Woodcock recipe in the oven. The best woodcock recipes. Ingredients for preparing a royal dinner - royal woodcock

Today on our culinary pages we invite you to familiarize yourself with the recipe for woodcock. For a long time, this bird was considered a royal bird and one that only a hunter could hunt. Well, deliciously cooked woodcock was a royal dish.

Woodcock hunting video:

Ingredients for preparing a royal dinner - royal woodcock

Since the woodcock is a small bird, and you are planning a festive dinner and guests will come, you will not be limited to just the carcass of the bird, so, show maximum accuracy when shooting, ask for help from your hunting dog, and get 6 woodcocks to your table.

In order for the poultry meat to be juicy, you will need 100 grams of lard and 50 grams of butter. “Company” for the woodcocks on your table will be 300 grams of champignons, 250 grams of sour cream and 250 grams of broth. Salt - all to taste and your gastronomic discretion.

How to cook woodcock the royal way

You need to pluck and gut the woodcock carcasses, then rinse thoroughly under running water and soak in water with vinegar for as long as 3 hours. Thanks to this soaking, the woodcock meat will not be tough and will cook faster.

After the carcasses have been marinated in vinegar, take them out, pat them dry with a paper towel, and rub with salt (just don’t overdo it - It's better to under-salt on the table than over-salt on the back) and place a piece of lard in the middle of each carcass.

Next, melt the butter and the remaining lard in a frying pan, place the woodcocks in the frying pan and cover with a lid. Let your game stew in this fat-oil mixture and release the juice. After 15 minutes, you can drain off the excess fat and fry the woodcock carcasses until golden and golden brown crust on both sides.

In the meantime, while the woodcocks are frying, you can put the rice to cook, chop the champignons, fry them also on butter, and then add broth and sour cream, and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.

After all your components of the royal dinner are ready, remove the fried woodcocks from the frying pan, turn them breasts down, and pour the resulting sauce (mushrooms with sour cream). Simmer for 15 minutes with the lid closed over low heat.

How can you tell when your game is ready? Just carefully pierce the meat with a knife - it should be soft. If the woodcock meat is a little hard, let it cook for another 5-10 minutes.

After your dish is ready, turn off the gas, but do not rush to serve the woodcocks royally on the table. Let them sit for 30 minutes.

Serve woodcocks with rice and sauce. Pickles also go perfectly with such a royal dinner. And, a glass of strong tincture will not spoil your appetite at all!

Well, after such a royal woodcock hunt, you deserve this royal dinner. Bon appetit!

P.S. – The aromas of your royal dinner will be so appetizing that it’s no wonder if your meal is interrupted by unexpected guests, which is why you cooked 7 woodcock carcasses, not 1...

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Woodcock according to Berezinsky
The woodcock must be kept in feathers for at least a day in a cool, dry room (or in the lower tier of the refrigerator)... then the meat will be tastier (I learned this from the French). After plucking, singeing and gutting the bird, place the woodcock carcass in cold water overnight. After this, soak in a very weak solution of vinegar for half an hour (a teaspoon per liter of water, this will not affect the taste). All this is done so that the meat remains tender and juicy after frying.
Before cooking, you can beat it lightly, but lightly. Season with salt on all sides, a little red pepper and place in a heated frying pan with oil. We place pressure on top - a plate and a weight for pressing (you can use half a liter of water). First, fry over medium heat, At that moment. When one side is fried and an even golden brown crust appears, turn the carcass over to the other side so that it browns evenly, then cook over low heat. About thirty minutes, after which we add a little water and simmer for another ten minutes. After turning off, sprinkle with crushed garlic and let it sit for about five minutes.
During this time, you will have time to put the steamed decanter on the table and pour a crystal glass.
Pour the resulting sauce over the woodcock and place on a plate.
Potatoes are suitable as a side dish.

ROAST WOODCONG
Ingredients
For 1 woodcock: 100 g lard, 1 teaspoon juniper berries, 20 black peppercorns, 1 teaspoon salt, zest of 1 lemon, parsley.
Preparation
Gut the prepared carcasses, separate the liver and heart. Carefully trim the skin and pull it towards the neck. Crush ripe juniper berries with pepper grains, mix with salt and rub the carcasses with this mixture. Wrap the carcasses in very thin slices lard and pull the skin back. Tuck the neck into the breast and tie the carcasses with thick threads. Melt the butter in a frying pan, fry the carcasses on all sides, pour in sour cream and fry for 15-20 minutes.
Finely chop the thoroughly washed liver and heart, grate the lemon zest, add chopped parsley. Mix everything, add salt and simmer in butter for about 10 minutes.
Spread the prepared mixture onto slices of fried white bread and serve as a side dish for roast woodcock.

