Final answer:
To prevent game birds from becoming dry, one can bard them, cook them to medium rare, or baste them during cooking. Using a combination of these methods, especially in recipes that incorporate added liquids and cover the cooking dish, also helps in keeping the birds moist.
Step-by-step explanation:
To prevent game birds from becoming dry while cooking, there are several methods that one can use.
- Barding them, which involves wrapping the birds in fatty bacon or another type of fat to keep them moist during cooking.
- Cooking them to medium rare can help prevent drying out as overcooking tends to remove more moisture.
- Basting them throughout the cooking process with butter, fats, or cooking liquids helps add moisture and flavor.
When following a recipe that includes sautéing salted and floured birds in butter or bacon drippings to brown them, then baking the browned birds on top of rice with onions, peppers, consommé, and onion soup covered with aluminum foil, the natural juices and added liquids will help keep the bird moist during the cooking process at 350° for 45 minutes.