CLEAN WELL SIX QUAILS

QUAILS A LA LUCULLUS

CLEAN well six quails.  Cut three or four ounces of ham into small pieces, chop one shallot, put both ham and shallot in a saucepan with a little butter and fry; then add eight chicken livers, a small bouquet garni, six peppercorns, two cloves, pepper and salt.  Let all this cook gently; when cooked, pound in the mortar, pass through a sieve, then add some sliced truffles.

With this, stuff the quails, oil them with the best olive oil, wrap them in greased paper, and cook them in the oven.

NOTE:  This Norman Douglas, Venus In The Kitchen, recipe sounds exquisite and aphrodisiac, a culinary sensation which I admit is totally foreign to me.  I like the fact that, while elegant, it is also somewhat earthy and straightforward, including chicken livers instead of what I believe is the customary ultra-Lucullan foie gras-based stuffing.  Whichever preparation you choose, I can see this being the condemned cat prisoner's preferred last meal.  ("Let's see -- ham, quail, chicken livers.  Hold the truffles. ”)    This observation may only apply to my cats, but it applies to all of them and I live in a veritable cat city. 

I enjoy Norman Douglas's way of writing recipes and realize that some of his style has rubbed off on me and my writing.  "Clean well six quails" reminds me of something I might say.  Or Yoda.