the birds must be scarcely more than half roasted for it. In either case serve them very neatly, and strip every particle of skin and fat from the legs, wings, and breasts; bruise the bodies well, and put them with the skin and other trimmings into a very clean stewpan. If for a simple and inexpensive dinner, merely add to them two or three sliced eschalots, a bay leaf, a small blade of mace, and a few peppercorns; then pour in a pint or rather more of good veal gravy or strong broth, and boil it briskly until reduced nearly half ; strain the gravy, pressing the bones well to obtain all the flavour, skim off the fat, add a little cayenne and lemon-juice, heat the game very gradually in it, but do not on any account allow it to boil ; place sippets of fried bread round the dish, arrange the birds in good form in the centre, give the sauce a boil, and pour it on them. This is but a homely sort of salmi, though of excellent flavour if well made ; it may require perhaps the addition of a little thickening, and tow or three glasses of dry white wine poured to the bodies of the birds with the broth, would bring it nearer to the French salmi in flavour. As the spongy substance in the inside of moor-fowl and black game is apt to be extremely bitter when they have long kept, care should be taken to remove such parts as would endanger the preparation.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
1 guineafowl, 2 pheasants, 2 partridges (or equivalent in any other game meat, part-roasted.
3 shallots, sliced
1 bayleaf
1 small blade of mace
1 tsp black peppercorns
600ml game or beef stock
140ml dry white wine
1 tbsp lemon juice
cayenne pepper, to taste
1 tsp cornflour, whisked to a slurry with 2 tbsp water
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Method:
Remove the skin from the birds and set aside. Carve the birds as best you can then strip off all the remaining meat from the bones. Joint the bird and crack the long bones.
Place the bones, skin and any trimmings in a pan with the shallots, bayleaf, mace, black peppercorns, stock and white wine. Bring to a boil and cook until the volume of liquid has reduced by a half. At this point, turn the mixture into a fine-meshed sieve and allow the liquid to strain into a bowl. Press down on the bones to extract as much liquid as possible.
Set the bowl aside to cool then skim off any fat from the surface. Pour the stock into a pan and gently bring to a simmer. Whisk in the cornflour mixture and heat until thickened. Flavour with lemon juice and cayenne pepper then season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Add the meat to this stock and allow to heat through gently (do not boil). When hot, remove the meat with a slotted spoon and arrange in a serving dish. Pour over the thickened sauce and serve.
