It may also be served with a Mayonnaise, ravigote, or Tartar sauce.
Squirrel.—A squirrel is prepared as a rabbit in every particular.
VENISON.
If young, the hoof is not much opened, and the fat is thick and clear; when old, the hoofs are wide open. To know if it is fresh enough, run a knife or a skewer through the leg or through the shoulder, and if it does not smell bad and stale, it is good. It is not as delicate when fresh as when it has been killed for five or six days. If fresh when you buy it, keep it from three to eight days before cooking it.
To improve.—Put the piece of venison in a crockery vessel. For about six pounds put a pint of vinegar in a saucepan with two bay-leaves, two cloves, two cloves of garlic, one onion sliced, two stalks of thyme, four of parsley, and twelve pepper-corns; set it on the fire, give one boil, and turn over the piece of venison. Turn the piece of meat over occasionally for one or two days, and then cook it.
Another way.—Lard the piece of venison and put it in a crockery vessel; spread all over two or three onions and a clove or two of garlic (both sliced), half a gill of sweet-oil, same of claret wine, a pinch of allspice, four cloves, and two sprigs of thyme; baste twice a day for two or three days, and then cook.
To bake.—Put the venison in a baking-pan with the seasonings in which it has improved; spread some butter on it, and bake in a rather quick oven; baste now and then, and turn over if necessary. When baked, serve with a ravigote sauce, to which you have added the gravy from the pan in which it has been baked. Serve it also with a cranberry, piquante, Robert, or Tartar sauce, or with currant-jelly.
In Civet.—Shoulder, neck, and breast-pieces are cut and prepared in civet, in the same way as a civet of rabbit.
It may also be kept three or four days and warmed in a bain-marie; it improves it as much as that of rabbit.
With Mushrooms.—Any piece of venison, baked or roasted, may be served with a garniture of mushrooms.