_Ingredients._—1 rabbit, a few slices of ham, salt and white pepper
to taste, 2 blades of pounded mace, ½ teaspoonful of grated nutmeg,
a few forcemeat balls, 3 hard-boiled eggs, ½ pint of gravy, puff
crust. _Mode._—Cut up the rabbit (which should be young), remove the
breastbone, and bone the legs. Put the rabbit, slices of ham, forcemeat
balls, and hard eggs, by turns, in layers, and season each layer with
pepper, salt, pounded mace, and grated nutmeg. Pour in about ½ pint of
water, cover with crust, and bake in a well-heated oven for about 1½
hour. Should the crust acquire too much colour, place a piece of paper
over it to prevent it from burning. When done, pour in at the top, by
means of the hole in the middle of the crust, a little good gravy,
which may be made of the breast- and leg-bones of the rabbit, and 2
or 3 shank-bones, flavoured with onion, herbs, and spices. _Time._—1½
hour. _Average cost_, from 1_s._ to 1_s._ 6_d._ each. _Sufficient_ for
4 or 5 persons. _Seasonable_ from September to February.
_Note._—The liver of the rabbit may be boiled, minced, and mixed with
the forcemeat balls, when the flavour is liked.
RABBIT OR HARE, Ragoût of.
_Ingredients._—1 rabbit, 3 teaspoonfuls of flour, 3 sliced onions, 2
oz. of butter, a few thin slices of bacon, pepper and salt to taste, 2
slices of lemon, 1 bay-leaf, 1 glass of port wine. _Mode._—Slice the
onions, and put them into a stewpan with the flour and butter; place
the pan near the fire, stir well as the butter melts, till the onions
become a rich brown colour, and add, by degrees, a little water or
gravy till the mixture is of the consistency of cream. Cut some thin
slices of bacon; lay in these with the rabbit, cut into neat joints;
add a seasoning of pepper and salt, the lemon and bay-leaf, and let
the whole simmer until tender. Pour in the port wine, give one boil,
and serve. _Time._—About ½ hour to simmer the rabbit. _Average cost_,
from 1_s._ to 1_s._ 6_d._ each. _Sufficient_ for 4 or 5 persons.
_Seasonable_ from September to February.
RABBIT, Roast or Baked.
_Ingredients._—1 rabbit, forcemeat, buttered paper, sausage-meat.
_Mode._—Empty, skin, and thoroughly wash the rabbit; wipe it dry, line
the inside with sausage-meat and forcemeat, and to which has been added
the minced liver. Sew the stuffing inside, skewer back the head between
the shoulders, cut off the fore-joints of the shoulders and legs, bring
them close to the body, and secure them by means of a skewer. Wrap the
rabbit in buttered paper, and put it down to a bright clear fire; keep
it well basted and a few minutes before it is done remove the paper,
flour and froth it, and let it acquire a nice brown colour. Take out
the skewers, and serve with brown gravy and red-currant jelly. To bake
the rabbit, proceed in the same manner as above; in a good oven, it
will take about the same time as roasting. _Time._—A young rabbit, 35
minutes; a large one about ¾ hour. _Average cost_, from 1_s._ to 1_s._
6_d._ each. _Sufficient_ for 4 persons. _Seasonable_ from September to
February.
[Illustration: ROAST RABBIT.]