Cassell's dictionary of cookery

Rabbit with Curry. — Take two or thrc® rabbits, and cut in pieces the hind-legs, back, and loins. Put these in a stewpan with butter and six ounces of streaky bacon in large dice. Fry over a moderate fire, but do not let the contents of the pan take too much colour: salt, sprinkle with flour, and curry powder. Fry the pieces of rabbit for a few seconds longer, moisten with broth off the fire, put the stewpan again on the fire, and stir the liquid till it is boiling. In five minutes remove the stewpan on a moderate fire to finish cooking the rabbits. Ten minutes before serving, lay the pieces of rabbit in another stewpan, and pass the sauce over ; then add to the stew two large onions cut into dice, seasoned and coloured with butter in a frying-pan. Just before serving, thicken the sauce with two yolks of eggs diluted with cream; cook the liaison without permitting the sauce to boil, then send the meat to table, with some rice, boiled Indian fashion, in a separate dish. Rabbit with Herbs.— Skin, empty, and wash a rabbit, and cut it into pieces the size of an egg. If the head is used split it in halves. Fry the pieces in a little hot fat, and turn them about till they are equally and lightly browned. Dredge a table-spoonful of flour over them, and add eight or ten mushrooms chopped small, a shallot finely minced, a tablespoonful of parsley, a table-spoonful of strained lemon juice, and a little pepper and salt. Pour over them a quarter of a pint of good gravy, and let all simmer gently together for ten minutes. Crush the liver of the rabbit (which has been previously boiled for ten minutes), and mix it with the gravj\ A glassful of sherry may be added or not. Serve very hot. Time, RAB ( 698 ) RAD altogether, half an hour. Probable cost of rabbit, 7d. to 9c1. per pound. .Sufficient for four or five persons. Rabbit with Jerusalem Artichokes.— Skin, empty, and wash a plump young rabbit. Cut it into neat joints, lay these in a saucepan, and barely cover them with boiling stock or water. Let the Hquor boil, draw the saucepan to the side, and let it simmer gently for twenty minutes. Put into the sauce two pounds of Jerusalem artichokes pared and sliced, and let all stew gently together till the rabbit is tender. Take out the artichokes, mash them, season with salt and cayenne, and add two table- spoonfuls of cream or milk. Beat them with a wooden spoon over the fire tin they are quite hot. Lay the pieces of rabbit on a dish, pour the mashed artichokes over them, and serve very hot. Time, altogether, three-quarters of an hour. Probable cost of rabbit, 7d. to 9d. per pound. Sufficient for four or five persons. Rabbits, Choosing of.— When purchasing a rabbit see that the animal is fresh and young. If fresh the body will be stiff, the flesh white and dry in appearance, and of a sweet smell. If stale the flesh will be slimy and blue, with a tainted odour. If young the claws and the coat will be smooth, the nose sharp pointed, and the ears tender and easily torn ; if old the wool will be mixed with grey hairs, and the claws long and rough. Rabbits ought not to be kept more than a day or two after they are killed. In order to distinguish wild rabbits from tame ones examine the paws and the tail. Wild rabbits have hair on their paws, and the under part of the tail is of a reddish colour.