Stuffing for Hare

A Victorian forcemeat for a roast hare, built on the animal's own liver. The quantities are given only for the suet, breadcrumbs and egg, so the rest is judged by eye and taste.

• What the amounts come toTwo ounces of suet and two ounces of breadcrumbs is roughly a scant half cup of grated suet and about a cup of fresh crumbs. With the liver and one egg that makes a fairly modest amount of forcemeat -- enough for a saddle or a small hare, and easily doubled for a large one.
• "Herbs as for veal"This is the standard English veal forcemeat mix of the period: parsley, thyme, sometimes marjoram, and grated lemon peel. A tablespoon of chopped parsley, a teaspoon of thyme leaves and the zest of half a lemon is in the right range.
• The liverTrim any greenish patch near the gall bladder and remove the connective membrane, then chop it fine rather than mincing it to paste. If the hare arrives without its liver, chicken liver stands in with no real loss.
• SuetBeef suet from a butcher, grated while cold, is what is meant; packet shredded suet works. Cold butter, coarsely grated, can be used instead and gives a softer stuffing.
• Anchovy"An anchovy" here most likely means a whole salted fish, that is two fillets, rinsed and mashed; a couple of teaspoons of anchovy paste is the nearest modern stand-in. It is there for savour rather than an obvious fish flavour, and a heavier hand will read as anchovy in the finished dish.
• OnionThe recipe says only "a little onion" and does not say to cook it. Chopping it fine and sweating it in a little of the bacon fat first is a modern precaution, since raw onion in a dense stuffing can stay crunchy and sharp through the roast.
• Cooking it throughStuffing packed inside game has to reach 165F/74C at its centre, which is hotter than most cooks want the hare itself. Baking the forcemeat in a separate dish, or rolling it into balls and roasting them alongside for 20 to 25 minutes at 375F, avoids overcooking the meat.
• SaltAnchovy, bacon and suet all bring salt. Fry a teaspoon of the mixture and taste it before seasoning the rest.