Cretan partridges

Preparation:

Preparation: Aging: from 6 to 8 days in the lower part of the refrigerator and emptied of the innards. It is one of the oldest and simplest preparations, for an extraordinarily delicious dish. You can try this recipe during a picnic. Clean the partridges by plucking them but not completely, it is sufficient to remove the biggest feathers, salt and pepper them internally and externally. Take some soft clay or clay, moisten it with good grappa or brandy and mix it so that the liqueur soaks it well and uniformly. Wrap each partridge with earth by wrapping it completely; now dig a hole thirty or forty centimeters deep in the ground, pave it with some smooth stones, then fill it with dry leaves and wood and make the fire blazing briskly for a quarter of an hour. Place the partridges on the embers, cover them again with other embers, then arrange some branches above and completely close the hole with more earth. Cook for half an hour. Remove the partridges, gently split the clay which has solidified and serve. Those who are satisfied with a less satisfactory result can also prepare clay partridges at home using the normal oven.