Roast or Baked Haunch of Venison.
Cut off part of the knuckle-bone, round it at the other extremity, sprinkle over pepper and salt, and cover the whole with a paste of flour and water or coarse corn-meal; tie firmly a thick paper around. Place it near the fire at first to harden the paste, basting well the paper to keep it from burning; then remove it a little farther from the fire. Have a strong, clear fire. It will take about three hours to roast this joint, at the end of which time remove the paste. Carême would glaze it. This is, after all, a simple operation. It is a stock boiled down to a firm jelly, the jelly melted, and spread upon the meat with a brush. Put some frills of paper around the bone, and serve currant-jelly with it. If it be baked, the paste should cover it in the same way. It would also take the same length of time to cook.
The neck of venison makes a good roast also.
To Broil Venison Steaks.
Have the gridiron hot; broil, and put them on a hot dish; rub over them butter, pepper, salt, and a little melted currant-jelly. Some cooks add a table-spoonful of Madeira, sherry, or port to the melted currant-jelly.
If one does not wish to serve the jelly, simply garnish the dish with lemon-slices.
Stewed Venison.
Cut it into steaks; spread over them a thin layer of stuffing made with bread-crumbs, minced onion, parsley, pepper, salt, and a little pork chopped fine; now roll them separately, and tie them each with a cord; stew them in boiling water or stock. Thicken the gravy with flour and butter mixed (see roux, page 51), and add one or two spoonfuls of sherry or port wine.
Rabbits Roasted.
Skin and dress the rabbits as soon as possible, and hang them overnight. Roast them before a moderate fire, basting them with butter and a little flour when nearly done.