This is a distinctive little recipe from the early 19th century. It calls for mushroom ketchup, a very common sauce throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the recipe for which appears below.
The gizzards and hearts should be boiled for 1 hour prior to starting this dish and the hearts should be boiled for 10 minutes.
Trim the hard skin off the gizzards and chop them with the hearts and liver finely. Chop the clary (or sage) finely and mix with the mashed anchovies, onions, mace and mashed egg yolks in a bowl.
Season the inside of the bird with salt and pepper. Sew up one end with heavy thread. Fill the bird with the stuffing and sew up completely. Bring to boil enough stock to cover the bird, put the bird into the stock then bring to boil again. Simmer, covered for about 1 hour or until tender.
Remove the bird, drain it and pat dry. Rub it with butter then place in an oven preheated to 375 degrees for about 10 to 15 minutes, until brown. Meanwhile, melt the butter over low heat in a saucepan and add the mushroom ketchup.
Carve the bird and arrange on a serving dish. Pile the stuffing into a neat mound in the center. Pour the mushroom ketchup and butter mixture over it and serve.
Mushroom ketchup is a sauce unlike ketchup as Americans normally think of it. It was a very common sauce for the Victorians and is still tasty over a variety of meats. This requires about three days to prepare and the sauce can be bottled and stored until needed.
Mash the mushrooms and mix them with the salt. Leave them in a bowl in the refrigerator for two days, or until the juice has been pulled out. Stir occasionally. Strain the juice through a fine sieve or cloth, producing about 2 cups. Put the juice in a saucepan and add the port and seasonings. Bring the mixture to a boil, then simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Allow to cool then pour into a bottle.
Bon Appetit!
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