Partridges, to Roast. Let the birds hang as long as they can possibly be kept without becoming offensive; pick them carefully, draw and singe them, wipe the insides thoroughly with a clean cloth, truss them with the head turned under the wing and the legs drawn close together, not crossed. Flour them when first laid to the fire, and baste them plentifully with butter. Serve them with bread sauce and good brown gravy; a little of this last should be poured over them. Time. 30 or 40 minutes. In preparing them for the spit the crop must be removed through a slit cut in the back of neck, the claws clipped close, and the legs held in boiling water for a minute, that they may be skinned more easily. (Eliza Acton.)
Pheasant, to Roast. Let it hang as many days as possible without becoming tainted. Pluck off the feathers carefully, cut a slit in the back of the neck to remove crop, then draw the bird in the usual way, and either wipe the inside very clean with a damp cloth, or pour water through it; wipe the outside also, but with a dry cloth; cut off the toes, turn the head of the bird under the wing, with the bill laid straight along the breast; skewer the legs, which must not be crossed; flour the pheasant well, lay it to a brisk fire, and baste it constantly and plentifully with well-flavoured butter. Send bread sauce and good brown gravy to table with it. Time. Three quarters of an hour, a few minutes less if liked very much underdone, five or ten more for thorough roasting, with a good fire in both instances. In season from October to the end of January. (Eliza Acton.)
Rabbit, to Boil. Rabbits that are three parts grown, or, at all events, which are still quite young, should be chosen for boiling. Wash them well, truss them firmly, with the heads turned and skewered to the sides, drop them into sufficient boiling water to keep them quite covered until they are cooked, and simmer them gently from thirty to forty-five minutes; when very young they will require even less time than this. Cover them with rich white sauce mixed with livers parboiled, finely pounded, and well seasoned with cayenne and lemon juice; or with white onion sauce, or with parsley and butter, made with milk or cream instead of water (the livers, minced, are often added to the last of these), or with good mushroom sauce. Time. 30 to 45 minutes. (Eliza Acton.)
Rabbit, to Roast. This is much improved by having the backbone taken out. When this is done line the inside with thin slices of bacon, fill it with forcemeat, sew it up, truss, and roast it at a clear, brisk fire, and baste it constantly with butter. Flour it well soon after it is laid down. Serve it with good brown gravy, and with currant jelly, when this last is liked. Time. 3⁄4 hour to 1 hour; less if small. (Eliza Acton.)
Venison, Haunch of, to Roast. To prepare the venison for the spit wash it slightly with tepid water, or merely wipe it thoroughly with damp cloths, and dry it afterwards with clean ones; then lay over the fat side a large sheet of thickly-buttered paper, and next a paste of flour and water about three quarters of an inch thick; cover this again with two or three sheets of stout paper, secure the whole well with twine, and lay the haunch to a sound, clear fire; baste the paper immediately with butter or clarified dripping, and roast the joint from three hours and a half to four and a half, according to its weight and quality. Doe venison will require half an hour less time than buck. Twenty minutes before the joint is done remove the paste and paper, baste the meat in every part with butter, and dredge it very lightly with flour; let it take a pale-brown colour, and send it to table as hot as possible, with gravy in a tureen and good currant jelly. Time. 31⁄2 to 41⁄2 hours. The kind of gravy appropriate to venison is a matter on which individual taste must decide. (Eliza Acton.)
Venison, Hashed. Ingredients.—The remains of roast venison, its own or mutton gravy, thickening of butter and flour. Mode.—Cut the meat from the bones in neat slices, and, if there is sufficient of its own gravy left, put the meat into this, as it is preferable to any other. Should there not be enough put the bones and trimmings into a stewpan with about a pint of mutton gravy; let them stew gently for an hour, and strain the gravy. Put a little flour and butter into the stewpan, keep stirring until brown, then add the strained gravy, and give it a boil up; skim and strain again, and when a little cool put in the slices of venison. Place the stewpan by the side of the fire, and when on the point of simmering serve. Do not allow it to boil. Send red-currant jelly to table with it. Time. Altogether, an hour and a half. A small quantity of Harvey sauce, ketchup, or port wine, may be added to enrich the gravy.
GAN′GRENE. See Mortification.
GAN′TEINE. A composition used to clean kid and other leather gloves.
Prep. 1. (M. Buhan.) Curd soap (in small shavings), 1 part; water, 3 parts; mix with heat, and stir in of essence of citron, 1 part.
2. (Saponine,—Duvignau.) Soap (in powder), 250 parts; water, 155 parts; dissolve with heat, cool, and add, of eau de javelle, 165 parts, solution of ammonia, 10 parts, and rub the whole to a smooth paste. Patent. A small portion of either of the above is rubbed over the glove with a piece of flannel (always in one direction), until it is sufficiently clean. See Gloves.