Hare Pie Without a Mold

Cut some large fillets from the back of a hare, divide them into good-sized square lardons (No. 1, Fig 52) and lay them in a vessel with as much fat pork cut exactly the same size and shape and a few raw truffles cut likewise; season highly and pour over a few spoonfuls of Madeira wine or brandy. Cut off the meats from the legs and shoulders, lay them in a frying pan with melted fat pork and an equal quantity of cut-up calf's liver; season and fry over a brisk fire; as soon as the meats are brown remove to cool; pound and rub this through a sieve, then add this forcemeat to as much chopped fresh pork, raw, pounded and seasoned highly and mixed with cooked fine herbs (No. 385). Roll out on a floured table a flat of cold pie paste (No. 144) twenty inches long by fifteen wide; spread it on a baking sheet and cover the center with a layer of the prepared forcemeat, giving it an oblong shape; then alternate the garnishing and the forcemeat, the last layer being forcemeat and cover this with thin slices of fat pork. Moisten the edges of the paste, fold over the flaps on the sides so as to enclose the contents, roll out the ends, moisten the top and bring these ends over on the center, wet again and cover with a three-sixteenths of an inch oval flat of puff paste (No. 146), sufficiently large to cover the pie; on this flat make small openings to act as chimneys; put in pasteboard cylinders to uphold the paste. Egg over the paste and score it with the tip of a small knife. Place the pie in a moderate oven to bake, covering the top with sheets of buttered paper, and let cook for two hours. A quarter of an hour after taking it from the oven pour into the holes a few spoonfuls of game fumet (No. 397) mixed with a little Madeira wine and melted jelly (No. 103), then set it aside to cool for twelve hours before serving. This same method may be employed for the preparation of chicken, game or fish pies.