Cassell's dictionary of cookery

Rabbit, Ragout of. — Dissolve two ounces of butter in a saucepan, and in this fry three moderate-sized onions cut into slices. Lift these out as they brown, mix three teaspoonfuls of flour smoothly with the butter, and moisten the mixture very gradually with as much stock or water as will make it of the consistency of thick cream. Skin, empty, and wash a young rabbit. Cut it into small neat joints, and lay it in the sauce with five or six rashers of bacon, a bay-leaf, a slice of lemon, and a little pepper and salt. Simmer all gently together till the rabbit is tender. Lay the pieces on a dish, strain the sauce over them, and serve very hot. A glassful of wine may be added to the sauce or not. Time, about threequarters of an hour to one hour to simmer the rabbit. Probable cost, 3s., exclusive of wine. Sufficient for four or five persons. Rabbit, Ragout of (another way).— Skin, empty, and wash a plump young rabbit, cut it up into ten or twelve pieces, and lay it in a saucepan with a dozen button mushrooms, half a dozen small onions, a bunch of parsley, a sprig of thyme, and a bay-leaf. Pour over those ingredients as much boiling stock or water as will cover them, and let them simmer very gently until the rabbit is tender. Lift RAB ( 693 RAB out the rabbit, skim and strain the sauce, and thicken with a table- spoonful of brown thickening. Season with salt, pepper, and grated nutmeg, and let it boil till smooth. Add a glassful of sherry or madeira if liked. Put in the pieces of meat. Let them get thoroughlyhot without allowing the gravy to boil, arrange them neatly in a dish, pour the gravy over them, and serve very hot. Garnish the dish with toasted sippets. Time to simmer the rabbit, three-quarters of an hour to one hour. Probable cost, 3s. 6d. Sufficient for four or five persons. Rabbit, Roast.— Take a plump young rabbit. Skin, empty, and wash it ; fill the inside with good veal forcemeat, sew it up securely, and truss firmly with the forelegs back, the hind legs forwards, and the head fastened in an upright position with a skewer. The flavour of the rabbit will be improved if the inside is lined with fat bacon before the forcemeat is put in, but this may be omitted. Fasten a slice of fat bacon over the back of the rabbit, put it down to a clear fire, and baste liberally. When it is partially roasted, flour well, and baste again. When done enough, take it up, remove the skewers, and serve on a hot dish with a little gravy poured over it, and the rest in a tureen. Serve fried bacon on a separate dish. Rabbit, Roast, and Chestnuts.—