If the outside be hard, wash off with lukewarm water; then rub all over
with fresh butter or lard. Cover it on the top and sides with a thick
paste of flour and water, nearly half an inch thick. Lay upon this a
large sheet of thin white wrapping-paper well buttered, and above this
thick foolscap. Keep all in place by greased pack-thread, then put
down to roast with a little water in the dripping-pan. Let the fire be
steady and strong. Pour a few ladlefuls of butter and water over the
meat now and then, to prevent the paper from scorching. If the haunch
is large, it will take at least five hours to roast. About half an hour
before you take it up, remove the papers and paste, and test with a
skewer to see if it is done. If this passes easily to the bone through
the thickest part, set it down to a more moderate fire and baste every
few minutes with Claret and melted butter. At the last, baste with
butter, dredge with flour to make a light froth, and dish. It should be
a fine brown by this time. Twist a frill of fringed paper around the
knuckle.
For gravy, put into a saucepan a pound or so of scraps of raw venison
left from trimming the haunch, a quart of water, a pinch of cloves,
a few blades of mace, half a nutmeg, cayenne and salt to taste. Stew
slowly to one-half the original quantity. Skim, strain, and return
to the saucepan when you have rinsed it with hot water. Add three
tablespoonfuls of currant jelly, a glass of claret, two tablespoonfuls
of butter, and thicken with browned flour. Send to table in a tureen.
Send around currant jelly with venison _always_.