WOODECONK ROASTED WITH RED WINE
Ingredients
For 1 woodcock: 50-60 g of lard, 1 teaspoon of juniper berries, 1/2 glass of dry red wine.
Preparation
Carefully slide the skin from the carcass to the neck without removing it completely. Rub the meat with salt and crushed juniper berries, cover it with very thin slices of lard, tighten the skin again and wrap the carcass with thick threads.
Fry for 20 minutes, adding dry red wine to the roasting pan.

WOODCORN STYLE
Ingredients
For 4 servings: 4 woodcock for frying (0.3 kg each), 2 tbsp. spoons olive oil, 30 g butter, 1 onion (finely chopped), 2 celery stalks (chopped), 3 carrots (chopped), 1 clove of garlic (chopped), 350 g small fresh mushrooms, 900 ml chicken broth, 250 g of any cereal, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, ground black pepper, 1 tbsp. spoon of sage, 200 g shallots, 250 g artichokes (cut into 4 parts), fresh saffron leaves for decoration.
Preparation
Heat the olive oil and butter in a large ovenproof pan, then lightly fry the processed woodcocks (2 at a time) in it for 5-10 minutes. Remove woodcocks from pan and set aside. Add onion to the pan and fry it for 5 minutes. Add celery, carrots, garlic, mushrooms and fry, stirring, for another 5 minutes.
Pour in the broth, add cereal, salt, pepper, saffron, shallots and woodcock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30-35 minutes.
Place the artichoke pieces on top of the woodcocks and cook for another 10 minutes until the game is cooked through, allowing all the liquid to be absorbed into the grain.
Garnish with saffron leaves and serve in the same container in which the dish was baked.

WOODECHONS WITH CAULIFLOWER
Ingredients
For 3 woodcocks: 1 carrot, 1 parsley root, 700-800 g cauliflower, 2 onions, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, 1 cup sour cream, 1 pinch of grated nutmeg, 1 bunch of dill or parsley, salt and pepper to taste.
Preparation
Rinse the prepared woodcocks, cut them in half lengthwise, grate with salt and pepper, place in a saucepan, add chopped parsley roots, carrots and whole onions, add cold water so that the water half covers the game and cook until done, pouring the broth over the bird and constantly turning over. When the woodcocks are cooked, add a glass of sour cream, breadcrumbs, nutmeg, bring everything to a boil and remove from heat.
Boil separately in salted water cauliflower and disassemble it into inflorescences.
Place the game on a dish, place cabbage around it, pour sauce over everything, garnish with herbs.

Woodcock in wine
To prepare this traditional French dish You will need 2 woodcocks, a slice of lard, salt, pepper, a bottle of red wine, olive oil and butter. Season the plucked carcasses with salt and pepper and coat with olive oil. Then fry over high heat in butter for 3-3 minutes, reduce the heat of the pan to low and pour the wine over the birds, adding it as it boils. Remove the finished woodcocks from the heat and scoop out the insides with a spoon. Place the intestines, livers and hearts on a cutting board and chop until smooth, then place in the frying pan in which the game was cooked, adding a little wine and stirring - you get a thick brown sauce. Serve to the table the same wine that was used for cooking. (what the lard is for is not said)

Provençal salami
To prepare you will need 2 woodcocks, 80g of lard, ? glasses of dry white wine, a teaspoon of capers, 2 anchovies, 4 slices of bread, olive oil, salt, black pepper. Pluck the woodcocks, singe them, remove the entrails, saving them for later use, and stuff them with lard. Fry the birds over high heat in olive oil, then pour in wine and simmer for 15 minutes, adding more as it boils. At this time, place the finely chopped bird entrails and anchovies along with capers in a frying pan and simmer with the remaining wine. Spread the minced meat prepared in this way onto fried slices of bread. Remove the finished woodcocks from the heat, cut into pieces depending on the number of people, place on a dish and serve with croutons and sauce.

Woodcock in champagne
One plucked, singed and gutted woodcock (the entrails must be saved), butter, ? bottles of good champagne, a small slice of beef liver. Cut the woodcock into two halves, fry each of them, then, adding half a glass of champagne, cover the pan with a lid and simmer until done. Place the bird and keep warm. In a frying pan in which the juice from stewing has been preserved, place the chopped beef liver, entrails, butter and pour 1-2 glasses of champagne. Stir and heat until the sauce thickens. Pour the hot sauce over the bird halves and serve.

