449. Venison - The Haunch

"The observed of all observers," when venison: Epicureans sit at table; it is a joint, if properly kept, properly cooked, and served hot," which must prove delicious to the palate. It should always hang a considerable length of time, the delicacy of its flavour is obtained by hanging only, if it be cooked while fresh, it will not equal in any respect a haunch of mutton.

The haunch of venison, when about to be roasted, should be washed in warm milk and water, and dried with a clean cloth; if it has hung very long and the skin smells musty, it will be the safest plan to remove the skin and wrap the whole of the haunch in paper well greased with fresh butter; during the time it is at the fire, do not be afraid of basting it too much, it will require all the cook is likely to give it; if it be a buck haunch and large it will take nearly four lours within five or ten minutes; if comparatively small, three hours and a half will suffice; if a doe haunch, three hours and a quarter will be enough. Remove the paper when it is done enough, dredge quickly with flour to produce a froth. Dish it and serve, let there be nothing with it in the dish; but the gravy should be sent to table in its proper dish, accompanied by currant jelly. The haunch is not unfrequently roasted in a paste, which in its turn is enclosed in paper, removed when the joint is nearly cooked. The above is the simplest and not the least palatable mode of sending it to table.

443. How To Dress Venison

All venison for roasting should have a paste made of lard over it; after first having papered the meat with buttered paper, then your stiff paste upon the top of that, either dangle it or put it in a cradle spit; a few minutes before you require to take it up take off the paste and paper, baste it with some butter, salt it and flour it, when done give it a few more turns round, send it up very hot; your dish and gravy to be very hot also; any dry pieces and the shank you will boil down with a little brown stock for the gravy; send currant jelly in a boat, and French beans in a vegetable dish.

444. How To Hash Venison

Carve your venison into slices, let them be thin, and put them in a stewpan with two small glasses of port wine, add a spoonful of browning, one of ketchup, an onion stuck with cloves, and half an anchovy chopped small, let it boil, then put in your venison, make it thoroughly hot through. Lay sippets of toast, in various shapes in a soup dish, pour the hash upon it, and serve with currant jelly.

445. Hashed Venison

Cut and trim some nice thin slices of venison, fat and lean, have a nice brown sauce made from the bones in scrag of the venison, put the meat you have cut into this sauce with the gravy that has run from the venison, and a glass of port wine. Cut up some of the fat into pieces an inch thick, put the fat in a stewpan, and some hot stock upon them; when you have dished up your hash, which should be in a hot water dish with a holey spoon, take out the fat, and sprinkle it all over the hash; send up currant jelly.

446. A Shoulder Of Venison - Stewed

If you should have a very lean shoulder stew it in preference to roasting; bone it, cover it with slices of mutton fat, which sometimes are first steeped in port to give a richer flavour, roll it up and bind it tightly. Lay it in a stewpan with a quantity of beef gravy, and the bones you have taken from the venison, add. two glasses of port, a dessert-spoonful of whole pepper, and the same quantity of all-spice. Cover down closely, and simmer until, the venison is tender, take it out and remove the fat, thicken the gravy with flour and butter, and strain it over the meat.

447. Neck And Shoulder Of Venison

These joints, or as together they may be termed the haunch joint, may be dressed exactly like the haunch, covered with a thin paste, and greased paper over that, it will take two hours and a half, or very large, three hours; it should be served up with venison sauce.

448. How To Dress A Fawn Or Kid

They should be dressed as quickly after being killed as it is convenient. If they are full grown they should be roasted in quarters, but if very young may be dressed, trussed, and stuffed exactly as a hare; the quarters will be improved in flavour when the fawn is full grown, if they are covered with fat bacon, and basted as venison; serve venison sauce with it.