Cassell's dictionary of cookery

Rabbit, Potted. — Empty, skin, and wash two or three young fully-grown rabbits. Take off the legs, and pick all the meat from the back. Season with salt, cayenne, and mace, all finely powdered, and pack the meat closely into a potting-jar. Lay upon it six ounces of fresh butter, and bake gently until done enough. Let it stand in a cool place for twenty-four hours, turn it into small jars, and cover with clarified butter. The livers can be put with the meat, if liked. The meat can be served in the jus, or small portions can be cut out, laid on a napkin, and garnished with parsley. This is an excellent way of preserving rabbits which arc not wanted for immediate use. Time to bake, one hour and a half. Probable cost of rabbits, 7d. to 9d. per pound. Rabbit, Potted (another way).— Take off the legs and shoulders of the rabbits, and also the fleshy parts of the back. Cut off the legbones at the first joint, and the shoulder-bones at the blades, but without cutting off the meat. Take also the livers: season the limbs and RAB ( G92 ) RAB livers, put plenty of butter over them, and bake gently. Keep "them three or four days in the pan after they are done, then stow them lightly into pots, covering them with clarified butter. The remainder of the rabbits may be used in any other way. Rabbit Pudding.— Skin, empty, and wash a rabbit, and cut it into ten or twelve pieces. Make a little gravy by stewing the head, the "liver, and a little bacon rind in stock or water, and season this with salt, pepper, and grated nutmeg. Line a buttered basin with good suet crust. Lay in the pieces of rabbit (first seasoning each one separately, with a little pepper, salt, and cayenne), and put with them three or four ounces of bacon cut into strips. Pour over them a tea-cupful of the stock, and be careful to let it cool before using it. Put the cover on the top, press the edges closely together, and tie the pudding in a floured cloth which has been wrung out of boiling water. Put it into fast-boiling water, and let it boil quickly until done enough. Time to boil, three hours. Probable cost, 3s. Sufficient for five or six persons. Rabbit Pudding (another way).— Skin, empty, and wash a rabbit, and cut it into ten or twelve pieces. Put these into a stewpan with a little pepper and salt and half a blade of mace. Pour over them as much boiling water as will cover them, and let them simmer very gently for half an hour. Take them up, and Put in their place the head and liver of the rabbit, with a little bacon rind if it is at hand, and simmer for an hour, till the gravy is strong and pleasantly flavoured. Strain and skim it, and put it aside to cool. Line the edges of a pic-dish with suet crust. Put in the pieces of rabbit, together with four ounces of fat bacon cut into narrow strips, pour in a cupful of the cooled gravy, lay on the cover, press the edges closely together, tie the pudding in a floured cloth, plunge it into boiling water, and let it boil quickly until sufficiently done. Some cooks parboil and mince the liver, mix it with the brains, season the mixture rather highly with salt and cayenne, and sprinkle it over the meat in the pudding. Time to boil, one hour. Probable cost, 3s. Sufficient for five or six persons.