With wings as swift as meditation”

CHICKEN EN CASSEROLE NO. 1

• 1 good-sized chicken
• 1 lb. sliced bacon
• 1 onion
• 3 tomatoes
• 3 celery stalks
• 5 mushrooms
• 2 pickled walnuts
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 pint (2 cups) stock
• 1 tablespoonful arrowroot
• Salt and pepper

Singe and draw the chicken, then truss it as for boiling, have ready a casserole large enough to hold the bird whole; line it with the bacon, put in the chicken, sprinkle in salt, pepper, and the onion chopped fine. Then arrange round the chicken the tomatoes skinned, the celery, mushrooms and walnuts chopped, and the bay leaf; add the stock, place the casserole in the oven, let it cook gently for one and a half hours, basting the chicken frequently.

When ready, remove the bay leaf, brown and thicken the gravy with the arrowroot, leave all the vegetables in the gravy with the chicken, and serve hot in the casserole.

A turkey may also be prepared in this way.

• 1 large chicken or turkey
• 3 tablespoonfuls olive oil
• 2 heaping tablespoonfuls (2 ozs.) butter
• 2 heaping tablespoonfuls (2 ozs.) flour
• 1½ pints (3 cups) chicken stock
• Salt and pepper to season
• 1 tablespoonful kitchen bouquet
• 1 cupful chopped oysters

Singe, draw and cut the fowl into neat joints, removing the skin and as many small bones as possible.

Heat the oil in a frying-pan, lay in a few pieces of chicken at a time, and fry until the meat looks white on each side. Turn frequently but do not let them brown.

Take out and drain on paper. Add a little more oil if necessary, until all the pieces have been cooked. Blend the butter and flour in a saucepan over the fire: when smooth stir in the stock, and continue stirring until it cooks for five minutes.

Add the kitchen bouquet and the seasonings. Strain the sauce into a casserole, add the chicken, arranging the pieces so that they are level at the top, cover closely with a sheet of buttered paper, and put on the casserole lid. Cook in a moderate oven for an hour or until ready. About fifteen minutes before serving uncover and add the oysters scalded and cut into halves.

• 2 young chickens
• 3 pints (6 cups) water
• 1 onion
• Salt and pepper
• 3 heaping tablespoonfuls (3 ozs.) butter
• 2 dozen olives
• 1 tablespoonful capers
• 1 oz. (1 heaping tablespoonful) flour

Prepare the chickens and cut them into joints, then put them in a casserole with the water, salt, pepper, and onion.

Cook slowly till tender. Lift out the pieces of chicken and drain and dry them, then fry them in the butter till they are brown.

Stir the flour into the casserole, add a pint of the water in which the chickens were cooked, the olives, chopped, capers, and seasoning of salt and pepper.

When quite smooth add the chickens and serve when hot.

GOOSE DEVILED EN CASSEROLE

• 1 goose
• Potato stuffing
• 4 tablespoonfuls vinegar
• 1 tablespoonful white pepper
• 2 tablespoonfuls made mustard

After cleaning the goose and wiping it well with a damp cloth, plunge it into a saucepan of boiling water, and boil gently for one hour. Take it from the saucepan, drain well, and wipe it very dry.

Fill the body and neck with potato stuffing, truss and sew up, lay it in an earthenware pan, and roast in a very hot oven, allowing twenty minutes to every pound.

Mix the vinegar, pepper, and mustard together, pour them over the goose, and baste it frequently. An old goose that can be cooked in no other way may be so dressed, two hours being allowed for the boiling instead of one hour.

To make the potato stuffing: Cook one chopped onion in a quarter of a cupful of salt pork cubes until brown, then add two cupfuls of hot mashed potatoes, salt and pepper to taste, half a teaspoonful of poultry seasoning, one tablespoonful of chopped parsley, and one cupful of cooked sausages cut in pieces. Mix thoroughly, then stuff the goose with the mixture.

