100. Roasted Rabbit

Cut off the head, open and wash it clean, and fill it with a dressing made of bread crumbs, some onions finely chopped, pepper, salt, a little powdered mace, and as much butter as will cause the crumbs to adhere together; sew the rabbit up after the dressing is in, put it on a spit before the fire, and baste it with butter, whilst it is roasting. Or it may be put in a pan with a little water, and baked.

Make a gravy of a gill of water, an ounce of butter, an onion finely chopped, pepper, salt and mace to the taste.

Wine may be added, if preferred.

101. Baked Rabbit Pie

Cut a rabbit in pieces, wash it, and season it with salt and pepper. Nearly cover it with cold water, and stew it till it is tender, then add three ounces of butter rolled in flour. If it should not be seasoned sufficiently, add more pepper, as rabbits require more seasoning than many other kinds of meat.

Make a paste, butter your pie dish, and line the sides. Place the pieces of rabbit in the dish, and add just enough of the gravy to keep it from burning, then cover it with a lid of paste, leave an opening on the top, which may be ornamented with strips of paste, and bake it. It should be served in the dish it is baked in. Keep the remainder of the gravy hot, but do not let it boil or simmer, serve it in a gravy boat, or fill the pie with the gravy just before it is sent to the table.

102. Rabbit Pot Pie

Cut a rabbit in small pieces, season it highly with salt and pepper. Make a paste, line the sides of a pot with the crust, then put in the rabbit, with three ounces of butter cut up and rolled in flour. Roll out some of the dough, cut it in pieces about three inches square, and lay it in with the pieces of rabbit; pour in as much water as will cover it, roll out a sheet of paste and place on the top, leaving an opening in the centre. Cover the pot with the lid, and let it cook slowly till the rabbit is done.

If when your pie is nearly done, the gravy should not be thick enough, add a few more pieces of butter rolled in flour.

When the pie is done put the top or soft crust at the bottom of the dish, lay the rabbit on it, then place the brown crust on the top with the brown side up. Serve the gravy in a gravy boat.

103. French Stewed Rabbit

Cut a rabbit in pieces, wash it, and put it in a stew-pan with salt, pepper, a little mace, and a quarter of a tea spoonful of ground allspice; put in water enough to keep it from sticking to the pan; cover it closely and let it stew very slowly. When about half done add a quarter of a pound of butter, cut in pieces, and rolled in flour, and half a pint of claret wine. If the meat should not be seasoned enough, add more salt, pepper or spice. Rabbit requires a great deal of seasoning, especially pepper.

Serve it hot. This dish is much esteemed by many Americans.

104. Fricaseed Rabbit

Cut your rabbit in pieces, wash it and put it in a stew-pan with three gills of water, season it with salt, and very highly with pepper, a little mace, and powdered cloves; let it stew very slowly, and when nearly done add three ounces of butter rolled in flour. If you wish a brown fricassee the flour should be browned before it is rolled with the butter; if it is to be a white fricassee, after you stir in the flour and butter add a gill of cream.

105. Smothered Rabbit

Clean a rabbit, cut off the head, wash it well, and skewer it as if for roasting. Put it in a stew-pan with half a pint of water, some pepper, salt, mace, and cloves, and let it simmer very slowly; keep the stew-pan covered in order to retain the steam. When half done add a quarter of a pound of butter rolled in flour. If the water should stew away too much a little more may be added. Peel some onions and boil them till they are tender, drain and chop them fine, season with salt, pepper and butter to the taste. When the rabbit is done place it upon the dish it is to be served in, then put the onions into the gravy and give them one boil, pour them over the rabbit and serve hot.