Potted Mushrooms

Large button mushrooms without any brown color inside them should be used, and about two quarts will be enough. Peel and remove the fur from the larger ones, put them all into a saucepan with one-half dram of powdered mace, two drams of white pepper and eight powdered cloves; place the pan over the fire and shake and toss it until the liquor from the mushrooms has all dried up. Then add two ounces of butter and cook until the mushrooms are well done; drain off the butter and leave until quite cold. Pack the mushrooms closely in an earthenware pot, pour over some warmed butter, cover with white paper, over this pour clarified beef suet to exclude the air, and set away in a cool place until wanted.

Potted Mutton

Chop up some cold cooked mutton, remove all the skin and sinew, and pound it in a mortar with half its bulk of cooked bacon. Season with allspice, salt and pepper to taste, place it in a jar in a saucepan of water and boil till the mass is warmed quite through. Take out the jar, stir frequently until the meat is nearly cold, squeeze it into small pots, let it remain for a day, then cover with clarified butter or hot mutton suet so as to exclude the air.

Potted Pheasant

Pluck and draw the pheasant, wipe it clean with a damp cloth, singe it, and season the inside with pepper, salt, cloves, beaten mace and grated nutmeg. Break the breastbones and flatten them down. Put the bird in an earthen bowl with a large lump of butter, and bake it for one hour. When cooled, drain the pheasant, and leave it till cold; then put it in a large jar, the breast downwards, and pour in clarified butter to one-half inch in thickness. Tie paper over the jar, and keep it in a cool place.

Potted Pigeons

Boil the livers and gizzards of some pigeons until tender, drain and chop them fine, make them into a forcemeat with grated ham, breadcrumbs, the yolk of a hard-boiled egg, and a seasoning of herbs. Stuff the pigeons with the forcemeat, put them into a stewpan with an onion, one-half pint of white wine, and the liquor in which the gizzards were stewed, add one ounce of butter that has been kneaded with a tablespoonful of flour, and cook slowly till tender. When cooked pack the pigeons in suitable pots; strain their cooking liquor, return it to the saucepan and boil quickly for a few minutes; then pour a little of it over the birds to level up, and when cold, cover the contents with warmed clarified butter.

Potted Rabbit

Draw, skin and clean two or three young rabbits, chop off the hind legs at the thigh, and put them together with all the flesh into a saucepan, packing them in as tightly as possible and sprinkling them with powdered mace and allspice, pepper, salt and cayenne to taste. Place several large lumps of butter on the top, which should be as flat as possible, cover with the lid, put the saucepan in a slow oven and bake gently for two hours and a half. Allow the meat to remain in the pan for two or three days, then put it into pots, cover the tops with hot butter, let this cool and the meat is then ready for use. The livers may also be added if desired and are an improvement.