GUINEA FOWL EN CASSEROLE

• 1 large guinea fowl
• 1 onion
• 4 tablespoonfuls cream
• A bunch herbs
• 2 celery stalks
• 2 heaping tablespoonfuls (2 ozs.) butter
• 2 heaping tablespoonfuls (2 ozs.) flour
• ½ pint (1 cup) white stock
• 1 blade mace
• 6 whole peppers
• 2 slices carrot
• ½ pint (1 cup) milk
• Salt and pepper

Draw and truss the guinea fowl; then put it into a casserole with sufficient hot water to cover, then bring to the boil, and simmer gently until the bird is cooked. Take it up and let it cool.

Measure half a pint of the water the guinea fowl was boiled in. Put this into a pan with the milk, add the onion, mace, carrot, herbs, celery, whole peppers, and the stock; bring slowly to boiling point; then simmer for ten minutes.

Melt the butter, stir in the flour, then stir in the boiling stock. Cook slowly for ten minutes, season with salt and pepper, add the cream.

Cut the guinea fowl into neat joints. Put these into a casserole, strain the sauce over, put it on the fire, and heat up; make quite hot without boiling.

Serve in the casserole.

JUGGED HARE

• 1 hare
• 1 carrot
• 1 onion
• 1 turnip
• 2 celery stalks
• Small bunch parsley
• Small piece lemon rind
• 3 allspices
• 1 clove
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and pepper
• Stock
• 1 tablespoonful flour
• 1 blade mace
• 4 tablespoonfuls water
• 1 tablespoonful red currant jelly
• 1 tablespoonful Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoonful mushroom ketchup
• 1 tablespoonful lemon juice
• 2 wineglassfuls port wine
• 12 small forcemeat balls

Skin the hare after taking out the inside, wipe the hare thoroughly, but do not wash it, cut it into neat joints, dust a little flour over them, and fry them in smoking hot fat till browned. Drain them and put them into an earthenware jar with the vegetables cut into small pieces, the bay leaf, lemon rind, mace, clove, allspices, salt and pepper; fill up the jar with boiling stock, let it simmer for two or three hours, according to the size of the hare; when cooked, take out the pieces of hare, warm them to prevent their getting dry; mix the flour with the water, add it to the blood and the pounded liver, thicken the gravy with it, stir in the jelly, sauce, ketchup, lemon juice, and wine, strain on to the hare in a casserole, put in the forcemeat balls that have been fried in smoking hot fat; heat and serve.

QUAILS EN CASSEROLE

• 6 quails
• 2 heaping tablespoonfuls (2 ozs.) butter
• ¼ pint (½ cup) red currant jelly
• ½ lemon
• ¼ lb. preserved cherries
• 1 wineglassful port wine
• ½ pint (1 cup) stock
• ½ orange rind
• Salt and pepper to season

Prepare and truss the quails. Melt the butter in an earthenware pan; when hot, put in the birds, and brown them all over.

Cover with the lid, and put into a moderate oven till ready.

Lift out the quails and keep hot. Drain the fat from the pan, add the stock, wine, and orange rind.

Simmer for ten minutes, then stir in the jelly. Put in the quails for ten minutes; season with salt, pepper, and the strained lemon juice.

Before serving remove the orange rind and add the cherries.

Serve hot.

RABBIT EN CASSEROLE

• 2 rabbits
• 2 sliced onions
• 2 celery stalks
• 1 cupful chopped carrots
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 heaping tablespoonfuls (2 ozs.) butter
• 2 heaping tablespoonfuls (2 ozs.) flour
• 1 pint (2 cups) hot water
• ½ pint (1 cup) cold water
• 1 tablespoonful Worcestershire sauce
• 12 stoned olives
• 1 tablespoonful capers
• 2 tablespoonfuls dripping
• Salt and pepper

Skin and joint the rabbits, then put them into an earthenware pan, add the onions, celery, carrots, bay leaf, dripping, and cold water.

Simmer for thirty minutes, then remove the rabbits. Add the butter and flour to the pan, stir over the fire till brown, then add the hot water, stirring till smooth, add the salt, sauce, capers, olives, pepper, and rabbits.

Cover closely and bake for forty minutes.

