The following additional details are supplementary to what has gone before, and presuppose a careful reading of the preceding pages.

Game and all other kinds of fresh meat should be hung up till they have bled thoroughly and have cooled through and through — they are tenderer and better after they have hung several days. Venison especially is tough until it has hung a week. In no case cook meat until the animal heat has left it: if you do, it is likely to sicken you. This does, not apply to fish. Frozen meat or fish should be thawed in very cold water and then cooked immediately— warm water would soften it and steal its flavor.

All mammals from the 'coon size down, as well as duck and grouse, unless young and tender, or unless they have hung several days, should be parboiled (gently simmered) from ten to thirty minutes, according to size, before frying, broiling, or roasting. The scent glands of mammals and the oil sacs of birds should be removed before cooking. In small mammals look for pea-shaped, waxy or reddish kernels under the front legs and on either side of the small of the back.

As game has little natural fat, it requires frequent basting and the free use of butter or bacon grease in cooking.

Venison

(Deer of all species, elk, moose,, caribou).

30s.

Fried Venison

See page 291.

Boiled Venison

See page 292.

Roast Venison

See page 294.

Braised Venison

See page 296.

Baked Venison

See page 297.

Boiled Venison

See page 299.

Stewed Venison

See page 300.

Steamed Venison

See page 301.

Baked Deer's Head

See page 297.

Braised Bear

See page 296.

Fried Bear

See page 292.

Brains

Clean and wash them well. Fry; 01 boil slowly half an hour.

Brains And Eggs

Desiccated eggs will do as well as fresh ones. Soak them as directed on can.

Chop fine some bacon and enough onion to season. Dice the brains into about ^-inch cubes. Fry bacon and onion together until brown. Add the brains, and cook until nearly done; then add the eggs, beaten slightly, and fry until they are scrambled. Season with salt and pepper.

Heart

Remove valves and tough, fibrous tissue ; then braise, or cut into small pieces and use in soups or stews.

Kidneys, Fried

Halve them, slit twice the. long way on the inside, but do not cut clear through; leave the fat on the kidneys. Fry until all blueness has disappeared.

Kidneys, Stewed

Soak in cold water one hour. Cut into small pieces, and drop each piece into cold water, as cut. Wash well; then stew, seasoning with onion, celery (dehydrated), cloves, salt and pepper.

Liver

Carefully remove the gall-bladder if the animal has one — deer have not. Parboil the liver and skim off the bitter scum that rises. Slice rather thin; put one slice of bacon in the pan and fry from it enough grease to keep liver from sticking. Salt the liver and fry until half done; then add more bacon and fry all until done. Liver should be thoroughly cooked; if you put all the bacon in with it at the start the latter would be ruined before the liver was done.

Another way: cut liver into slices ^J-inch thick, soak it one hour in cold salt water, rinse well in warm water, wipe dry, dip each slice in flour seasoned with salt and pepper, and fry as above.

If in a hurry, put the liver on a green hardwood stick for a spit, skewer some of the caul fat around it, and roast before the fire.

Marrow Bones

Cover ends with small pieces of plain dough made with flour and water, over which tie a floured cloth; place bones upright in kettle, and cover with boiling water. Boil two hours. Remove cloth and paste, push out marrow, and serve with dry toast.

Milt (Spleen)

Skewer a piece of bacon to it, and broil.

Moose Muffle (Nose And Upper Lip)

Boil like pig's head. Add an onion.

Tongue

Soak for one hour; rinse in fresh water; put in a kettle of cold water, bring to a boil, skim and simmer two hours, or until tender. A blade of mace and a clove or two improve the gravy; so also Worcestershire sauce.

Croquettes

Two cups minced meat or game of any kind, 1/2 cup bread or cracker crumbs, 1 1/2 egg, melted butter. Roll meat, seasoning, and enough of the butter to moisten, into pear-shaped bails. Dip in beaten eggs and crumbs. Fry, with enough butter, to a nice brown.

Venison Sausages

Utilize the tougher parts of the deer, or other game, by mincing the raw meat with half as much salt pork, season with pepper and sage, make into little pats, and fry like sausages. Very good.

Game Pot Pie

Take 1/2 teaspoonful baking powder to 1/2 pint of flour, sift together, and add a teaspoonful lard or butter by rubbing it in, also a pinch of salt. Make a soft biscuit dough of this, handling as little as possible and being careful not to mix too thin. Roll into a sheet and cut into strips about 1 1/2 inches wide and 3 inches long, cutting two or three little holes through each to let steam escape. Meantime you have been boiling meat or game and have sliced some potatoes.

When the meat is within one-half hour of being done, pour off the broth into another vessel and lift out most of the meat. Place a layer of meat and potatoes in bottom of kettle, and partially cover with strips of the dough; then another layer of meat and vegetables, another of dough, and so on until the pot is nearly full, topping off with dough. Pour the hot broth over this, cover tightly, and boil one-half hour, without lifting the pot cover, which, by admitting cold air, would make the dough " sad." Parsley helps the pot, when you can get it.

Dumplings

These add zest to a stew or to boiled meat of any kind. Plain dumplings are made of biscuit dough or the batter of dropped biscuit (recipes in chapter on Bread). Drop them into the pot a short time before meat is done. See also page 358.