Rabbits Baked.
After they are skinned, dressed, and hung overnight, put them into a baking-pan; sprinkle over pepper and salt, and put also a thin slice of bacon on the top of each rabbit. Now pour some boiling water into the bottom of the pan, and cover it with another pan of equal size, letting the rabbits steam about fifteen or twenty minutes; then take off the cover, baste them with a little butter, and let them brown.
Rabbits are much improved by larding.
VEGETABLES.
To Preserve the Color of Vegetables.
The French cooks very generally use carbonate of ammonia to preserve the color of vegetables. What would lay on the point of a penknife is mixed in the water in which the vegetables (such as pease, spinach, string-beans, and asparagus) are boiled. The ammonia all evaporates in boiling, leaving no ill effects. They say also that it prevents the odor of boiling cabbage. It may be obtained at the drug-stores.
Potatoes Boiled.
Choose those of equal size. They look better when thinly peeled before they are boiled; but it is more economical to boil them before skinning, as careless cooks generally pare away half of the potato in the operation, and the best part of the potato is that which lies nearest the skin. Put them into an iron pot or saucepan in just enough well-salted cold water to cover them. Let them boil until they are nearly done; then pour off all but about half a cupful of the water in the bottom of the pot; return the potatoes to the fire, put on a close cover, and let them steam until quite done; then remove the lid, sprinkle salt over them, and let them remain a few moments on the fire to evaporate the water. Remove them carefully, and serve immediately. They should be dry and flaky.
If one has a cook too heedless to steam the potatoes properly, it should be remembered that potatoes should never be allowed to soak in the water a moment after they are done; the water should be immediately poured off, and the steam evaporated. It is important that potatoes should be done just at the moment of serving. It requires about thirty-five minutes to boil the medium-sized.