The European cookbook for American homes (from Italy, Spain, Portugal and France)

Mix onion, carrot, turnip, oil, vinegar, cloves, mace and peppercorns. Place fillet in deep dish and pour mixture over. Marinate 4 hours, turning several times. Drain, wipe dry, and lard with bacon. Lay in roasting pan; strain marinade over and bake, basting frequently after first 10 minutes. Peel orange and lemon, cut peel in shreds and boil in water until tender. Drain and discard liquid. Reduce wine to 1/2 cup by boiling. Mix with orange and lemon juice. Take up fillet when done, and mix pan contents with wine mixture, adding a little boiling water if necessary. Thicken slightly with flour. Add currants, almonds, orange and lemon peel, and heat until currants plump. Add pomegranate pips, season with salt and cayenne, and serve sauce in a boat. While we think of venison chiefly in terms of the gigantic spreading-antlered species of our north woods, Europeans are accustomed to much smaller species, semi-domesticated in game preserves. In wooded sections of Portugal, Spain, Austria, Germany and anywhere in the Alps deer are so common and tame that they may be counted by the dozen out of train windows. Some of them are so small you could slip a doe in your overcoat pocket and use the tiny buck's horns for chop-sticks. LITTLE VENISON PIES (Empadinhas de Veado) 54 pound choice cut of venison i sprig thyme l/8 pound ham Juice i lemon 3 slices bacon, minced 3 tablespoons tarragon vinegar 54 cup white wine 2 cups flour Yi bay leaf Salt Yi garlic clove Ys pound butter Ys teaspoon pepper 6 egg yolks Yz teaspoon grated nutmeg 1 teaspoon minced parsley 1 sprig parsley 1 hard-boiled egg, chopped Stoned olives Cut venison and ham in shreds the size of a lead pencil. Place in a bowl with bacon, wine, bay leaf, garlic, pepper, nutmeg, parsley, thyme, lemon juice, and vinegar. Mix well and marinate 2 days, stirring occasionally. Sift flour with 1 teaspoon salt, work in the butter, add 5 egg yolks, slightly beaten, and knead together to form a stiff dough. If not moist enough add a little cold water. Cover with a cloth and allow to stand J4 hour. Then break off bits of the dough and with the hands mold out shells to fit patty pans. Roll out some of the dough and cut covers to fit the shells. Cut venison and ham in inch lengths. Set the shells in the pans, and fill with the meat, adding a little minced parsley, chopped egg, the minced bacon from the marinade, and 1 olive in each shell. Moisten with some of the marinade mixture. Brush edge of dough with egg yolk, put on cover and press down. With a sharp knife make a gash in the center to let out the steam, and bake in a moderate oven (350°F.). The pies are nearly done when the gravy begins to rise through the hole in the cover. Remove from oven, brush tops with egg yolk, and put back in oven for a moment to dry the egg. Take pies out of the tins at once, and serve either hot or cold. CHICKEN SAUTE (Fritura de Fran go) 1 young chicken, jointed l/2 pound fresh mushrooms Salt and pepper (or 1 can) 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons butter 3 shallots, minced 2 tomatoes, chopped Yz garlic clove, minced 1 tablespoon minced parsley