The Book of Household Management Part 121

HASHED GAME (Cold Meat Cookery).

1023. INGREDIENTS.--The remains of cold game, 1 onion stuck with 3 cloves, a few whole peppers, a strip of lemon-peel, salt to taste, thickening of b.u.t.ter and flour, 1 gla.s.s of port wine, 1 tablespoonful of lemon-juice, 1 tablespoonful of ketchup, 1 pint of water or weak stock.

_Mode_.--Cut the remains of cold game into joints, reserve the best pieces, and the inferior ones and tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs put into a stewpan with the onion, pepper, lemon-peel, salt, and water or weak stock; stew these for about an hour, and strain the gravy; thicken it with b.u.t.ter and flour; add the wine, lemon-juice, and ketchup; lay in the pieces of game, and let them gradually warm through by the side of the fire; do not allow it to boil, or the game will be hard. When on the point of simmering, serve, and garnish the dish with sippets of toasted bread.

_Time_.--Altogether 1-1/4 hour.

_Seasonable_ from August to March.

_Note_.--Any kind of game may be hashed by the above recipe, and the flavour may be varied by adding flavoured vinegars, curvy powder, &c.; but we cannot recommend these latter ingredients, as a dish of game should really have a gamy taste; and if too many sauces, essences, &c., are added to the gravy, they quite overpower and destroy the flavour the dish should possess.

GROUSE PIE.

1024. INGREDIENTS.--Grouse; cayenne, salt, and pepper to taste; 1 lb. of rump-steak, 1/2 pint of well-seasoned broth, puff paste.

_Mode_.--Line the bottom of a pie-dish with the rump-steak cut into neat pieces, and, should the grouse be large, cut them into joints; but, if small, they may be laid in the pie whole; season highly with salt, cayenne, and black pepper; pour in the broth, and cover with a puff paste; brush the crust over with the yolk of an egg, and bake from 3/4 to 1 hour. If the grouse is cut into joints, the backbones and tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs will make the gravy, by stewing them with an onion, a little sherry, a bunch of herbs, and a blade of mace: this should be poured in after the pie is baked.

_Time_.--3/4 to 1 hour.

_Average cost_, exclusive of the grouse, which are seldom bought, 1s.

9d.

_Seasonable_ from the 12th of August to the beginning of December.

ROAST GROUSE.

[Ill.u.s.tration: ROAST GROUSE.]

1025. INGREDIENTS.--Grouse, b.u.t.ter, a thick slice of toasted bread.

_Mode_.--Let the birds hang as long as possible; pluck and draw them; wipe, but do not wash them, inside and out, and truss them without the head, the same as for a roast fowl. Many persons still continue to truss them with the head under the wing, but the former is now considered the most approved method. Put them down to a sharp clear fire; keep them well basted the whole of the time they are cooking, and serve them on a b.u.t.tered toast, soaked in the dripping-pan, with a little melted b.u.t.ter poured over them, or with bread-sauce and gravy.--See coloured plate, L1.

_Time_.--1/2 hour; if liked very thoroughly done, 35 minutes.

_Average cost_, 2s. to 2s. 6d. the brace; but seldom bought.

_Sufficient_,--2 for a dish.

_Seasonable_ from the 12th of August to the beginning of December.

[Ill.u.s.tration: RED GROUSE.]

GROUSE.--These birds are divided into wood grouse, black grouse, red grouse, and white grouse. The wood grouse is further distinguished as the c.o.c.k of the wood, or capercalzie, and is as large as the turkey, being about two feet nine inches in length, and weighing from twelve to fifteen pounds. The female is considerably less than the male, and, in the colour of her feathers, differs widely from the other. This beautiful species is found princ.i.p.ally in lofty, mountainous regions, and is very rare in Great Britain; but in the pine forests of Russia, Sweden, and other northern countries, it is very common. In these it has its habitat, feeding on the cones of the trees, and the fruits of various kinds of plants, especially the berry of the jumper. Black grouse is also distinguished as black-game, or the black-c.o.c.k. It is not larger than the common hen, and weighs only about four pounds. The female is about one-third less than the male, and also differs considerably from him in point of colour. Like the former, they are found chiefly in high situations, and are common in Russia, Siberia, and other northern countries. They are also found in the northern parts of Great Britain, feeding in winter on the various berries and fruits belonging to mountainous countries, and, in summer, frequently descending to the lower lands, to feed upon corn. The red grouse, gorc.o.c.k, or moor-c.o.c.k, weighs about nineteen ounces, and the female somewhat less. In the wild heathy tracts of the northern counties of England it is plentiful, also in Wales and the Highlands of Scotland. Mr. Pennant considered it peculiar to Britain, those found in the mountainous parts of Spain, France, and Italy, being only varieties of the same bird. White grouse, white game, or ptarmigan, is nearly the same size as the red grouse, and is found in lofty situations, where it supports itself in the severest weather. It is to be met with in most of the northern countries of Europe, and appears even in Greenland.