Fried woodcock
Wash the plucked and gutted woodcock carcasses thoroughly, salt them, and put a slice of bacon, onion, cloves, and offal into each carcass. Cover the breasts with slices of bacon (bend the head under one of the wings), tie the carcass with thread so as to secure the bacon. Place the prepared carcasses along with spices in heated butter and fry, if necessary, adding beef broth or water with a bouillon cube dissolved in it. Serve with rice, boiled or fried potatoes and lingonberries or raw blackcurrant jelly; You can also serve rowan compote. For 2 woodcock - 70 g bacon, 50 g butter (margarine), 2 small onions, 2 juniper berries, 4 black peppercorns, 2 cloves.

Polish fried woodcock
Plucked, gutted and washed carcasses are salted inside and out, put inside a slice of bacon, and also wrapped in slices of bacon and tied with thread. Place the remaining bacon on a baking sheet and fry the prepared woodcock on it, adding black peppercorns and juniper berries. If necessary, you can add a little beef broth. Boil the vegetable mixture in salted water. Fry bread crumbs in butter. Cut the finished woodcocks in half, pour over the juice released during frying, garnish with fried bacon and boiled vegetables, and sprinkle thickly with breadcrumbs. Can be served in a gravy boat heavy cream, mixing in them 1 tbsp. spoon grated horseradish and a pinch of sugar. For 2 woodcock - 100 g bacon, 50 g butter (margarine), 1 package of ice cream vegetable mixture, 6 black peppercorns, 2 juniper berries, 1 cup beef broth, 4 tbsp. spoons breadcrumbs. Young wild pigeons are prepared using the same recipe.

Woodcock fried with spicy sauce
Wash the plucked and gutted carcasses and separate the meat from the breast. Stuff with thin lumps of bacon, add salt, sprinkle with lemon juice and cognac and place in the refrigerator with a lid. Cut the remains of the carcasses into several pieces and boil in water, adding salt, parsley, black and allspice, cloves and 2 small pieces of lemon peel. The amount of water should be small to make a strong broth. Fry the breast meat in vegetable oil until golden brown crust forms. Strain the broth, separate the meat from the bones and finely chop or grind in a mixer. Put the resulting mixture back into the broth, stir, add mustard, the remaining marinade, lemon zest and starch diluted in a spoon cold water. Let it boil, add salt or pepper to taste and serve with the fried woodcock meat. Side dish: boiled or fried potatoes, rice and lingonberry compote or raw blackcurrant jelly. For 2 woodcock - 30 g bacon, 2 tbsp. spoons vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon parsley, 4 black peas and 2 peas allspice, 1 clove, juice and zest "/4 lemons, 1 teaspoon French mustard, 3 teaspoons cognac, 1/4 liter of water, 1 teaspoon potato starch.

Woodcock with carotel
Wash the plucked and gutted woodcocks thoroughly, salt inside and out, and sprinkle with pepper. Place a slice of bacon inside, wrap the carcasses in bacon and tie them with thread. Melt the butter and the remaining bacon in a frying pan, add the prepared woodcocks, add spices, chopped champignons and fry, adding water if necessary. At the same time, prepare the carrots: peel, cut into strips and simmer in heated butter, sprinkle with salt, spices and sugar. If necessary, add a little water. Pour sour cream over the finished carrots, after mixing a teaspoon of flour in it. Add sugar to taste or a little lemon juice. Cut fried woodcocks in half and garnish with stewed carrots. Serve with the juice released when frying woodcocks, boiled potatoes and lettuce. If instead of carotel you use canned carrots in a salty marinade (already chopped and soft), then you need to take a little marinade, add sugar, spices, boil, pour over the carrots and let it brew a little. Then bring to a boil and season with sour cream. For 2 woodcock - 50 g each of bacon, butter and champignons, 4 black peas and 2 allspice peas, 1 Bay leaf ick, salt, pepper. For stewed carrots- 500 g of carotel, 30 g of butter, 200 g of sour cream, 2 cloves, 3 black peas and 2 allspice peas, 1 piece of sugar, 1 teaspoon of flour.

Woodcock with cherry
Salt plucked, gutted and washed woodcocks from the inside, pour in lemon juice, sprinkle with lemon zest, sprinkle with cognac, put in a slice of bacon, a piece of butter and 5 cherry pits in a gauze bag (so that they can be easily removed). Salt the outside of the woodcock, grate with zest and lemon juice, sprinkle with the remaining cognac, wrap in slices of bacon and tie with thread. Melt the remaining bacon and butter on a baking sheet, add the prepared woodcocks, add the cherries separated from the pits and the remaining cherry pits in a gauze bag. Fry, basting frequently with the released juices; if necessary, add a little water or beef broth. Remove the finished woodcocks, cut them in half, and remove the cherry pits. Also remove the seeds from the juice and pour it over the woodcocks, garnishing them with cherries. Garnish: rice, butter vol-au-vents or strips of puff pastry (short pastry), baked apples with cherries or head salad. For 2 woodcock - 70 g of bacon, 40 g of butter, 20 large black cherries from jam, 3 teaspoons of cognac, juice and zest of 2 lemons. You can also prepare young wild pigeons.

