Mrs. Roundell's Practical cookery book

Hares ought to hang about a week, but they require care. They must he hung up by the hind-legs, and, if shot at home, it is better not to clean them till they are skinned. If there are several Hares in a larder a long narrow box, like a window-box, should be filled with broken charcoal and set on the floor of the larder close to the Hares. At the end of a week the 27S charcoal will have absorbed all impurities, and will form a valuable fuel for the kitchen stove. In a young Hare the nails are smooth and sharp, and the ears are soft and will tear easily. Old Hares have worn nails, and long yellow teeth ; they are only fit for soup. In buying a Hare the eye, as in Game, is the best test of its condition; and a freshly-killed Hare will be stiff. A bought Hare is sure to have been cleaned ; in this case remove its heart and lungs, wipe the cavity, and put some pieces of charcoal into it. Leverets should be only hung for a day or two. Rabbits should only be eaten when quite fresh. Many farmers are glad to supply them, and it is much better to make an arrangement of this kind than to buy Rabbits from a shop. “ Ostend Rabbits ” are said to be tame Rabbits ; when sold skinned it is quite possible that they may be cats. Foreign Game — that is, Ptarmigan, Hazel Hens (from Germany and Russia), and Prairie Hens (from America) — is apt to be somewhat dry and tasteless, but it can be made very palatable by careful cooking, and is useful when English Game is over. The best way of judging of the condition of Foreign Game is by its plumage. If the plumage, even after close packing and long travelling, is soft and full, the bird is pretty sure to be good. To cook this Game, cover well with bacon and then with buttered paper, and baste continually. Hand bread sauce, fried crumbs, and brown gravy. Venison is generally either a gift or a possession, for it is an expensive luxury to buy. English Buck Venison is in season from May to September ; a haunch costs three guineas, and a neck from fifteen shillings to one guinea. Doe Venison is in season from November to January ; the haunch is sold at thirty shillings, and the neck from ten to twelve shillings. Scotch Roe-deer Venison is in season during the autumn, and although it is often despised it can be made into a thoroughly good dish, quite unlike the Reh-braten of a German Spa, which, whether the animal was a i’oe or a goat, is always dry, tasteless, and leathery. Venison, like mutton, is improved by age. The hoof shows the age of a deer, for when young the cleft is small, shallow, and smooth ; as the deer ages, the cleft becomes deeply cut and rough . Venison requires great care in keeping, but it will keep good longer than any other meat. By far the best way to keep Venison is in a marinade. In this way the flavour is much improved, the meat is more juicy and tender, and there is no danger from flies. The best marinade for Venison is thus described by Wyvern : “ Take four ounces of carrot, eight