To make Rabbet-Surprize
Roast off two or three half-grown Rabbets, according to the bigness of your dish; cut off the heads, close by the shoulders, and the first joints of hind legs; then take out all the lean meat from the backbones, and cut it and toss it up as you are directed for Pullet or Chicken-surprize, which see in Letter C. Then take the like quantity of forc’d Meat and toss it up likewise, and place it all round each of the Rabbets, leaving a long trough in the back open that you think will hold the meat you cut out, with the sauce; then cover it with the same forc’d meat, smooth’d as well as you can with your hand and a raw Egg, square at both ends, throw on them a little grated Bread; then butter a Mazarine or Pattypan and take them from your dresser, where you form’d them, and place them on it. Bake them three quarters of an hour before you serve them, till they are of a brown colour. Let your sauce be butter, gravy and Lemon, and your garnishing sliced Orange and fry’d parsley. So serve it for the first course.
To dress Rabbets a la Saingaraz
Lard the Rabbets and roast them; then take some slices of a Gammon of bacon, beat them well toss them up with a little melted bacon and flour, put to them a bunch of herbs and some good gravy without any Salt in it; let all this stew together, put to it a little vinegar, and bind the sauce with a good Cullis, cut the Rabbets in quarters, lay them in a dish, take the fat of your slices of Bacon, lay them on the Rabbet, and pour the sauce upon them; so serve it.
We also dress Pullets, chickens and Pigeons a la Saingaraz, only we cut them not in quarters, but serve them whole.
To make Rabbets in a Pan
Cut them in quarters and keep the Livers. Lard the pieces of Rabbets with large Lardons well seasoned and with the lean of a Ham of Bacon. Garnish the bottom of a Pan with Bards of Bacon, and slices of Veal, seasoned with Salt, Pepper, herbs and Spices, sliced Onions, Carrots and Parsnips, Chives and Parsley. Place the quarters of the Rabbets in it, season and cover them in like manner as under them; put them into an oven, or bake them in a baking cover with fire over and under it. Make a Cullis with a piece of Veal and Bacon; cut them in slices; beat them, lay them in the bottom of a sauce pan, put to them an Onion, Carrot and parsnip cut in slices; cover your saucepan and set it over a gentle fire; when it begins to stick to the bottom of the pan put in a little melted Bacon, drudge it over with flour, stir it all together moisten it with half Gravy, half Broth, season it with some Mushrooms and Truffles cut in pieces, a little parsley, some whole Chives, and three or four Cloves; add some small crusts of Bread, and let it all simmer together; take the Livers of the rabbets, pound them in a mortar, thin them in a little of the liquor of your Cullis, and pour them into the saucepan to the Cullis; and heat them a little then strain the whole through a sieve into another saucepan. When the Rabbets are bak’d, take them up and drain them; put them into the cullis, and let them simmer over a little fire. When you are ready to serve, lay your Rabbets in a dish, pour the Cullis upon them, and serve them hot for the first course.
Baked Rabbets serv’d with Slices of Bacon
Bake your Rabbets as in the above Receipt. Make a Ragoo, otherwise call’s a Saingaraz with some sliced Gammon of Bacon; (see the Receipt for making it above in this article) take your Rabbets out of the pan and lay them a draining; then put them into the Saingaraz, let them simmer a little in it, lay them into a dish pour the saingaraz upon them and serve them for the first course.
We likewise serve these bak’d Rabbets with Ragoos of Cucumbers and Endive. Receipts to make them in Letter R. Article Ragoo.
Bak’d Rabbets with Truffles, or with Mushrooms
Your rabbits must be bak’d as above. Take some Truffles, or some Mushrooms, and toss them up in a saucepan, with a little melted Bacon; moisten them with Veal-Gravy and some essence of Ham, of each an equal quantity, and let them simmer in it a quarter of an hour, then take the fat clean off and bind them with a good cullis; take up the Rabbets, drain them, and set them to simmer in the Ragoo, either of Truffles or Mushrooms; when you are ready to serve, lay them handsomely in a dish, pour the Ragoo upon them, and serve them for the first course.
To boil Rabbets
Having truss’d them as for boiling, lard them with Bacon, and boil them white, when they are enough mince the Livers small with the fat of boil’d Bacon then put to it White Wine, strong Broth and Vinegar of all about half a pint. Boil these with some blades of Mace, Barberries, and a little minc’d Parsley, and put to these a ladleful of drawn butter; dish the rabbets on sippets, pour the sauce over them and garnish the dish with barberries and slices of Lemon.
