Reasons Why Some Game Birds And Large Game Are “Mortified”
In the state of society which we have now reached, it is difficult to imagine a race living solely on bread, vegetables and fruit. If such a nation existed, it would undoubtedly have been conquered by carnivorous armies — like the Hindus, who have been successfully and successively the prey of all those who cared to attack them — or else it would be converted by the cooking of their neighbors.
It is gastronomy and cookery that determines the degree of edibility of every alimentary article, for all are not presentable at table under the same circumstances. Some should be eaten before they have arrived at their entire development, as capers, asparagus, spring chicken, squabs or sucking pigs; others, the moment they have attained all the perfection destined for them and to our taste, as melons, most fruits, mutton, beef and all animals eaten when full grown; others, when they commence to decompose as certain dried fruits, sour milk, certain cheese, bananas, woodcocks and especially pheasants; still others after the operations of the culinary art have removed their deleterious qualities, as the potato and the cassava root.
Whatever be the opinion that one may have as regards “mortifying” game, there is, however, a very important point to consider, especially in certain game. Certain birds in their fresh state have a flavor different from the mortified state, some have to be enhanced; the flesh may be dry and must be nourished; some are flavorless; others are tough, hence the necessity of mortifying them for several days, according to size, which is a kind of marinade, if I may use this term; some are mortified before being plucked and even drawn; others after being drawn, to render the flesh more tender, raising an insipid, ordinary taste to an incomparable height of delicacy.
Only the pheasants, woodcocks and snipes require this preliminary operation, though sometimes quails and other birds gain in being mortified. All the other game birds are eaten in their fresh state, however, they may be left standing, after being shot, for a day or two to allow them to get “stale,” thus adding firmness to the flesh, as well as more tenderness.
Editor’s Note: This is an excerpt from THE DERRYDALE GAME COOKBOOK available in the Sporting Classics Store.
