Soyer's standard cookery

Remove the skin from a fowl and cut it into joints and neat pieces, dividing the legs and breakfng the back into two pieces. Put one and a half ounces of clarified dripping into a stewpan and when it is hot add one onion (sliced), one slice of bacon and the pieces of fowl, and let the latter cook over a gentle heat until they are white; turn them frequently, and remove from the pan directly they are done, taking care they do not become brown. Then stir the flour into the fat in the pan and when it is well mixed add the stock (or water) by degrees, and stir until the sauce is smooth and thick; season it well and add the spices and a few thin strips of lemon peel, and let it simmer very gently for half an hour. Color the sauce a light brown, add a squeeze of lemon juice, and strain it into an earthen casserole; put in the fried fowl, and after covering it with a piece of greased paper, put on the lid and place the casserole in a moderately hot oven for two hours; a little chopped parsley should be scattered over the surface when the paper is removed, just before the casserole is sent to the table. If the liver of the bird is not objected to, it should be fried with the fowl and then cut into small pieces and put into the casserole. Baked Ham. Soak a ham weighing six pounds for twelve hours, or if thoroughly matured for twice as long, changing the water twice; then scrub it in warm water, dry it well, cover it entirely with a thick paste made with flour and water and wrap the ham up in a piece of white paper which has been well greased, securing it with white tape or string. Put it into a moderately hot oven and let it cook for five hours. When done remove the paper and paste and then pull off the skin; trim the ham, brush it over, glaze and scatter it thickly with brown crumbs. Jugged Hare. Skin a hare, wash it thoroughly and dry it, then cut it up into small pieces of convenient size. Put two ounces of dripping into a stewpan and when it is melted add the hare, two ounces of fat bacon (cut into small dice-shaped pieces), and one medium-sized onion (sliced), fry the meat (turning it frequently until it is evenly browned) ; then drain it on paper, and put it into a jar or gourmet boila. Stir the flour and cornflour into the pan in which the hare was fried, mixing the flour smoothly with the fat, and adding a little more if necessary; cook the flour for a few minutes, then add by degrees one pint of stock (made from the neck and trimmings of the hare) ; let it boil up and thicken and season with salt, spice, and pepper, add the celery seed, thyme, and parsley, the lemon juice and sufficient browning to make the sauce a rich brown; let it simmer for fifteen minutes and strain it over the meat. Put the cover on the jar and make it air-tight by sealing the edges with a soft dough made with flour and water. Place the jar in a moderately hot oven in a pan containing boiling water, and let the contents cook for three hours. Arrange the meat neatly on a hot dish and strain the sauce over it, and garnish with small fried balls of herb forcemeat, and serve with red-currant jelly. A glass of port, sherry, or claret, added to the sauce just before straining, will greatly improve the flavor. Braised Leg of Lamb.