Rabbit Soup
INGREDIENTS for soup for 10 or 12 persons.-2 large rabbits, or 3 small ones; a faggot of savoury herbs, head of celery, 2 carrots, 1 onion, 1 blade of mace, salt and white pepper to taste, a little pounded mace, 1/3 pint of cream, the yolks of 2 eggs, boiled hard, the crumb of a French roll, 3 quarts of water. AVERAGE COST, 4s.
Make the soup with the legs and shoulders of the rabbits, and keep the nice pieces for a dish or entrée. Put them into warm water to draw the blood; when quite clean, put them into a stewpan, with a faggot of herbs, and a teacupful, or rather more, of veal stock or water.
Simmer slowly till done through, add the three quarts of water, and boil for an hour.
Take out the rabbits, pick the meat from the bones, covering it up to keep it white; put the bones back in the liquor, add the vegetables, and simmer for two hours; skim and strain, and let it cool. Now pound the meat in a mortar, with the yolks of the eggs, and the crumb of the roll previously soaked; rub it through a tammy and gradually add it to the strained liquor, and simmer for 15 minutes. Mix arrowroot or rice-flour with the cream (say 2 dessertspoonfuls), and stir in the soup; bring it to a boil, and serve. This soup must be very white, and instead of thickening it with arrowroot or rice-flour, vermicelli or pearl barley can be boiled in a little stock, and put in five minutes before serving.
TIME.-Nearly 4 hours.
SEASONABLE from September to March.
RABBIT, TRUSSING OF.
Rabbit, for dish for 4 or 5 persons.-1 rabbit, 2 large onions, 6 cloves, 1 small teaspoonful of chopped lemon-peel, a few forcemeat balls, thickening of butter and flour, 1 large tablespoonful of mushroom ketchup. AVERAGE COST, 1s. 9d.
Cut the rabbit into small joints; put them into a stewpan, add the onions, sliced, the cloves and minced lemon-peel.
Pour in sufficient water to cover the meat, and, when the rabbit is nearly done, drop in a few forcemeat balls, to which has been added the liver, finely chopped.
Thicken the gravy with flour and butter, put in the ketchup, give one boil, and serve.
TIME. Rather more than hour.
SEASONABLE from September to February. -- Rabbit, Stewed, Larded.
INGREDIENTS for dish for 4 or 5 persons.- 1 rabbit, a few strips of bacon, rather more than 1 pint of good broth or stock, a bunch of savoury herbs, salt and pepper to taste, thickening of butter and flour, 1 glass of sherry. AVERAGE COST, 2s.
Well wash the rabbit, cut it into quarters, lard them with slips of bacon, and fry them; then put them into a stewpan with the broth, herbs and a seasoning of pepper and salt; simmer gently until the rabbit is tender, then strain the gravy, thicken it with butter and flour, add the sherry, let it boil, pour it over the rabbit, and serve.
Garnish with slices of cut lemon.
TIME. Rather more than hour.
SEASONABLE from September to February.