Recipe For Cooking Four And Twenty Game Birds Baked In A Pie

Baked Toaster Oven Dishes :: Baked Poultry Dishes

Four and Twenty Game Birds Baked in a Pie

Pin. of salt
1/3 C. vegetable shortening
1 C. flour, sifted
2 Tbsp. ice water
4 to 6 Tbsp. butter
12 quail, split in half
16 sm. white onions, peeled
2 C. rich chicken stock
Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
1/2 C. dry Marsala wine
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
2 celery sticks, chopped
1 lrg. carrot, diced
1/4 tea. thyme
1/2 tea. savory
2 Tbsp. cornstarch, mixed with
    1/4 C. cold water
12 sm. new potatoes, unpeeled and halved
1 C. fresh peas
1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Select a lrg., deep baking dish and set aside. Put salt, vegetable shortening and flour together. Cut vegetable shortening into flour with a pastry blender until it has the consistency of oatmeal. Sprinkle with ice water and mix gently with a fork to blend. Divide dough in half. Roll half of dough to size of baking dish you have selected. Line dish with pastry, cover and refrigerate until filling is ready. Melt butter in a heavy skillet and sauté birds for 10 min.

Remove birds and place in pastry-lined baking dish. Add onions, stock, lemon rind and juice, Marsala, parsley, celery, carrot, thyme and savory to remaining juices in skillet. Simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender. Remove them with a slotted spoon and add to birds. To the remaining gravy, add cornstarch, stir to blend and cook until slightly thickened. Correct seasonings and pour gravy over birds. Cook potatoes in boiling water until just tender. Add to baking dish, then sprinkle in peas. Roll out remaining dough and cover baking dish with a top crust. Trim, leaving a 1/2-in. overhang. Turn under, press firmly to edge of dish, and make a scalloped edge. Brush pie with beaten egg. With a knife cut several slits in a pattern for steam vents. Bake for 30 min. or until pastry is golden.