In the Hebrides, Orkneys, and the Highlands of Scotland, it is also found; and sometimes, though rarely, among the fells of Northumberland and c.u.mberland. In winter they fly in flocks, and are so little familiar with the sight of man, that they are easily shot, and even snared. They feed on the wild produce of the hills, which sometimes imparts to their flesh a bitter but not unpalatable taste. According to Buffon, it is dark-coloured, and somewhat flavoured like the hare.

GROUSE SALAD.

(_Soyer's Recipe_.)

1026. INGREDIENTS.--8 eggs, b.u.t.ter, fresh salad, 1 or 2 grouse; for the sauce, 1 teaspoonful of minced shalot, 1 teaspoonful of pounded sugar, the yolk of 1 egg, 1 teaspoonful of minced parsley, 1/4 oz. of salt, 4 tablespoonfuls of oil, 2 tablespoonfuls of Chili vinegar, 1 gill of cream.

_Mode_.--Boil the eggs hard, sh.e.l.l them, throw them into cold water cut a thin slice off the bottom to facilitate the proper placing of them in the dish, cut each one into four lengthwise, and make a very thin flat border of b.u.t.ter, about one inch from the edge of the dish the salad is to be served on; fix the pieces of egg upright close to each other, the yolk outside, or the yolk and white alternately; lay in the centre a fresh salad of whatever is in season, and, having previously roasted the grouse rather underdone, cut it into eight or ten pieces, and prepare the sauce as follows:--Put the shalots into a basin, with the sugar, the yolk of an egg, the parsley, and salt, and mix in by degrees the oil and vinegar; when these ingredients are well mixed, put the sauce on ice or in a cool place. When ready to serve, whip the cream rather thick, which lightly mix with it; then lay the inferior parts of the grouse on the salad, sauce over so as to cover each piece, then lay over the salad and the remainder of the grouse, pour the rest of the sauce over, and serve.

The eggs may be ornamented with a little dot of radishes or beetroot on the point. Anchovy and gherkin, cut into small diamonds, may be placed between, or cut gherkins in slices, and a border of them laid round.

Tarragon or chervil-leaves are also a pretty addition. The remains of cold black-game, pheasant, or partridge may be used in the above manner, and will make a very delicate dish.

_Average cost_, 2s. 6d.

_Seasonable_ from the 12th of August to the beginning of December.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE CAPERCALZIE.]

THE CAPERCALZIE.--This bird was to be met with formerly both in Ireland and Scotland, but is now extinct. The male lives separate from the females, except in the breeding season. Its manners and habits are very like those of black grouse, except that it seems to be wholly confined to forests of pine, on the tender shoots of which it feeds. It is by no means uncommon in the woods of Norway, whence we received it. It is also found abundant in Russia, Siberia, Italy, and in some portions of the Alps. It was, in 1760, last seen in Scotland, in the woods of Strathgla.s.s. Recent attempts have been made to re-introduce it into that country, but without success; princ.i.p.ally owing, as we should imagine, to the want of sufficient food suitable for its sustenance.

GROUSE.--Under this general term are included several species of game birds, called black, red, woodland, and white grouse. The black is larger than the red (see No. 1025), and is not so common, and therefore held in higher estimation. The red, however, is a bird of exquisite flavour, and is a native of the mountainous districts of Scotland and the north of England. It feeds on the tops of the heath and the berries that grow amongst them: its colour is a rich chestnut, striped with black. The woodland, or c.o.c.k of the wood, is the largest among the bird tribes which pa.s.s under the denomination of game. It is smaller than the turkey, and was originally common in our mountains; but it is now to be found only in the mountains of Scotland, though it still abounds in the north of Europe, Germany, and in the Alps. It is esteemed as delicious eating, and its plumage is extremely beautiful. The white grouse, or ptarmigan, is not a plentiful bird in Britain; but it is still found in the islands, and weighs about half a pound. The London market is supplied by Norway and Scotland; those from the former country being esteemed the best. When young, it is held in high estimation, being considered as little different from common grouse.

