comb, as seen in the Malay, which roughly resembles half a strawberry or walnut. In hen birds the comb is usually smaller and neater than in the cock. In cookery Combs are used in cookery, often in combination with wattles or chicken kidneys. Combs were formerly used in French cuisine as garnishes. They were also used to prepare salpicons served in vol-au-vents, profiteroles, etc. in which they were often combined with other luxury ingredients such as truffles, sweetbreads, or morels in a cream sauce. In Italian cuisine, cockscombs are an ingredient of , a traditional sauce which also includes chicken livers, wattles and unlaid eggs. It is used in the pasta dish and in the main dish . Combs are prepared by parboiling and skinning, then cooking in court-bouillon. After preparation, they are greyish. They are often served in Chinese dim sum-style dishes. Other Because of its bright color and distinctive shape, "cockscomb" also describes various plants, including the florists' plant Celosia cristata, the meadow weed yellow rattle, sainfoin, wild poppy, lousewort, Erythronium and Erythrina crista-galli; the characteristic jester's cap; a shape of pasta (creste di galli); and so on. Spelling variations cockscomb cock's comb cock's-comb coxcomb Gallery See also Crest (feathers) Dubbing (poultry) - removal of the comb Larousse Gastronomique Snood (anatomy) Wattle (anatomy) References Bird anatomy Galliformes Offal