RAGOUT OF DUCK

• 1 cooked duck
• 2 heaping tablespoonfuls (2 ozs.) butter
• 1 heaping tablespoonful (1 oz.) flour
• 1 pint (2 cups) stock
• 3 shallots
• A few sprigs of parsley
• 1 teaspoonful lemon juice
• Salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoonful red currant jelly
• ½ teaspoonful meat extract
• Few drops kitchen bouquet

Cut the duck into neat joints. Melt the butter in an earthenware pan, toss the pieces of duck in it, then sprinkle in the flour, and fry it a light brown color; then add the stock, stirring it in smoothly. Add the parsley, lemon juice, shallots, jelly, kitchen bouquet, and meat extract.

Put on the lid and let it simmer for thirty minutes. Season it nicely. Pin a napkin round the casserole and serve it hot.

SQUABS EN CASSEROLE

• 4 squabs
• 1 onion
• ¼ lb. raw lean bacon
• Bunch of herbs
• 1 tablespoonful chopped parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 blade mace
• Small piece lemon rind
• 1 heaping tablespoonful (1 oz.) flour
• 1 heaping tablespoonful (1 oz.) butter
• 1 pint (2 cups) stock
• 1 wineglassful Marsala wine
• Salt and pepper to season

Cut each bird in four pieces. Cut the bacon into small pieces and the onion into large dice. Melt the butter in a casserole, put in the bacon, onion, herbs, mace, parsley, and bay leaf, and fry them for five minutes, or till a good brown color.

Add the stock, and bring it to boiling point. Lay in the pieces of squabs and lemon rind, cover the casserole tightly, and allow its contents to simmer very gently for one hour. Next skim it well, remove the squabs, and strain the stock. Put the squabs back in the casserole. Mix the flour smoothly and thinly with a little cold water, add it to the stock, and strain both over the squabs.

Put in the wine and a good seasoning of salt and pepper. Allow the gravy to boil for five minutes to cook the flour, and serve it in the casserole. The wine may be omitted.

SQUIRRELS EN CASSEROLE

• 3 squirrels
• ½ lb. chopped salt pork
• 1 cupful chopped onions
• 1½ cupfuls sliced parboiled potatoes
• 1 cupful green corn
• 1 cupful lima beans
• 4 quarts (16 cups) boiling water
• 1 quart (4 cups) peeled, cut tomatoes
• 1 tablespoonful sugar
• 1 tablespoonful salt
• 4 heaping tablespoonfuls (4 ozs.) butter
• 2 heaping tablespoonfuls (2 ozs.) flour
• Black and red pepper to taste

Clean, wash, and joint the squirrels. Lay them in salted water for thirty minutes. Put the ingredients into a large casserole in the following order: First a layer of the pork, then one of the onions; next, of potatoes; then follow with successive layers of corn cut from the cob, the beans, and the squirrels. Season each layer with black and red pepper. Pour in the water, put on the cover, and seal with a paste made of flour and water. Cook gently for three hours, then add the tomatoes, sugar, and salt. Cook for one hour longer; stir in the flour and butter mixed together, boil for five minutes, and serve in the casserole.

• 2½ lbs. venison
• 10 whole peppers
• 12 tiny white onions
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tablespoonful chopped parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoonfuls (2 ozs.) butter
• 1½ pints (3 cups) stock
• 2 heaping tablespoonfuls (2 ozs.) flour
• 12 mushrooms
• 2 pickled walnuts
• Salt and pepper
• A bunch of herbs
• 3 wineglassfuls port wine

Cut up the venison into square pieces; put them into an earthenware jar, add the clove of garlic, bay leaf, peppers, a pinch of salt, and one glassful of the wine. Let this marinade remain for six hours.

Drain the pieces of venison and dry them. Melt the butter in a casserole, put in the venison, and fry for ten minutes; then add the flour, and mix well; add the wine and the stock, stir till it boils, draw to one side of the fire, add the herbs, the onions, peeled, salt and pepper to taste, and pickled walnuts.

Simmer for forty minutes. Ten minutes before serving add the mushrooms. Remove the herbs before serving in the casserole.