943. Raised Pie

Take the bones out of a pheasant, two partridges, one hare, two rabbits; have ready some good forcemeat, with truffles and mushrooms; get a stewpan; and suppose you have the case of your pie, line your stewpan with a thick slice of fat ham, have your birds stuffed with good forcemeat, and truffles, and mushrooms, lay them alternately, white and brown meat, with a boiled tongue in the middle. After being trimmed and got ready, use your seasoning between each layer as before, when all in cover it with slices of fat ham, put in a little second stock, cover your stewpan and put it in a slow oven to stew for two or three hours until well baked. Before it is cold place it tightly, as it now is, into the prepared baked raised pie case, but first remove the hot fat ham, then strain off what remains in the stewpan, take off all the fat, season it a litte more, and add a little more good consomme, and boil it down a little with two glasses of port wine, then put it all in by degrees, gently raising the meat with your knife to sink well in amongst the meat, put to get cold, and when cold put either aspic jelly or consomme on the top.

You can place this all in the earthen or stone imitation pie shape; garnish with parsley, and be sure to press the meat when hot tightly in the dish, that it may cut firm when cold.

944. Raised Pheasant Pie Hot

Hang two pheasants five days, pick, singe, and cut them up and parboil them with some sweet herbs, make a raised crust four inches high and seven round, let it incline inwards at the middle all round, so that the top and bottom are wider than the sides; upon the bottom and sides spread a good godiveau or farce with two truffles minced small, upon this lay the legs and back of the pheasants, add five truffles cut in half, over these lay the fillets and breast, then another layer of truffles, then other portions of the bird, and continue alternately with truffles, until the whole of the birds are in the pie; pour upon them the herbs, etc, in which they were cooked, lay on two bay leaves and cover with slices of bacon, place a paste over the top ornamented to taste, dorez, i. e., wash over with well beaten yolk of egg and put it into a brisk oven, as soon as it is nicely coloured remove the top, and cut four pieces of paper nine inches round, put them in the place of the lid of the pie, let it bake an hour and a half, drain off the fat and pour in an espagnole with some minced truffles, glaze the crust and serve as quickly after taking from the oven as possible.

945. Rabbit Pie

Cut into quarters a couple of young rabbits; bruise in a mortar a quarter of a pound of bacon, with the livers of the rabbits, pepper and salt, a little parsley cut small, mace, and two or three leaves of sweet basil; beat them up fine, line your dish with a nice crust, put a layer of the seasoning at the bottom, and then put in the rabbit; pound some more bacon in the mortar, mis it with some fresh butter, lay it over the rabbits, and cover with thin slices of bacon; now put on the paste to form the top, and then place it in the oven. It will take two hours to bake. When done, take off the top of the pie, remove the bacon, skim off the fat, and, if required, add some rich veal or mutton gravy.