Woodcock stewed
Recipe I.
Rub plucked, gutted and washed woodcocks with salt and curry, put a slice of bacon inside, cover the breasts with bacon and tie with thread. Fry over high heat with the remaining slices of bacon and melted butter, pour in the beef broth and simmer until done. Serve with rice, baked apples and lingonberries. For 2 woodcock - 70 g of bacon, 50 g of butter, "/2 teaspoons of curry, 1 glass of beef broth.

Recipe II.
Rub the plucked, gutted and thoroughly washed carcasses outside and inside with a mixture of salt and pepper, put a slice of bacon, two slices of onion, and a small piece of butter into each. Wrap in bacon slices and tie. Melt the remaining butter and cubed bacon in deep frying pan, add chopped onion, mushrooms and "/2 teaspoons of cumin. Fry, add the prepared woodcocks, if necessary, add water with a dissolved bouillon cube or just water and simmer in the oven. Cut the prepared woodcocks in half, pour over the juice released during stewing and serve with boiled or fried potatoes, rice and salad of tomatoes and sweet peppers. For 2 woodcock - 70 g of bacon, 50 g of butter, 2 onions, 100 g of champignons, caraway seeds, salt, pepper. You can also prepare young jays.

Woodcock stuffed
Wash the plucked and gutted carcasses, salt them, and line the abdominal cavity with slices of bacon. Prepare the filling: mix liver dressing or chopped chicken liver with egg, butter, spices, lemon zest and juice, chopped mushrooms. If necessary, add a teaspoon of breadcrumbs. Stuff the prepared carcasses with stuffing, put one sprig of tarragon inside, wrap with slices of bacon and tie with thread. Fry on a baking sheet in butter, adding bay leaves and black peppercorns and pouring red wine, water or beef broth over the carcasses. Place the rest of the filling on the bacon slices and fry along with the woodcock. Cut the finished carcasses into two parts. Cut the filling fried on slices of bacon into pieces, cover them with pieces of woodcock and pour over the hot juice released during frying. Side dish: boiled or fried potatoes and baked apples or green beans and head salad with sour cream. For 2 woodcock - 70 g bacon, 50 g butter (margarine), 4 tbsp. spoons of dry red wine, 1 bay leaf, 4 black peppercorns. For the filling - 100 g liver dressing or chicken liver, 100 g champignons, 20 g butter, 1 egg, a pinch each of black pepper, ginger and nutmeg, 2 sprigs of tarragon, 1-2 teaspoons parsley, a little zest and 2 teaspoons lemon juice, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper to taste.

Woodcock stuffed with nuts
Rub plucked, gutted and washed woodcocks with salt and add a slice of bacon. Prepare the filling: cut the bagels into thin slices, pour warm milk over them, add a piece of butter and mash with a fork. Add salt, parsley, spices, egg, mix well. Sprinkle with nuts, carrots and mushrooms, stir again until a thick mass forms. Add some breadcrumbs if necessary. Stuff the carcass with the filling, wrap it in slices of bacon, tie it with thread and fry it in butter. Then pour in the wine and bake in the oven, adding a little water if necessary. Wrap the rest of the filling in slices of bacon and fry along with the woodcock. Carefully cut the finished carcasses in half. Cut the filling, fried separately, into pieces and garnish the woodcock with them. Pour over the juice released during frying and serve with potatoes (boiled, fried, deep-fried), rice, baked apples, and rowan compote. For 2 woodcock - 70 g bacon, 50 g butter, 2 tbsp. spoons of dry red wine. For the filling - 30 g butter, 3 bagels, 1 glass of warm milk, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon parsley, nutmeg, nutmeg and ground cloves on the tip of a knife, 2 tbsp. spoons of grated nuts or almonds, 2 tbsp. spoons of grated carotel, 1 tbsp. spoon of chopped porcini mushrooms or champignons.

Woodcock is widespread throughout almost the entire CIS and is known to all hunters. The most common hunting seasons are in the spring when hunting and in the fall when the bird is migrating. This is a small bird weighing 300 grams, motley-red plumage, long-beaked and with large eyes. Woodcock is best fried without even gutting it. Below are examples of dishes and recipes.

Preparation
woodcock roast

You will need for one woodcock:

• piece of lard - 100 g;
• juniper berries - 1 teaspoon;
• table salt - 1 teaspoon;
• black peppercorns - 20 peas;
• parsley, green or dry;
• lemon zest from one lemon.

