To Roast Woodcocks and Snipes is a traditional British recipe, based on Hannah Glasse's recipe of 1747, for a classic dish of roasted woodcocks served on toast and finished with gravy. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: To Roast Woodcocks and Snipes.
(click this button to prevent the screen from sleeping so Cook Mode is 'ON')
This is a traditional British recipe redacted from Hannah Glasse's 1747 volume The Aft of Cookery Made Plain and Easy, the classic Georgian cookbook.
To roaſt woodcocks and ſnipes.
PUT them on a little ſpit ; take a round of a threepenny loaf and toaſt it brown, then lay it in a diſh under the birds, baſte them with a little butter, and let the trale drop on the toaſt. When they are roaſted put the toaſt in the diſh, lay the woodcocks on it and have about a quarter of a pint of gravy ; pour it into a diſh, and ſet it over a lamp or chaffing-diſh for three minutes, and ſend them to table. You are to observe we never take any thing out of a woodcock or ſnipe.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
4 oven-ready woodcocks
4 white rolls (bases only) that are large enough for the woodcocks to sit on, toasted
4 tbsp butter, melted
150ml good gravy
Method:
Place the woodcocks in a roasting dish and dot with a little butter. Place in an oven pre-heated to 180°C and roast for 20 minutes. After this time, toast the rolls then remove the woodcocks from the oven. Open the birds at the rear and let the entrails fall on the toasts. Sit the woodcock on top, place in the roasting dish and baste with the melted butter.
Return to the oven and cook for a further 5 minutes then take out of the oven and pour in the gravy. Place under a hot grill (broiler) and cook for about 5 minutes, or until well browned and the gravy is hot. Serve hot from the dish.
