Rabbit Curry (Saucepan and pour over it)

What survives here is the rice method that accompanies the curry: a steeping technique rather than a boil, meant to produce separate dry grains rather than a soft mass. It assumes rice that has already been washed and, almost certainly, parboiled or of a soft-milled sort no longer common.

• Steeping, not boilingThe rice is never brought to a boil in the pan. It sits covered in poured-over boiling water at the side of the hearth, a gentle holding heat rather than a simmer.
• Fifteen minutes will not be enoughFifteen minutes may not be enough -- Modern long-grain white rice generally needs actual simmering, not a quarter-hour soak in water that begins cooling as soon as it is poured. Rice treated this way is likely to be firm or chalky at the centre unless it has been parboiled first.
• "By the fire" in a modern kitchenThe nearest equivalent is a covered pan set on the lowest burner setting or in a 250F oven, where the pot holds heat without the base scorching.
• The drying stepTwo minutes over direct heat with a fork is there to drive off surface moisture so the grains separate. Keep the heat low and the pan moving; the warning against hardening the rice probably refers to the grains toughening or catching on the pan bottom.
• QuantitiesNo proportion of rice to water is given in the surviving text, and the method as written implies a generous excess of water that is poured off rather than absorbed. Use enough boiling water to cover the rice by an inch or more.
• Drain thoroughlyBecause the water is discarded rather than absorbed, tip the rice into a sieve and let it stand a moment before returning it to the dry pan, or the drying step simply boils off a puddle.
• ServingRice prepared this way was commonly served as a separate dish alongside the curry rather than beneath it.