Start by preparing the carcasses, clean them and gut them,
Set aside the liver and heart separately. The skin is removed by pulling it towards the neck, slightly
trim it, but do not remove the skin completely, leave it at the neck.

Now take care of the pepper and juniper berries, they can be crushed
together, then add salt to the mixture according to the recipe amount, stir, and
Rub the woodcock carcasses with this seasoning. Now put very thin ones on top
slices of lard, 100 grams, cut very thinly and stretch the skin on top. To from the neck
If the juice does not ooze, tuck it into the breast, and tie the carcass itself with a thick thread.
Now fry the carcass on all sides in melted butter in a Dutch oven,
then pour in sour cream and let it fry well for 15-20 minutes.

A delicacy dish is also prepared from the liver and hearts.
Finely chop the liver and hearts into pieces, add parsley and zest from
one lemon, grated on a fine grater. Mix all this thoroughly and
add salt, the dish is prepared quite quickly, within 10 minutes on butter
oil This roast is surprisingly delicious when served spread on slices.
black bread.

Fried
woodcock with red wine

Composition for one woodcock:

• pork lard - 50 g;
• juniper berry - 1 teaspoon;
• dry red wine - 100 gr.

The skin, as in the previous recipe, should be pulled over the neck.
Juniper berries should be crushed and mixed with salt, now the carcass
cover with lard, cut the slices very thinly, as in the previous recipe.
Now pull the skin back, stretch it and wrap the carcass with thick threads.
The dish is cooked in a Dutch oven in red wine for 20 minutes.

Cooking woodcock the peasant way

The dish is designed for four woodcocks:

• four woodcock carcasses, weighing approximately 300 grams;
• olive oil - 2 tbsp. spoons;
• butter - 30 g;
• chopped celery - 2 stalks;
• onion (finely chopped) - 1 onion;
• carrots (chopped) - 3 pcs;
• garlic (finely chopped) - 1 clove;
• fresh mushrooms - 350 gr;
• chicken broth - 900 ml;
• cereal - 250 gr;
• table salt - half a teaspoon;
• ground black pepper;
• sage - 1 tbsp. spoon;
• shallots - 200 gr;
• artichokes (divided into 4 parts) - 250 g;
• saffron leaves are placed as a decoration on the bottom of the dish.

Heat butter and olive oil together in one
pan, a thick-walled pan is desirable. Fry the woodcocks for 5-10 minutes
2 pieces each, after frying all four, add the onion and brown it in
for 5 minutes Then place there: mushrooms, carrots, garlic and celery and
fry for another 5 minutes, stirring all this time.

Now you can add chicken broth, along with it you need
add saffron, pepper, shallots, salt, cereal and woodcock. On high heat
let it boil, and then transfer to low heat and cook, covered
cover for half an hour. After 30 min. open the lid and top the woodcocks
add the artichokes, cover again and leave for another 10 minutes, until
The broth was completely absorbed by the cereal. Once cooked, place underneath and on top
saffron leaves.

Woodcock,
cooked with cauliflower

Ingredients for three woodcocks:

• parsley root - 1 piece;
• onions - 2 pcs;
• carrots - 1 piece;
• cauliflower - 800 gr;
• breadcrumbs - half a glass;
• nutmeg (grated) - just a pinch;
• sour cream - 200 gr;
• green parsley or dill - 1 bunch;
• black pepper and salt.

The woodcock must be cut lengthwise completely, add pepper and
salt. Now, along with the parsley root, place the woodcock halves in a saucepan,
Also add whole onions and carrots. Add cold water by half
game and set to cook, pour the broth on top of the bird and sometimes turn it over.
After readiness, add a glass of sour cream, a pinch of nutmeg, crackers
breading mixture, let it boil again and remove from heat.

The cabbage is cooked separately, and then taken apart, then
placed on a dish around the game, you can decorate it with herbs on top.

Braised woodcock

Woodcock stewing is done according to two recipes.

1-recipe

• lard - 70 g;
• butter - 50 g;
• beef broth - 200 g;
• curry - 0.5 teaspoon.

Gut and wash the game, rub with curry and salt, add
put the bacon inside, also put a few slices of bacon on the breast, then the bird
tie with thick thread. Now fry the carcass over high heat with butter
butter and slices of bacon, then add beef broth and simmer in it
25-30 minutes, until fully cooked. It is very tasty to serve stewed woodcock with
rice, lingonberries and baked apples.

2nd recipe

Ingredients for 2 woodcock:

• lard - 70 g;
• butter - 50 g;
• champignons - 100 gr;
• onions - 2 pcs;
• pepper, cumin and salt.

