91热爆

Yesterday, himself brought in a wee sparra that had been caught on a fence, the wind blows a lot o` peedie birds intae fences. This one had been caught up in some sheeps wool trapped on the fence, by its leg, and in its panic had tried to eat its own leg off. So he brought it in, the leg was lost, mangled and only hanging on by a thread, its beak was bloody, aside from that though it seemed fine. It had a ring on the other leg that said British Museum and some numbers, so I phoned the island ranger, wha wasnae in but his wife kindly cam` ower tae see the bird. She took note o` the numbers tae report them tae the Museum.
Well, the wee bird sadly didnae mak` it, and this morning we found it dead in the box we`d put it in. I think, meself, the shock had been too much for it. So we`ll remove the ring and find oot where tae return it tae. The winds tak` an awfy lot o` wild birds, we often come across mony a seabird wi` mangled wings having been blawn intae the fences. The kindest thing tae dae is tae put them oot their misery. We have amputated a few o` the wings, we kept a gull for a full year after doing that, put him in wi` the hens, we couldnae let him go as the other, bigger gulls took tae attacking him. He was happy enough though wi` oor hens, but the rats got him in winter. So after that, if we come across other birds wi` the same extent o` injury, we put them oot their misery, quick and kind.
I do feel a wee bit sad aboot the wee sparra though....it was a game wee bird, a right wee fighter. I would hae liked tae see it mak it, but that is nature, I reckon.


Here are a couple o` medieval recipes that`ll be used for the feast, I got them frae a friend who is a food historian and a reenactor herself. The full menu will be roasted venison marinated in wine, wi` a guidly number o` roasted ducks, hens and pork, baked herbed vegetables, honey glazed roasted onions and neeps and the like, an assortment o` sweet dishes, platters o` fruit and home made breads and cheeses, and no` exactly medieval but also dishes o` Cranachan, wi` enough mead, whisky, wine and beer tae keep the festivities nicely flowing.

Flathonys - or an alchoholic custard!

Ingredients:
8 fluid oz milk
5 egg yolks
2 oz sugar
4 fluid oz dark ale or beer
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar to sprinkle on top
Enough pastry for pie casing (9 inch), plus a smaller plate or beans for blind baking. (ie with no filling in it, but weighted to stop it rising up.)

Bake pie casing blind for 15 minutes at 425F, 220C gas mark 7 Remove casing from oven and leave to cool slightly, (with weights removed!)
Reduce oven to 350 degrees F, 175C, gas mark 3 to 4.

In a saucepan, combine milk, sugar, ale and egg yolks. Heat slowly over a medium heat, stirring constantly until it begins to steam slightly. Stir in salt and melted butter and whisk. Pour into pie casing.
Bake 10 to 15 mins until top just sets.

Sprinkle sugar across top and continue cooking until whole filling is just set. Don't worry if it looks a wee bit wobbly as it will continue to cook in it's own heat for a while after it is taken from the oven.

Serve warm. Serves 8 normal portions or 6 if you're greedy.

Lombardy Pasties
This was originally made using whole chicks, but in deference to modern sensibilities, I have substituted chicken breast.

Ingredients:
Pastry from previous recipe, but with lard instead of butter, if you like.
2 chicken breasts, boned.
bacon or ham, (for amount, see recipe) .
2 eggs, beaten
Verjuice (yes, I know I said no verjuice, but you can use vinegar and a drop of apple juice, or cider vinegar)
Fine-ground spice powder ( To make Fine Spice Powder. Take of white ginger an ounce and a dram, of selected cinnamon a quarter, of cloves and grains of paradise each half a quarter of an ounce, and of lump sugar a quarter and reduce them to powder. Personally, I use mixed spice powder and a pinch or two of brown sugar.)

Iced water

Cut each breast in large chunks, roughly quarters or thirds, depending on size of chicken breast. Make up a mixture of the eggs beaten with a splash of verjuice (vinegar) and a pinch of spice powder.
Dip the chicken pieces in this mixture til well coated.
Roll out the pastry and cut out rounds big enough to take 1 chicken piece, plus leaving a rim for sealing.
Place coated pieces on one half of pastry round. Add a piece of lean bacon or ham to each piece of chicken.
Fold other half of pastry over to cover, and seal edges , by wetting the two 'in' sides with cold water and pressing firmly together.
When all the pasties are filled, brush them with any remaining egg mixture, thinned with the cold water if necessary.
Bake until golden and chicken is cooked