ROAST HARE.

1027. INGREDIENTS.--Hare, forcemeat No. 417, a little milk, b.u.t.ter.

_Choosing and Trussing_.--Choose a young hare; which may be known by its smooth and sharp claws, and by the cleft in the lip not being much spread. To be eaten in perfection, it must hang for some time; and, if properly taken care of, it may be kept for several days. It is better to hang without being paunched; but should it be previously emptied, wipe the inside every day, and sprinkle over it a little pepper and ginger, to prevent the musty taste which long keeping in the damp occasions, and which also affects the stuffing. After it is skinned, wash it well, and soak for an hour in warm water to draw out the blood; if old, let it lie in vinegar for a short time, but wash it well afterwards in several waters. Make a forcemeat by recipe No. 417, wipe the hare dry, fill the belly with it, and sew it up. Bring the hind and fore legs close to the body towards the head, run a skewer through each, fix the head between the shoulders by means of another skewer, and be careful to leave the ears on. Pat a string round the body from skewer to skewer, and tie it above the back.

[Ill.u.s.tration: ROAST HARE.]

_Mode_.--The hare should be kept at a distance from the fire when it is first laid down, or the outside will become dry and hard before the inside is done. Baste it well with milk for a short time, and afterwards with b.u.t.ter; and particular attention must be paid to the basting, so as to preserve the meat on the back juicy and nutritive. When it is almost roasted enough, flour the hare, and baste well with b.u.t.ter. When nicely frothed, dish it, remove the skewers, and send it to table with a little gravy in the dish, and a tureen of the same. Red-currant jelly must also not be forgotten, as this is an indispensable accompaniment to roast hare. For economy, good beef dripping may be subst.i.tuted for the milk and b.u.t.ter to baste with; but the basting, as we have before stated, must be continued without intermission. If the liver is good, it maybe parboiled, minced, and mixed with the stuffing; but it should not be used unless quite fresh.--See coloured plate, E1.

_Time_.--A middling-sized hare, 1-1/4 hour; a large hare, 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

_Average cost_, from 4s. to 6s.

_Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons.

_Seasonable_ from September to the end of February.

THE HARE.--This little animal is found generally distributed over Europe, and, indeed, in most parts of the northern world. Its extreme timidity is the endowment which Providence has bestowed upon it as a means of defence; it is therefore attentive to every sound, and is supplied with ears both long and tubular, with which it can hear with great acuteness. Its eyes, also, are so constructed, and placed so prominent in its head, that it can see both before and behind it. It lives entirely upon vegetables, but its flesh is considered dry, notwithstanding that it is deemed, in many respects, superior to that of the rabbit, being more savoury, and of a much higher flavour. Its general time of feeding is the evening; but during the day, if not disturbed, it adheres closely to its _form_.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE HARE.]

POTTED HARE (a Luncheon or Breakfast Dish).

1028. INGREDIENTS.--1 hare, a few slices of bacon, a large bunch of savoury herbs, 4 cloves, 1/2 teaspoonful of whole allspice, 2 carrots, 2 onions, salt and pepper to taste, 1 pint of water, 2 gla.s.ses of sherry.

_Mode_.--Skin, empty, and wash the hare; cut it down the middle, and put it into a stewpan, with a few slices of bacon under and over it; add the remaining ingredients, and stew very gently until the hare is tender, and the flesh will separate easily from the bones. When done enough, take it up, remove the bones, and pound the meat, _with the bacon_, in a mortar, until reduced to a perfectly smooth paste. Should it not be sufficiently seasoned, add a little cayenne, salt, and pounded mace, but be careful that these are well mixed with the other ingredients. Press the meat into potting-pots, pour over clarified b.u.t.ter, and keep in a dry place. The liquor that the hare was stewed in, should be saved for hashes, soups, &c. &c.

_Time_.--About 21/2 hours to stew the hare.