To roast Rabbets
You should not spit them back to back, but skewer them side to side; and while they are roasting, boil some Parsley, mince it and the Livers very small, and mix them with melted Butter. When the Rabbets are enough, and laid in the dish, pour this sauce upon them. Or you may use a sauce made as follows. Mince the Livers with bacon and Beef Suet, thyme, Parsley, Sweet Marjoram and Savoury shred small with the Yolks of hard Eggs minced; boil all these together in strong Broth and Vinegar; put to it some drawn Butter, grated Nutmeg, and a little sugar. Garnish the dish with sliced Lemon.
To roast Rabbets with a Farce in the Belly
Take two couple of half-grown Rabbets and parboil them. Take the Livers and mince them with one Mushroom, one Truffle, a little Parsley and a few Chives; the whole season’d with Pepper, Salt and Nutmeg; add to it as big as your fist of scraped Bacon and pound it all together in a mortar; cut off the heads and first joints of the legs of the rabbets; stuff the bellies with some of the above farce, skewer them together two and two; bard them with slices of Veal, lean Ham and fat Bacon, wrap them up in a sheet of paper, put them on the spit and roast them; when they are ready, put some Cullis or Essence of Ham into a dish then take the Bards off from your Rabbets, lay them in the dish to your Essence, and serve them hot for the first course.
We likewise serve these roasted Rabbets with a sauce au Jambon, which see in Letter S –Sauces; but then before we lay them in the dish we cut them in two in the middle.
To pot Rabbets
Bone six Rabbets, and having minced the flesh very fine, season it high with pepper, Salt, Nutmeg and Mace; put it into a pot, laying Ham of Bacon between each layer of the rabbets, and fill up the pot with Butter; let it bake four hours, and when you take it out of the oven pour away the Butter it was bak’d with and the fat; then put the meat into a fresh glaz’d pot and cover it over an inch thick with clarify’d Butter.
To make an Escalope of Rabbets
An Escalope is a sort of Pupton but without any farce. Cut your Rabbets in quarters and stew them a la Braise, as you do several other things; then make a Ragoo of Veal Sweetbreads, Fowls Livers, Cockscombs, Morils, Mushrooms and Truffles; toss them up all together in a saucepan with melted Bacon; moisten it with Gravy, and let is simmer half an hour; then take the fat clean off, and bind it with a Cullis of Veal and Ham; take up your stew’d Rabbets and put them into your Ragoo where let them lie till they are cold; raise a pie of thin Paste, and put your cold Ragoo and Rabbets in it, cover it with a lid of the same paste, and turn down the edges that the top may be as plain as the bottom; so set it into the oven; when it is bak’d turn it upside down into the dish, make a hole in it to see if it be dry; and if it be, pour some good Cullis, and serve it hot for the first course.
We make Scopes of all sorts of Fowls, tame and wild, first stew’d a la Braise with Ragoos in the same manner as this of Rabbets.
The Reader is desired to take Notice that there are many Receipts for Ragoos, scatter’d up and down in this Book, and not particularly mention’d in this Article, but which he may readily find by having Recourse to the Table.
To make a Ragoo of Slices of Ham of Bacon
Cut some little slices of a Ham of Bacon, beat them well, and lay them on the bottom of a stewpan; lay a dish upon them, and set them over a stove with a very slack fire. When they begin to stick to the stewpan, put in a little flour, and keep them moving over the fire; moisten them with a little Veal-Gravy that has no Salt in it, season them with pepper and a bunch of Herbs, and let them simmer over a little fire; take care your Ragoo be not too Salt, and bind it with a Cullis of Veal and Ham. Serve it in plates or little dishes, and use it for garnishing any dish of the first course in which there is any Bacon.
To make Ragoo of Veal Sweetbreads
Wash the Sweetbreads well, and blanch them in boiling water, then put them into cold Water, when you take them out, lay them on a linen cloth, dry them well, put them in a saucepan with a little melted Bacon and a bunch of Herbs season them with Salt and Pepper; add to them some small Mushrooms and slic’d Truffles. Having toss’d up all this over a stove, moisten it with Gravy, and make it simmer over a gentle fire. When they are done enough, take off all the fat, and bind the Ragoo with a Cullis of Veal and Ham; so serve it in plates or little dishes; we use it likewise for garnishing all dishes that are stew’d a la Braise.
A Ragoo of Lamb Sweetbreads is made in the same manner.
