The Saddle Of Venison

This is, perhaps, the most distinguished venison dish.. Make rather deep incisions, following the grain of the meat from the top, and insert pieces of pork about one-third of an inch square, and one inch and a half or two inches long; sprinkle over pepper, salt, and a little flour. Roast or bake the venison before a hot fire or in a hot oven, about two hours for an eight-pound roast. Baste often. Serve a currant-jelly sauce in the sauce-boat.

A good accompaniment at table for a roast of venison is a dish of potatoes à la neige (see page 192), the dark meat and white potatoes forming a pretty contrast.

Roast Or Baked Haunch Of Venison

Cut off part of the knuckle-bone, round it at the other ex-tremity, sprinkle over pepper and salt, and cover the whole with a paste of flour and water or coarse corn-meal; tie firmly a thick paper around. Place it near the fire at first to harden the paste, basting well the paper to keep it from burning; then remove it a little farther from the fire. Have a strong, clear fire. It will take about three hours to roast this joint, at the end of which time remove the paste. Carême would glaze it. This is, after all, a simple operation. It is a stock boiled down to a firm jelly, the jelly melted, and spread upon the meat with a brush. Put some frills of paper around the bone, and serve currant-jelly with it. If it be baked, the paste should cover it in the same way. It would also take the same length of time to cook.

The neck of venison makes a good roast also.

How To Broil Venison Steaks

Have the gridiron hot; broil, and put them on a hot dish; rub over them butter, pepper, salt, and a little melted currant-jelly. Some cooks add a table-spoonful of Madeira, sherry, or port to the melted currant-jelly.

If one does not wish to serve the jelly, simply garnish the dish with lemon-slices.

Stewed Venison

Cut it into steaks; spread over them a thin layer of stuffing made with bread-crumbs, minced onion, parsley, pepper, salt, and a little pork chopped fine; now roll them separately, and tie them each with a cord; stew them in boiling water or stock. Thicken the gravy with flour and butter mixed (see roux, page 51), and add one or two spoonfuls of sherry or port wine.