THis SAUCE, one of our most famous, is designed to be served with woodcock or snipe, but it lends itself just as well to other garne such as partridge, quail, wild duck, pheasant, hare, etc. The hearts and livers of the game are an essentiel part of the sauce, and a little of the blood is also used when possible. The proportions given for the sauce in this recipe are for two people, but they are easily doubled or tripled. A fine liver pâté may be substituted for the Plus-que-Parfait.




2 small game birds
Butter for roasting
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons PATÉ PLUS-QUE-PARFAIT
Salt and pepper
3/8 cup brandy or Armagnac
3/4 cup cream
4 teaspoons MEAT JELLY , or substitute
Thinly sliced white bread




DRAW and clean the game birds, reserving the hearts and livers, and preroast them in butter as you would a chicken . The roasting time depends, of course, on the size of the birds (15 to 20 minutes for small ones), but be sure to leave them underdone, as they will be cooked again in the sauce.

When you remove them from the roasting pan for carving, pour off all the butter. (You may now use this, or fresh butter, to fry the bread, first cut into small strips or triangles, in a separate skillet.) By the time you are ready to carve the birds, have ready all the elements of the sauce that follows.

Force the raw hearts and livers through a sieve. (Or you can purée them in an electric blender. ) Be sure first to remove any trace of gall from the livers. In a ceramic bowl, combine the heart-and-liver purée, the softened butter, the pâté, a dash of brandy or Armagnac, and a little blood of the game if possible. Season with salt and pepper, and with a fork blend the mixture to a smooth peste.

Carve the birds, return them to the roasting pan, and place over high heat. Pour the brandy or Armagnac over them, touch it with a lighted match, and shake the pan until the flames die out. Then stir in the cream and the MEAT JELLY, or substitute, and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the sauce begins to thicken. Now, off the heat, stir in the liver-and-pâté mixture; return the pan to low heat for a few minutes, until the sauce is hot and well blended.