To make a Ragoo of Palates
Boil some Palates of Oxen, take off the uppermost skin, clean them all round, cut them in slices, and put them into a saucepan with a little melted Bacon, a bunch of herbs and some Mushrooms; having toss’d up all this over a stove, moisten it with Gravy, season it with Salt and Pepper, and stew it over a gentle fire. When it is enough, take the fat clean off, bind it with a Cullis of Veal and Ham, or else of Partridges, and serve it in plates or little dishes.
To make a Ragoo of Cocks-combs
Pick and clean them well put them into a sauce-pan with a little melted Bacon, some Mushrooms and Truffles cut in slices, and a bunch of herbs; season all this with Salt and pepper, and having toss’d it up over a stove, moisten it with good gravy, and set it to simmer over a slack fire; when it is enough take off all the fat, thicken it with a Cullis of Veal and Ham; so serve it in plates or little dishes.
This Ragoo serves likewise to garnish all dishes, of the first course, that are stew’d a la Braise.
To make a Ragoo of Fat Livers
Take some fat Livers of Capons or other fowls, cut off the galls, and blanch the Livers in boiling water, then put them into cold water; next toss up in a saucepan with a little melted bacon, some Button Mushrooms, some sliced Morils and Truffles, a bunch of Herbs; the whole being season’d with salt and pepper. When you have toss’d them up, wet them with gravy, and set them to simmer as you do other Ragoos. When they are about half done too much. At length bind them with a Cullis of Veal and |Ham; then take up the livers, lay them handsomely in a dish, pour the garnishing upon them, and serve them hot in plates or little dishes.
To make a Ragoo of Asparagus Tops
Cut off the green tops of your Asparagus and blanch them; then put them into a saucepan with some thin cullis of Veal and Ham, together with a little of the essence of ham, and set them to simmer over a gentle fire; when they are done enough, set the saucepan over a kindled stove and when the cullis is as much wasted away as it ought, throw in the bigness of a large Walnut of Butter work’d up with a little flour; keep it moving till the butter is melted, then put in a drop of Vinegar; so dish it up and serve it in plates or little dishes.
To make a Ragoo of Cardoons
Pick and clean the cardoons make a white water, take a pot big enough to boil them in, fill it half full of the water, and set it over a kindled stove with a lump of butter work’d up with a little flour, two or three slices of fat bacon an onion stuck with Cloves and some Salt; when it boils put in the Cardoons; and when they are little more than half boil’d take them up and set them a draining; then put them into a saucepan with a thin Cullis of Veal and Ham, and make them just simmer over a slack fire; when they have sinmer’d so long as to be thoroughly done, set the saucepan over a quick fire that the cullis may boil away; and when it is wasted away as it ought to be, put in as big as a walnut of butter, work’d up with a little flour, and keep it moving; when the butter is melted, dish it up handsomely and serve it hot in plates or little dishes.
Note: We make a Ragoo of the stalks of Cardoons, as also of Roman Lettice in the same manner as we do a Ragoo of Cardoons.
To make a Ragoo of the stalks of Purslain
Take the stalks of Purslain and cut them in pieces as long as your finger, pick them well, and half boil them in a white water in like manner as is directed in the above Receipt for Cardoons; when they are well blanch’d rake them up and set them a draining then put them into a saucepan with a thin Cullis of Veal and Ham, and a little essence of Ham, so make them simmer over a slack fire, when they are done enough, set the saucepan over a brisk fire to diminish the Cullis; then put in a lump of butter, as big as a large Walnut, work’d up with flour; and when it is melted, add a little Vinegar, and serve them as in the last Receipt.
To make a Ragoo of Sorrel
Pick the Sorrel very well and nip off the stalks. Set over a stove a saucepan half full of water; when it boils, put in the Sorrel to scald it; take it out again immediately and set it a draining, squeezing it hard as you do Spinage. When is it well squeezed put it into a saucepan, moisten it with a thin cullis of Veal and Ham, season’d with Salt and pepper, and set it to simmer over a gentle fire; when it is done enough, put to it a little of your essence of Ham, and use it for all the dishes of meat, in the dressing of which you use any Sorrel.
To make a Ragoo of Endive
Take the whitest Endive, pick it, and blanch it in boiling Water, then put it in cold water; take it out and squeeze it well; lay it on a table and give it two or three cuts with a knife; put it into a saucepan, moisten it with a thin cullis of Veal and Ham, and make it simmer over a slack fire; if it be not thick enough, when it is stew’d add to it a little of the same Cullis and Essence, and serve it in all the dishes in which you sue any endive.
