Practical household cookery

When quite cold take the head out of the pan and put it in the oven for a minute or two, after having untied and removed the cloth; wipe off the fat from the surface with a clean cloth ; trim the back part of the head ; see that the ears have their proper form, and if not use some small wooden skewers, and hide these with a mixture of lard and mutton suet. Glaze the head with a dark-coloured glaze made for that purpose ; decorate the snout with a little piping ; place modelled tusks and glass eyes to complete the dressing ; then dish up, and ornament with aspic jelly. Note, — Hog's-head is also stuffed as above ; but for this purpose the head should be cut off deep in the shoulders before the pig is scalded, and then the bristles singed with lighted straw so as to have all the appearance of a wild boar's head. CHAPTER XIII. REMARKS ON VENISON. The flesh of that ruminant and light-footed mammalian animal, the roehuck or deer, is both delicate and tasty, but must be hung in a draughty place for at least a fortnight before it is fit for the table. Those living in wild and mountainous parts are the best, and the pale-brown, yellow-colour breed is superior to the red one for cooking purposes. 577. ROEBUCK CUTLETS A LA CHASSEUR. Roebuck cutlets should be cut in the same style as mutton cutlets, and after being trimmed, should be fried with clarified butter on a brisk fire and seasoned with salt and pepper. Meanwhile have ready in a stewpan on the fire, some game essence (No. 172), to which add and warm up as many slices of cooked pickled ox -tongue as there are cutlets ; dish up the cutlets alternately with the slices of tongue, pour the sauce over, and serve. 578. ROEBUCK CUTLETS A LA SURPRISE. Prepare and trim the cutlets of a well-hung neck of roebuck ; marinade them as mutton cutlets for two hours, and drain, flour, and fry them with butter on a brisk fire for two or three minutes on each side. Meanwhile have ready and cold a stuffing composed as follows : — Pound in a mortar a little cooked veal and ham free from skin and gristle, season with salt, pepper, a good pinch of aromatic herbs, and a gill of rum, mix with the brains of the roebuck cooked in good broth and cut in very small dice, after having been previously washed and soaked in water in the usual way. Cover or surround both sides of the cutlets with this forcemeat, then pass them through breadcrumbs, beaten yolks of eggs, and bread-crumbs again ; fry them with clarified butter in a 8aut6-pan, and serve with Supreme sauce (No. 188) apart. 579. ROEBUCK CHOPS, GRILLED. Cut and trim the chops of roebuck in the same manner as mutton chops, flatten them slightly with the cutletbat, broil over a moderate flre, turning them over every two or three minutes till done; then sprinkle each with salt and pepper ; dish them up, taking care not to spill the gravy that may be on their surface ; pour some good brown gravy under, and serve with some currant jelly apart. 680. BREAST OF ROEBUCK A LA LTONNAISE. Cook the breast of a roebuck in good broth, to which a glass of white wine and a *' bouquet garni" have been added; when the meat is well done, drain, bone, press between two dishes, and let it get cold. Meanwhile skim off the fat and strain the broth in which the breast has l)oiled ; return it to the stewpan and reduce by one-third, over a brisk fire; then add one pound of nice chesnuts, previously peeled and blanched, so as to clean them of their second skin; continue the boiling till the chesnuts are well done and nicely glazed. When the meat is cold, cut it in pieces two inches wide ; squeeze the juice of two lemons and sprinkle some pepper and grated nutmeg over them; dip each piece in some clarified butter and bread-