Woodcock carcasses are rubbed inside and outside with pepper and salt according to
taste, then a couple of slices of onion, a slice of bacon and a small
a piece of butter. Just like in the first recipe, the breast should be
cover with slices of bacon and tie the game with thick thread.

Now melt the bacon and butter in a frying pan.
Add mushrooms, chopped onions, and half a spoonful of caraway seeds. After light roasting
put woodcocks, if there is not enough liquid, you can add water and a cube
chicken broth, simmer in the oven. They are best served with potatoes and
fresh vegetables.

Stuffed
woodcock

Ingredients for 2 woodcock:

• lard - 70 gr;
• margarine - 50 g;
• dry red wine - 4 tbsp;
• bay leaf - 1 pc;
• black pepper;

Ingredients inside:

• chicken liver - 100 g;
• mushrooms - 100 gr;
• butter - 20 g;
• chicken egg - 1 piece;
• tarragon - a couple of sprigs;
• parsley - two teaspoons;
• lemon juice - 0.5 teaspoon;
• zest;
• breadcrumbs;

Season the cleaned woodcock with salt and pepper, and
Cover the inside of the carcass with thin pieces of lard. Now it's time for the filling,
mix boiled liver with egg, butter, mushrooms, lemon juice and zest,
It is recommended to add some breadcrumbs. Ready stuffing invest
inside and add tarragon sprigs, tie the carcass with thick thread. Getting ready
This dish is cooked on a frying pan with butter and poured red wine on top when
enough juice will appear, add pepper and bay leaves. In addition to wine you can
use broth or just water. The finished woodcock is cut, stuffed
cut into pieces and placed around the game on a platter. Season the dish
juice in which the woodcock was cooked. If you have leftover filling and lard, then
can be cooked together with game in a roasting pan. Tastes best as a side dish
potatoes, boiled or fried.

WOODCOCK

Woodcocks are caught during the spring hunt, while hunting, and in the fall while flying with a pointing dog. The bird is small in size, carcass weight is about 300 g. The plumage is red and motley. Woodcocks have a long, straight nose and large, dark eyes. Woodcock, like snipe, is also classified as “red game” and is prepared ungutted, preferably fried.
On the last fold of the bird's wing there is a sharp, tight feather about 3 cm long. It is greatly valued by artists.

WOODCONG DISH RECIPES

ROAST WOODCONG

Ingredients:
For 1 woodcock: 100 g lard, 1 teaspoon juniper berries, 20 black peppercorns, 1 teaspoon salt, zest of 1 lemon, parsley.

Preparation:

Gut the prepared carcasses, separate the liver and heart. Carefully trim the skin and pull it towards the neck. Crush ripe juniper berries with pepper grains, mix with salt and rub the carcasses with this mixture. Wrap the carcasses in very thin slices of lard and pull the skin back. Tuck the neck into the breast and tie the carcasses with thick threads. Melt butter in a frying pan, fry the carcasses on all sides, pour in sour cream and fry for 15-20 minutes.
Finely chop the thoroughly washed liver and heart, grate the lemon zest, add chopped parsley. Mix everything, add salt and simmer in butter for about 10 minutes.
Spread the finished mixture onto slices of toasted white bread and serve as a side dish for roast woodcock.

WOODCONG ROASTED WITH RED WINE

Ingredients:
For 1 woodcock: 50-60 g of lard, 1 teaspoon of juniper berries, 1/2 glass of dry red wine.

Preparation:

Carefully slide the skin from the carcass to the neck without removing it completely. Rub the meat with salt and crushed juniper berries, cover it with very thin slices of lard, tighten the skin again and wrap the carcass with thick threads.
Fry for 20 minutes, adding dry red wine to the roasting pan.

WOODCORN STYLE

Ingredients:
For 4 servings: 4 woodcock for frying (0.3 kg each), 2 tbsp. tablespoons olive oil, 30 g butter, 1 onion (finely chopped), 2 celery stalks (chopped), 3 carrots (chopped), 1 clove garlic (chopped), 350 g small fresh mushrooms, 900 ml chicken broth, 250 g cereal any, 1/2 teaspoon salt, ground black pepper, 1 tbsp. spoon of sage, 200 g shallots, 250 g artichokes (cut into 4 parts), fresh saffron leaves for decoration.

Preparation:

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large ovenproof pan, then lightly fry the processed woodcocks (2 at a time) in it for 5-10 minutes. Remove woodcocks from pan and set aside. Add onion to the pan and fry it for 5 minutes. Add celery, carrots, garlic, mushrooms and fry, stirring, for another 5 minutes.
Pour in the broth, add cereal, salt, pepper, saffron, shallots and woodcock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30-35 minutes.
Place the artichoke pieces on top of the woodcocks and cook for another 10 minutes until the game is cooked through, allowing all the liquid to be absorbed into the grain.
Garnish with saffron leaves and serve in the same container in which the dish was baked.

