Croustades.—Boil a quantity of rice in salted water till done. Strain off the water, put the rice in a saucepan, and keep moistening with as much milk or stock as it will absorb; add a handful of Parmesan cheese and a little pepper. When the rice is thoroughly done, or rather overdone, spread it out evenly to the thickness of about 2 in. on a slab or dish. When quite cold, cut with a 2 in. patty cutter as many “rounds” as the layer of rice will admit. Beat up an egg, roll each “round” or “croustade” in it, and then cover it well with breadcrumbs, repeating the operation if necessary. Make an impression with a smaller patty-cutter on the top of each croustade, dispose them carefully in the frying-basket, and plunge it into very hot lard. When the croustades have taken a good colour, drain them, and, lifting the cover (formed by the impression of the smaller cutter), scoop out the rice from the inside of each croustade with a teaspoon. Fill them quickly with game purée, and serve.
Kromeskies.—Pick out all the meat from the remnants of any kind of game, pound it in a mortar with a little butter, and pass it through a hair sieve; put it into a saucepan with a little butter, pepper, salt, and spice to taste, give it a turn on the fire, then take it off; stir in, off the fire, the yolk of 1-2 eggs and some lemon juice. Spread out the mixture to get cold, and divide it into very small portions. Cut some slices of bacon as thin as possible, and to the size of 1½ in. by 2½ in., place on each slice a teaspoonful of the mince, and roll it up neatly in the bacon; beat up together the yolks of 2 eggs, 1 tablespoonful brandy, 1 of olive oil, and 4-5 of cold water; incorporate with this about 3 tablespoonfuls flour and a good pinch of salt; keep on beating the mixture for a little time, then add as much water as will make it of the right consistency. When ready to use this batter, stir into it quickly the whites of 2 eggs beaten up to a froth. Dip each kromesky in it, and fry them a nice colour in hot lard.
Pie.—(a) Have ready a forcemeat as follows: Chop equal quantities of veal and fat bacon, with a little lean ham, and season it highly with pepper, salt, and spice, and, if at hand, a few truffles. Line a pie-dish with a layer of veal highly seasoned with pepper, salt, and spice, and pieces of bacon or ham. On this lay the game, either whole or in joints, as you choose, and fill up with forcemeat, and, if necessary, a little more veal and ham in pieces, and some truffles if handy. Cover with a good crust and bake.
(b) Can be made of a fowl, a rabbit, and 2 partridges (fowl only if a pheasant is not at hand). They must be dressed, and put into a large stewpan, and boiled until the flesh comes easily from the bones; then the different meats of each must be passed separately through a potting machine, or beaten well in a mortar (it is of little consequence which), and spread in layers in an ordinary game pie dish, with a layer of forcemeat between each layer—say a layer of chicken, then one of forcemeat, then one of partridge, then one of forcemeat, and so on—but on each layer pepper, a little salt, Worcester sauce, tomato sauce, chili vinegar, or other flavourings must be placed, and a few slices of shallot or truffles also. Then take the inner pie dish in which the layers are placed, and put it in the oven for 10 minutes. The jelly, which is generally served on the top, can be made of the liquor in which the game has stewed, flavoured to taste with vinegar, ketchup to taste, with gelatine added, and passed through the jelly bag as ordinary jelly.
Shikaree Pie.—Make a rich soup with 3 or 4 brace of partridges or grouse, and the knuckle of a ham cut in pieces; stew slowly until the breasts of the birds are done; take out the same, and some of the lean of the ham; pound these when cold in a mortar, with a little pepper, salt, allspice, lemon peel, and mushroom powder. When the soup is reduced so as to form a rich consommé, let it cool and take off the fat. Take a pheasant and 2 brace of partridges, or 3 brace of grouse, cut into nice pieces, stew slowly for a short time in the soup until tender; make a raised pie crust; when the game is cool place a layer of game, then of the forcemeat, then more game, and so on until the pie is full; add the gravy, place on the cover, and bake; when cooked carefully remove the cover, pour in the rest of the gravy; place the pie in a cool cellar or larder, so as all may be jellied next day when required. This may be made of any game.
Vol au Vent from cold Game.—Take the meat from a cold pheasant or a brace of partridges, and a little cold ham or tongue; cut up small into dice. Break up the bones and stew them with the trimmings in about a gill of white stock seasoned with a blade of mace, 3 or 4 allspice, a little nutmeg and salt. Let it simmer for ½ hour, strain; then add, if procurable, ½ pint of the smallest button mushrooms. These should be first rubbed with a bit of flannel and a little salt to take off the skin. When nearly done stir in 1 gill rich cream, and a large piece of butter into which some flour has been rubbed. Put in the meat and a few minced truffles; stir slowly until it boils. When the sauce has well thickened pour it into the paste. Garnish, and serve at once. Make some brioche paste into shapes by putting a piece of bread into the centre of a mould; also cut out a few flowers, leaves, &c., for ornament. Bake and take out the bread or mould. Some persons make a few little balls of the paste as well, boil, and serve them with the sauce. If button mushrooms cannot be had, use a small tin of French champignons or a few white pickled mushrooms.
The following are special recipes.
Cygnet (Cygne).—(a) The cygnet must not be skinned; pick the bird, and truss it like a goose. Take 2 lb. rump steak, which chop fine, and season with spice, a piece of onion or shallot, and butter; rub the breast of the bird inside and out with beaten cloves, then stuff it with the above, taking care to sew it up carefully and tie tightly on the spit, that the gravy may not escape; inclose the breast of the bird in a meal paste, after which cover it all over with paper well greased with beef dripping. About ¼ hour before the bird is taken up, remove paper and paste, and baste with butter and flour till brown and frothy. For gravy—strong beef and ½ pint port wine; pour over the bird, and serve with hot currant jelly. A squeeze of lemon is an improvement.
(b) Truss it as a turkey, cover it with strips of fat bacon, and roast it for 1 hour, then take it up and put it into a stewpan just large enough to hold it, at the bottom of which lay 2 blades of mace, 2 onions sliced, 1 carrot, 1 head celery, ½ lb. butter, 1 tablespoonful soy, 1 gill mushroom ketchup, 1 pint good gravy, 1 pint port wine. The bird to be stewed in the above until tender (about 1½ hour). When done, place it on a dish with a cover; strain the liquor into a stewpan, and boil away until only sufficient is left to serve with the bird; of course judgment must be used as to the quantity required. During the boiling of the sauce add ½ lb. Sultana raisins, and season the whole with a little lemon juice and cayenne to taste, then thicken with a little flour and butter mixed together, and boil with the sauce; pour over the bird, and serve very hot.
Duck (Canard, caneton). Roast.—Pluck, singe, and draw, blanche the feet and remove their skin; make a stuffing with sage, onions (previously blanched and chopped fine), and breadcrumbs, using twice as much onion as sage, and twice as much breadcrumbs as onion, add a little butter, pepper, and salt to taste. When stuffed, truss them, tie some thin slices of bacon over the breasts, roast for 15 minutes before a brisk fire, basting well with butter, remove the bacon from the birds a minute or two before they are ready. Serve with gravy in the dish, but not over the birds.