To make a Ragoo of Cabbage-Lettice
Take the whitest Cabbage-Lettice and having blanch’d them in scalding water, take them out of it and put them into cold; then squeeze them as dry as you can, and take off all the green cut them in small slices, and toss them up in a saucepan with a little melted Bacon, a bunch of Savoury herbs, and season the whole with Salt and pepper. Put to them some Veal Gravy and Essence of Ham, and let them simmer in it; then take off all the fat, and bind the Ragoo with a Cullis of Veal and Ham. Use them in all sorts of dishes, either roasted or stewed, in which you have made use of Lettice.
To make a Ragoo of Selery
Pick your Selery and put it to boil in a white water; when it is enough take it up, squeeze it well, put it into a saucepan with a thin Cullis of Veal and Ham, and make it simmer in it over a gentle fire; when it is enough thicken it over a stove with as big as a Walnut of Butter, worked up with a little flour, then put in a drop of vinegar and serve it in plates or little dishes. We use it besides in all our great dishes in which we employ any Selery.
To dress a Cabbage in Ragoo
Cut a Cabbage in two in the middle, and blanch it; then squeeze out the water, tie it about with packthread, and stew it a la Braise. The manner of this is so frequently mention’d in the Receipts that we forebear to repeat it in this place. When it is stew’d take it up, drain it well, and untie the pack-thread, cut it in little slices into a saucepan put to is some Cullis of Veal and Ham, in which make it simmer as usual; when it is done enough, thicken it with a good Cullis and Essence of Ham; and serve it with all dishes of the first course, either roasted, boil’d or stew’d, in which it is proper to use Cabbage.
To make a Ragoo of Onions
Take three or four dozen of onions and stew then a la Braise over hot embers; then peel them, put them into a saucepan, and set them a simmering in some Cullis of Veal and Ham. When your Ragoo is enough done, bind it with some Cullis and mustard, and serve it in all the several dishes with which it is proper to eat Onions.
To make a Ragoo of Colly-flowers
Pick and clean them well; boil them in white water, but take care of boiling them too much; for they must not be too tender; take them up and set them a draining; then put them into a saucepan with some thin cullis of Veal and Ham, and let them simmer in it as usual; when they have simmer’d a while, set them on a stove over a brisk fire; thicken them with a Lump of Butter, as big as a walnut, work’d up with a very little flour, then sprinkle on them a drop or two of Vinegar and serve them in plates or little dishes.
To make a Ragoo of Cucumbers
Pre half a dozen Cucmbers, cut them in two long-ways and take out the seeds; then cut them in little slices, season them with Salt, Pepper, and a little Vinegar, put to them two or three Onions cut in slices, and let them marinate in this for two hours; then dry them in a Napkin. Take a saucepan with a little melted Bacon, set it over a stove, put in the cucumbers, and having toss’d them up in it, moisten them with gravy and set them to simmer over a slack fire. When they are enough, take all the fat clean off, bind your Ragoo with a cullis of Veal and |Ham, see it be well relish’d and use it with all manner of meats, either roasted or others, in which cucumbers are proper.
To make a Ragoo of Truffles
Having peel’d your Truffles and cut them in slices, wash and drain them well; put them into a small saucepan with a little essence of Ham, and set them to stew gently over a slack fire; when they are enough, bind them with a good Cullis, and serve them in plates or little dishes.
To make a Ragoo of Truffles, for Fish Days
After having peel’d, cut, wash’d and drain’d your truffles, as in the last Receipt, put them into a saucepan with a little fish broth, season’d with Salt, pepper and a bunch of Savoury Herbs, and stew them over a gentle fire; when they are enough, bind them with some Cullis of Crayfish, and serve them in plates or little dishes.
To make a Ragoo of the Milts of Fish for Flesh Days
Blanch the Milts of your fish in boiling water, then take them out and throw them into cold; toss up in a saucepan, with a little melted Bacon, some small Mushrooms, some truffles cut in slices, and a bunch of herbs; season the whole with pepper and Salt, moisten it with Veal Gravy, and set it to simmer as usual. When they are done enough, take the fat clean off, bind your Ragoo with a Cullis of Veal and Ham; then put in your Milts of Carps, and make them simmer over a gentler fire; See that your ragoo be well reslish’d dish it up handsomely and serve it in plates or little dishes.
The same for Fish Days
When they are blanch’d and thrown into cold water as in the last Receipt, put some Butter in to a sauce-pan with a very little flour and brown it; put into your Brown, some small Mushrooms and sliced Truffles and toss them up over a stove; then moisten them with good fish broth, season’d with Pepper, Salt and a bunch of Herbs, and let them simmer over a gentle fire. This done, take off the fat, and put in the Milts to simmer as above; when they are enough done, bind your Ragoo with a Cray fish or other meagre cullis, and serve it in plates or little dishes.