WOODECHONS WITH CAULIFLOWER

Ingredients:
For 3 woodcocks: 1 carrot, 1 parsley root, 700-800 g cauliflower, 2 onions, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, 1 cup sour cream, 1 pinch of grated nutmeg, 1 bunch of dill or parsley, salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation:

Rinse the prepared woodcocks, cut them in half lengthwise, grate with salt and pepper, place in a saucepan, add chopped parsley roots, carrots and whole onions, add cold water so that the water half covers the game and cook until done, pouring the broth over the bird and constantly turning over. When the woodcocks are cooked, add a glass of sour cream, breadcrumbs, nutmeg to the broth, bring everything to a boil and remove from heat.
Separately, boil the cauliflower in salted water and separate it into inflorescences.
Place the game on a dish, surround it with cabbage, pour sauce over everything, garnish with herbs.

Woodcock dishes - cooking woodcock meat

A FEW MORE RECIPES

Roasted woodcock

Wash the plucked and gutted woodcock carcasses thoroughly, salt them, and put a slice of bacon, onion, cloves, and offal into each carcass. Cover the breasts with slices of bacon (bend the head under one of the wings), tie the carcass with thread so as to secure the bacon. Place the prepared carcasses along with spices in heated butter and fry, if necessary, adding beef broth or water with a bouillon cube dissolved in it. Serve with rice, boiled or fried potatoes and lingonberries or raw blackcurrant jelly; You can also serve rowan compote. For 2 woodcock - 70 g bacon, 50 g butter (margarine), 2 small onions, 2 juniper berries, 4 black peppercorns, 2 cloves.

WOODCONG ROASTED IN POLISH

Plucked, gutted and washed carcasses are salted inside and out, put inside a slice of bacon, and also wrapped in slices of bacon and tied with thread. Place the remaining bacon on a baking sheet and fry the prepared woodcock on it, adding black peppercorns and juniper berries. If necessary, you can add a little beef broth. Boil the vegetable mixture in salted water. Fry bread crumbs in butter. Cut the finished woodcocks in half, pour over the juice released during frying, garnish with fried bacon and boiled vegetables, and sprinkle thickly with breadcrumbs. You can serve heavy cream in a gravy boat by mixing in 1 tbsp. a spoonful of grated horseradish and a pinch of sugar. For 2 woodcock - 100 g of bacon, 50 g of butter (margarine), 1 package of frozen vegetable mixture, 6 black peppercorns, 2 juniper berries, 1 glass of beef broth, 4 tbsp. spoons of breadcrumbs. Young wild pigeons are prepared using the same recipe.

WOODCONG ROASTED WITH SPICY SAUCE

Wash the plucked and gutted carcasses and separate the meat from the breast. Stuff with thin lumps of bacon, add salt, sprinkle with lemon juice and cognac and place in the refrigerator with a lid. Cut the remains of the carcasses into several pieces and boil in water, adding salt, parsley, black and allspice, cloves and 2 small pieces of lemon peel. The amount of water should be small to make a strong broth. Fry the breast meat in vegetable oil until golden brown crust forms. Strain the broth, separate the meat from the bones and finely chop or grind in a mixer. Put the resulting mixture back into the broth, stir, add mustard, the remaining marinade, lemon zest and starch diluted in a spoon of cold water. Let it boil, add salt or pepper to taste and serve with the fried woodcock meat. Side dish: boiled or fried potatoes, rice and lingonberry compote or raw blackcurrant jelly. For 2 woodcock - 30 g bacon, 2 tbsp. tablespoons vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon parsley, 4 black peas and 2 allspice peas, 1 cloves, juice and zest of "/4 lemons, 1 teaspoon French mustard, 3 teaspoons cognac, 1/4 liter of water, 1 teaspoon potato starch.

WALKNEP WITH POTATOES

Wash the plucked and gutted woodcocks thoroughly, salt inside and out, and sprinkle with pepper. Place a slice of bacon inside, wrap the carcasses in bacon and tie them with thread. Melt the butter and the remaining lard in a frying pan, add the prepared woodcocks, add spices, chopped champignons and fry, adding water if necessary. At the same time, prepare the carrots: peel, cut into strips and simmer in heated butter, sprinkle with salt, spices and sugar. If necessary, add a little water. Pour sour cream over the finished carrots, after mixing a teaspoon of flour in it. Add sugar or a little lemon juice to taste. Cut fried woodcocks in half and garnish with stewed carrots. Serve with the juice released when frying woodcocks, boiled potatoes and head lettuce. If instead of carotel you use canned carrots in a salty marinade (already chopped and soft), then you need to take a little marinade, add sugar, spices, boil, pour over the carrots and let it brew a little. Then bring to a boil and season with sour cream. For 2 woodcock - 50 g each of bacon, butter and champignons, 4 black peas and 2 allspice peas, 1 bay leaf, salt, pepper. For stewed carrots - 500 g of carotel, 30 g of butter, 200 g of sour cream, 2 cloves, 3 black peas and 2 allspice peas, 1 piece of sugar, 1 teaspoon of flour.

