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Hare, Civet Of

This dish may be made either with the remains of cold roast hare or with an uncooked hare. In the former case, the meat would require to be warmed for a few minutes only in the gravy; in the latter, it would have to be stewed with it. Divide the hare into small neat pieces, and fry them for a few minutes with half a pound of fat bacon, cut into dice, and two ounces of butter. When lightly browned, lift out the meat and bacon, and mix a tablespoonful of flour smoothly into the fat. Add gradually a pint and a half of stock, and put it into a stewpan with the bones of the hare, half a dozen small onions, half a blade of mace, a bay-leaf, a tea-spoonful of salt, a sprinkling of cayenne, a small lump of sugar, and a few mushrooms, or, in place of these, a tea-spoonful of mushroom-powder or a table-spoonful of ketchup. Simmer gently for an hour, then strain the gravy, put in the pieces of meat, with the bruised liver, a cupful of blood, and half a tumblerful of port. Simmer again as long as the meat requires it, and serve as hot as possible. The juice of half a lemon is by some considered an improvement. Time, altogether, about two hours. Probable cost of hare, from 3s. 6d. to 6s. Sufficient for six or eight persons.