A kid should be cooked the day it is killed, or the day after at
farthest. They are best from three to four months old, and are only
eaten while they live on milk.
Wash the kid well, wipe it dry, and truss it. Stuff the body with a
force-meat of grated bread, butter or suet, sweet herbs, pepper, salt,
nutmeg, grated lemon-peel, and beaten egg; and sew it up to keep the
stuffing in its place. Put it on the spit and rub it over with lard, or
sweet oil. Put a little salt and water into the dripping-pan, and baste
the kid first with that, and afterwards with its own gravy. Or you may
make it very nice by basting it with cream. It should roast about three
hours. At the last, transfer the gravy to a small sauce-pan; thicken
it with a little butter rolled in flour, give it a boil up, and send it
to table in a boat. Garnish the kid with lumps of currant jelly laid
round the edge of the dish.
A fawn (which should never be kept more than one day) may be roasted in
the same manner; also, a hare, or a couple of rabbits.
You may send to table, to eat with the kid, a dish of chestnuts boiled
or roasted, and divested of the shells.