Cassell's dictionary of cookery

Rabbit, Fricasseed.— Cut a young rabbit into neat joints, lay it in a stewjjan, and cover with good stock. Let the liquid boil, then put with it three onions, three carrots, three turnips, and three sticks of celery, all sliced; add a bunch of parsley, a sprig of thyme, a blade of mace, a salt-spoonful of grated nutmeg, and a small piece of sugar, and stew all gently together until the vegetables are quite soft. Lift the vegetables out, and rub them through a sieve with the back of a wooden spoon. Stir the puiee over the fire with a table-spoonful of the gravy for two or three minutes to make it quite hot. Put the pieces of rabbit on a dish, cover with the puree, and pour the sauce over all. Serve very hot. Time, one hour. Probable cost, 3s. Sufficient for four or five persons. Rabbit, Fricasseed, Brown.—— Skin, empty, and clean a rabbit, preserving the liver and heart. Lay it in lukewarm water for an hour, drain it, and cut it into neat joints convenient for serving. If it is intended to make use of the head, split it open, and take out the eyes. Dissolve a slice of butter and a slice of lard in a saucepan, and fry the pieces of rabbit in the fat. AVTien they are nicely browned, take them out, and lay them aside. Mince three onions finely, fry them imtil brown, and put them with the rabbit. Stir a dessert-spoonful of flour into the fat, and beat it with the back of a wooden spoon until it is quite smooth, and of a bright brown colour. Moisten gradually with as much stock or water as is required to make it of the consistency of thick cream, and add to it a bunch of parsley, a sprig of thyme, two bay-leaves, a little salt and pepper, and a clove of garlic, if this is liked. Put in the pieces of rabbit, and let all simmer gently together until the rabbit is sufficiently dressed. Just before the fricassee is served, put into it a glassful of claret or port. Time, one hour. Probable cost, 3s. Sufficient for fom- or five persons. Rabbit, Fricasseed, White.—— Skin, empty, and wash a nice young rabbit, and let it soak in lukewarm water for an hour. Drain it, and cut it into neat joints convenient for serving. Put it into a stewpan, pour over it as much wliite stock or water as will barely cover it, and add two onions, a bunch of sweet herbs, half a blade of mace, the peel of half a lemon, and a little salt. Simmer all gently together for three-quarters of an hour, lift out the pieces of rabbit, and put them aside. jMix a dessert-spoonful of flour very smoothly with a tea-cupful of milk or cream, add a tea-cupful of the gravy, and put the liquor into a clean saucepan with a slice of butter rolled in flour. Stir it until it boils, then let it simmer gently until it is so thick that it will coat the spoon. Put the pieces of rabbit into this sauce, and let them get quite hot. Add pepper and salt if required, and at the last moment stir the juice of a lemon into the sauce. Arrange the pieces of rabbit on a hot dish, pour the sauce over, and garnish with cut lemon. This fricassee will be very much improved if a dozen or more blanched mushrooms are simmered -with the gravy ten minutes before it is taken from the fire. Time, one hour. Probable cost, 3s. Sufficient for foui' or five persons.