Spring woodcock is a very difficult culinary target. If in the fall the meat of males is juicy, soft and covered with a layer of fat, then in the spring, after a long tedious migration from wintering grounds to their homeland and daily mating flights, it is dry, tough and absolutely non-greasy

Spring woodcock is a very difficult culinary object. If in the fall the meat of males is juicy, soft and covered with a layer of fat, then in the spring, after a long tedious migration from wintering grounds to their homeland, and daily mating flights, it is dry, tough and absolutely non-greasy. But thanks to this, it represents good dietary dish, the preparation of which requires a known skill. Only a few recipes are given here (the weight and volume ratios of the components are not given intentionally, since this is a matter of everyone’s taste).

The day after shooting woodcock, you cannot cook it. The meat should “ripen”, become more tender and juicy. Birds should be hung in a cool, dark place or placed on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. Every other day, pluck and singe. Woodcock, like all other birds of medium and small size, cannot be cut along the midline of the belly, i.e. along the keel, before gutting. The meatiest part is the breast with well-developed pectoral muscles. They need to be preserved. To do this, an oblique incision is made from the anus at an angle of 45° to the angle of the ribs and, having thus opened the abdominal cavity, the intestines and stomach are removed. Some gourmets cook woodcock uneviscerated, especially since during traction, as a rule, there is little food in the bird’s stomach. But it’s still better to gut the bird, leaving the lungs and heart behind. After this, you need to place the woodcocks in a bowl of cold water for soaking for 3-4 hours. This is necessary so that the meat is freed from blood and becomes more tender and lighter. The water can be changed several times. Moreover, the less the wood screw is damaged by the shot, the less time this procedure takes. Then the woodcock is washed, turned over onto the breast to drain off excess water, and placed in a dry bowl. It is ready for further culinary processing.

Woodcock stewed with black plums. Salt the carcasses of prepared (see above) spring woodcocks and stuff them with lard, cut into thin narrow slices. Put 2-3 black plums into each carcass. Quickly sew up the abdomen with thread or tie it with twine. Fry in a frying pan with a thick bottom on margarine or a mixture of vegetable oil with butter and a small amount of lard. After a golden brown crust has formed, add boiling water to the frying pan so that it does not completely cover the carcasses, transfer to slow fire and sew for 35-40 minutes. Best side dish - boiled potatoes. It can be cut large slices(still raw) and put in a frying pan 20 minutes before the end of stewing so that it is saturated with juice.

Woodcock in Drovnovsky style. Pour boiling water over the carcasses of gutted woodcocks in a saucepan, add finely chopped onions, garlic, carrots and simmer over low heat for 25 minutes, then sauté with flour and continue simmering. After 5 minutes, add boiling water and chopped potatoes into large slices and simmer for another 20 minutes. 5 minutes before the end of stewing, add salt and, if desired, add spices to taste.

Pokrovsky-style woodcock in sour cream. Stuff the woodcock carcass with finely chopped onion and garlic, fry in butter until golden brown, then put aside temporarily on a plate and fry the finely chopped onion and garlic in the melted butter remaining after frying. Place the carcass on the frying pan again and pour in sour cream, to which add a little salted flour. Cover with a lid and simmer over low heat for about 1 hour. Garnish with boiled potatoes or mashed potatoes, if not available, pasta.

Woodcock fried with wine. Carefully slide the skin from the carcass to the neck without removing it completely. Rub the meat with salt, crushed juniper berries, cover with very thin slices of lard, tighten the skin again and wrap the carcass with thick threads. Fry for 40 minutes, adding dry red wine to the roasting pan.

Autumn woodcock stewed in Pokrovsky style. Gut the woodcocks, wash them, salt them; put finely chopped onion and garlic into a small cut in the belly through which the entrails were removed, fry in butter until a crust forms, add boiling water so that the birds are half covered with it and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Then add coarsely chopped potatoes and simmer until the last one is ready. When the water boils, add boiling water. Before serving, the woodcock should be removed from the heat and left to stand in the thick-bottomed frying pan or duck pot in which it was cooked. Consume with cold (kept in the freezer) vodka or dry red wine.