The ortolan bunting is a small song bird that under goes a rather dramatic culinary transformation. They are blinded or kept in a dark box which causes them to gorge themselves on millet, figs and grapes until they swell to four times their normal size.
At which point they are drowned in Armagnac, plucked and roasted whole.
They are eaten whole, bones cutting into your gums, Armagnac burst into your mouth. Served so hot that you can't chew at first...forcing you to breath in the heady liqour.
All this is done, in a practice credited to Brillat-Savarin, with a cloth or napkin over your head, for two very important reasons. One...to hold in and savor the incredible aromas. Two...to hide your face from God for commiting such an unspeakable act.
This is a bit awful.
This is now illegal in France.
This is how I would like to go if I was to be eaten.
I am currently in the fattening up stages.
2 comments:
hopefully no one is keeping you in a dark box! or a well-lit box, for that matter.
Only on occasion...most of the time I do this stuff of my own volition. Thanks for reading...you are my first comment.
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