/ck/ - Food & Cooking

(In Britain, the humble sparrow was used as a source of food until at least the nineteenth century. Enterprising householders would hang wooden, then ceramic, ‘sparrow pots’ from roof eaves to attract the birds which like to nest in family groups. Once the babies had hatched, people would reach in, harvest the offspring, stew the sparrow chicks and serve them on toast. Any small birds can be used in this sweet and sour herby mutton broth, but house sparrows are becoming rarer with the lack of crevices for nesting sites in houses and the rise in population of the domestic cat. Thus partridges are used in this modern version. At a recent ‘shooters’ dinner, I saw dozens of woodcock and snipe being served. They are such difficult birds to spot that they are often illegally shot using ‘lamping’ at night.)

TO BOILE SPARROWES OR LARKS – SPARROWS IN MUTTON BROTH
Sir Hugh Plat’s Delightes for Ladies, 1602

To boile Sparrowes 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.
Ingredients: 4 partridges or other small birds; 500 ml mutton broth; 2 blades of mace; 2 tbsp butter; 1 generous handful of parsley, shredded; 1 tbsp brown sugar; 2 tbsp verjuice; 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 the 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.