Practical household cookery

Skin, empty, and clean thoroughly a nice young rabbit, and cut it into small joints as for rabbit stewed à la Chasseur. Trim these pieces nicely, leaving as little bone as possible to them ; put the trimmings into a stewpan with the head and neck cut in half ; add a pint and a half of good stock, an onion stuck with four cloves, a "bouquet garni," a piece of rind of bacon, and any trimmings of veal that may be had. Season with salt and pepper ; boil, skim, and simmer for half an hour. Meanwhile place the pieces of rabbit in a pie-dish, well intermixed with half a pound of streaky bacon fifree from rind and gristle, previously blanched for five minutes and cut into inch-dices. Season the lot well with four chopped shalots, parsley, fine herbs, and salt and pepper; when the stock is ready, strain it through a cloth over the rabbit. Cover the pie-dish with puff paste in the usual way (see No. 318), and bake for an hour and a half ; then serve, or put it in a cool place till wanted. 696. LARK PIE. Pick, singe, clean, and draw two dozen larks as for roast larks (No. 680). Cut ofP the heads, wings, and legs and put them aside; cut in small scollops one pound of cushion of veal, and half a pound of lean bacon, free from rind and gristle ; lay alternately one-third of these slices at the bottom of the pie-dish ; put on them twelve larks, close together, spread the half of two finely-chopped shalots, a little parsley, and thyme. Season with salt and a pinch of cayenne ; make another layer with one- third of the scollops ; put on these the other twelve larks, then another layer of ingredients and seasoning, then lay upon the birds the remainder of the veal and bacon ; fill up the dish twothirds full with good stock or gravy. Cover the lot with puff paste. Bake in a moderately-heated oven for about an hour and a half, replenish the gravy in the usual way, and put it by till wanted. Note. — Two or three fresh mushrooms finely chopped, and the yolks of four hard-boiled eggs, cut in quarters and properly spread with the seasoning, will improve this pie. Any other small birds can also be made into a similar pie. 697. PARTRIDGE PIE. Pick, draw, and singe three partridges ; cut off the feet and wings ; cut the partridges into small joints, cover the bottom and sides of a pie-dish with thin layers of fat bacon, place the pieces of partridges in close order on these; season well with salt, pepper, and aromatic herbs ; lay upon these six small scollops of fillet of beef, well flattened and seasoned, make another la3''er with slices of fat bacon ; soak the whole with game or ordinary broth flavoured with essence of game. Cover the dish with puff paste in the usual way (see No. 318). Dig the feet into the top of the paste in decorative style; bake it in a moderately-heated oven for one hour and a half, add a little more hot broth through the vent-hole, and serve. Note. — Blackgame, pheasants, grouse, quail, or any other winged game can be made into a similar pie 698. SNIPE PIE. Pick and singe three snipe as previously described. Cut off the heads, wings, and legs ; cut the birds into fours ; remove the gizzards, but leave the trail; then cover the lining of a pie-dish with thin slices of fat bacon ; place the pieces of snipe in close layers on these slices ; season well with aromatic herbs, salt, and pepper ; squeeze in the juice of a lemon, pour a sufficient quantity of melted clarified butter into the dish to cover the birds, and put another layer of fat bacon on the top. Cover the dish with puff paste (see No. 318). Bury the feet of the birds on the top of the paste in a symmetrical form. Bake the pie in a moderately-heated oven for one hour and a half, and keep it in a cool place till wanted. Note, — ^Woodcock, widgeon, and teal can be made into a similar pie.