[Modern cookery, in all its branches

Let the fish be quite freshly boiled, shell them quickly, and just before they are put into the mortar, chop them a little with a very sharp knife ; pound them perfectly with a small quantity of fresh butter, mace, and cayenne. (See also page 92.) Shrimps (unshelled), 2 quarts ; butter, 2 to 4 oz ; mace, 1 small saltspoonful ; cayenne, £ as much. POTTED MUSHROOMS. The receipt for these, which we can recommend to the reader, will be found in the next Chapter. MOULDED POTTED MEAT OR FISH, (For the second course.) Press very closely and smoothly into a pan or mould the potted bam, or any other meat, of the present chapter, pour a thin layer of clarified butter on the top, and let it become quite cold. When wanted for table, wind round it for a moment a cloth which has been chap, xvi.] CURRIES, POTTED MEATS, ETC. dipped into tot water, loosen the meat gently from it with a thin knife, turn it on to a dish, and glaze it lightly ; lay a border of small salad round it, with or without a decoration of hard eggs, or surround it instead with clear savoury jelly cut in dice. The meat, for variety, may be equally sliced, and laid regularly round a pile of small salad. A very elegant second course dish may be made with potted lobsters in this way, the centre being ornamented with a small shape of lobster butter- (See page 138.) POTTED HARE. The back of a well-roasted hare, and such other parts of the flesh as are not sinewy, if potted by the directions already given for ham and other meat, will be found superior to the game prepared as it usually is by baking it tender either with a large quantity of butter, or with barely sufficient water or gravy to cover it ; but when the old-fashioned mode of potting is Wedgewood Pestle and Mortar. preferred, it must be cleansed as for roasting, wiped dry, cut into joints, which, after being seasoned with salt, cayenne (or pepper), and pounded cloves and mace or nutmeg well mingled, should be closely packed in a jar or deep pan, and slowly baked until very tender, with the addition of from half to a whole pound of fresh butter laid equally over it, in small bits, or with only so much water or other liquid as will prevent its becoming hard : the jar must be well covered with at least two separate folds of thick brown paper tied closely over it. It should then be left to become perfectly cold ; and the butter (when it has been used) should be taken off and scraped free from moisture, that it may be added to the hare in pounding it. All skin and sinew must be carefully removed, and the flesh minced before it is put into the mortar. Additional seasoning must be added if necessary ; but the cook must remember that all should be well blended, and no particular spice should be allowed to predominate in the flavour of the preparation When water or gravy has been added to the hare, firm fresh butter should be used in potting it : it will not require a very large proportion, as the flesh will be far less dry and firm than when it is roasted, though more of its juices will have been withdrawn from it ; and it will not remain good so long. The bones, gravy, head, and ribs, will make a small tureen of excellent soup. Thick slices of lean ham are sometimes baked with the hare, and pounded with it. [CHAP. XVII. CHAPTER XVII. ftpfablcs.