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Mrs. Roundell's Practical cookery book

1898

Page 193 · 1 recipe record on this page

Presented as published in 1898. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
“ ounces of onion, a tahlespoonful of mixed herbs, fresh or “ dried, and one ounce of parsley. Put them in a stewpan “ with one ounce of hutter, and fry for five minutes. Then “ add one pint of vinegar, one quart of water, one ounce and a “ quarter of salt, half an ounce of pepper, and a blade of maceMarinade for Venison. “ Boil up, simmer for half an hour, strain, and either use at “ once or bottle for use. Turn the Venison constantly in this “ pickle.” Of course for a large joint the quantities can be increased, always keeping the same proportions. If the other method is followed, the kernel in the fat of the haunch of Venison should be cut out, like that in a leg of mutton; the part should then be wiped dry and well rubbed with pepper and ground-ginger to keep off the flies. Dust the whole haunch with pepper and ginger, and hang it up in a muslin bag. Be careful to examine it every day. A neck of Venison should be wiped dry with a cloth, and hung up. It is not generally known that if a piece of V enison from the shoulder or leg, or any Venison bones, are put into the stock-pot the soup will have a delicious flavour which nothing else can give. Wild Duck should have small pliable reddish feet, and each bird should feel heavy in proportion to its size. The three varieties of Wild Duck generally eaten in England are in season from the autumn to the end of March ; and the plumage of all is beautiful. I will merely describe the colours of the head of each as a means of distinguishing them. Wild Buck. — Head, crown, and upper part of neck, rich dark metallic glossy green, ring of white about the neck. Weight of Duck, about two pounds and a half — over forty ounces. Teal. — Head rich chestnut brown, black belt round the eye, with narrow stripe of buff edging the dark belt, and losing itself in the chestnut colour at back of the neck. Weight of Teal, about eleven ounces. 280 GAME, VENISON, AND WILD FOWL Widgeon. — Head rich chestnut sprinkled with black. A band of yellowish -orange and cream colour extends over the crown of the head. Weight of Widgeon, about twrenty-four ounces. The Wild Goose, or Grey Lag Goose, is believed to be the original parent of all varieties of Geese. It weighs from eight to nine pounds. The Wild Goose still breeds in Scotland, and possibly in Ireland. It is in season during the winter and early spring, but as the flavour is apt to be fishy the Goose should be skinned before it is cooked. All aquatic birds are fishy in the spring. One way of counteracting this is to skin them as soon as they are killed ; another way is to use the fillets only. An old-fashioned method is to baste the bird for the first ten minutes with salted wrater in which an onion has been boiled ; after that time to baste with butter only. If the fillets are used, broil them. Canvas-back Ducks are a delicacy peculiar to North America. It is an excellent plan to stuff an English Wild Duck with celery, as this gives a flavour somewhat like that of the canvas-back, which feeds on the wild celery it finds in the marshy parts of North America. ON THE COOKING OF GAME, VENISON, & WILD FOWL.