To make a Ragoo of Pikes Livers
Having cut off the Galls, blanch the Livers and throw them into cold Water; then having toss’d up some Mushrooms and Truffles put in your Livers with some good Fish Broth, and observe the same directions as in the foregoing Receipt for making a Ragoo of Milts.
To make a Ragoo of Morils in Cream for Fish Days
Having taken off the stalks of your Morils, cut them in two; and wash them in several waters that they may not be gritty. Put a piece of Butter into a saucepan, set it over a stove, and put in the Morils, season them with Salt, Pepper, a bunch of herbs and a little shred Parsley, and toss them up over the stove; then moisten them with some good fish broth, and set them to simmer over a slack fire. Meanwhile make a thickening with the Yolks of two or three Eggs in beaten up in Cream; being your Ragoo with it and serve it hot in plates or little dishes.
Note: that a meagre Ragoo of Mushrooms is made in the same manner.
To make a Ragoo of Cardoons for Fish Days
Pick your Cardoons and boil them in a white water; meanwhile get ready a sauce as follows: put a piece of fresh Butter into a saucepan with half a spoonful of flour, some Salt, pepper, and a little Nutmeg; put to this a drop or two of vinegar and a little water, and half a ladleful of Crayfish or other meagre Cullis. Take up the Cardoons, drain them well, and put them into the saucepan among the sauce; keep them stirring over the stove till the sauce be thicken’d then serve them in plates or little dishes.
Note: We make meagre Ragoos of Colly-flowers and Selery of the stalks of Cardoons and of Roman Lettice in the same manner.
To make a meagre Ragoo of Cray fish
When your Crayfish are boil’d pick out the tails, and lay them on a plate with some small Mushrooms and some Truffles cut in slices; toss them all up in a saucepan with a little butter; moisten them with good fish broth; and when they have simmer’d a while, take off the fat from your Ragoo, thick it with a Cullis of Crayfish, and serve it in plates or little dishes.
Is a certain sauce that we serve with any Fish that are pickled or eaten cold; it is composed of Parsley, Chives, Anchovies and Capers shred very small, with a little Salt, Pepper, Nutmeg, Oil and Vinegar, or juice of Lemon, all mix’d well together; after we have dish’d up our fish, we pour this sauce upon them.
Take two or three Cabbage-Lettice or Roman Lettice, wash them clean and swing them, to get out the water; then begin at the open end, cut them crossways as fine as a thread, and lay a bed of it an inch thick on the bottom of a plate or little dish; take two cold, roasted Chickens or Pullets, and cut the flesh of the Breasts and Wings in slices three inches long, as thin as a knife, and a quarter of an inch broad, lay it all round on the top of your Lettice and the one end out to the brim of your plate, the other end to the middle. Take six Anchovies from the bones, cut each in eight slices, and lay them all round betwixt your bowl; then take the lean meat of the legs of your Pullets or Chicks and cut it in small dice, with a Lemon cut in dice likewise. Mince the Yolks of four hard Eggs a little Parsley and three or four Anchovies; make this in a round heap in the middle, like the top of a sugar loaf; then garnish it with small Onions, as big as Yolks of Eggs, boil’d in a good quantity of water, very white and tender; put the biggest of your Onions on the middle of your minc’d meat, on the top of your Salmigondin, the rest all round the brim of your plate, as thick as they can lie one by another. So serve it for first or second course. Just as you send it up, beat up some oil and Vinegar, Pepper and Salt, and pour all over it. But this is commonly done at table. You may garnish this Salmigondin with some Grapes, just scalded or with French Beans blanch’d or station-flowers; or you may put under it instead of Lettice a little small Sallading.
Or this
Mince very fine two boil’d or roasted chickens, or Veal, which you like best; mince also very small the Yolks and the whites of hard Eggs, each by themselves. Shred also the pulp of Lemon very small; then lay in the dish a layer of the minced meat, a layer of the Yolks, and then a layer of the whites of Eggs; over which a layer of Anchovies, and on them a layer of the shred pulp of lemon, next a layer of Pickles, then a layer of Sorrel, and last of all a layer of Spinage and Cloves, or of Shallots shred small; having thus filled the dish, set an Orange or lemon on the top and garnish with scrap’d horse-radish, Barberries and Slices of lemon; let the sauce be oil beat up thick with the juice of Lemons, Salt and Mustard. We serve this dish in the second course, or for a side dish, or a middle dish for supper.
