Page:Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management.djvu/860

764 by boiling water, or, when more convenient, the jar may stand in a saucepan of boiling water on the stove. About ½ an hour before serving, knead the remaining oz. of butter and the flour together, stir into the stock, add the other glass of wine, and seasoning if necessary. Make the forcemeat as directed, shape it into small balls, fry in hot butter or fat, and drain well. Pile the pieces of hare on a hot dish, strain the gravy over, arrange the forcemeat balls round the base, and serve the red currant jelly separately.

Time.—To cook, about 3 hours. Average Cost, 5s. 6d. to 6s. 6d. Seasonable from September to March.

Ingredients.—1 hare, slices of bacon, good stock, a bouquet-garni (parsley, thyme, bay-leaf), 3 cloves, 10 peppercorns, 1 blade of mace, 2 bay-leaves, cayenne, salt and pepper, clarified butter.

Method.—Prepare the hare as directed in Notes on Trussing, and cut it into rather small pieces. Line the bottom of a stew-jar or stewpan with slices of bacon, pack the pieces of hare closely on the top, add the herbs, cloves, peppercorns, mace, bay-leaves, and a liberal seasoning of salt. Barely cover with stock, lay slices of bacon on the top, cover closely, and cook very gently either on the stove or in the oven for about 3 hours, adding more stock from time to time. Remove the bones, chop the flesh and the bacon finely, and pound these in a mortar until smooth, moistening gradually with stock, previously strained. Season rather highly, pass the preparation through a fine sieve, and press it into small pots. Cover with clarified butter, and keep in a cool dry place.

Time.—To stew, about 3 hours. Average Cost, 5s. 6d. to 6s.

Ingredients.—1 hare, bacon, veal forcemeat (see Forcemeats), ¾ of a pint of stock, 1 glass of port, 2 ozs. of butter, 1½ ozs. of flour, ½ a teaspoonful of finely-chopped shallot or onion, a teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, a good pinch of thyme, salt and pepper, red currant jelly, milk for basting.

Method.—Choose a young hare, which may be known by its smooth and sharp claws, and the narrow cleft in the lip. To be eaten in perfection it should hang about 8 days. When ready for use, skin, draw, and truss according to directions given in Notes on Trussing. Forcemeat is a matter of taste; if used, it should be pressed lightly inside the hare and the body sewn up with a needle and strong cotton before trussing. Carefully follow the directions given for trussing, then brush the hare all over with warm butter or dripping, cover the back with slices of