The animal should be chosen at the age of eighteen months to two years and a half, in order to have it savory and tender. The flesh is then excellent, however its quality depends principally upon its place of abode. Those with brown hair are better than those with red. Males over three years of age are unfit to eat in certain months of the year.

The meats of the kid or doe are also excellent after they have attained the age of nine or ten months. The parts generally used are those from the saddle, leg, baron (see mutton, Fig. 334, for the cuts), quarter, haunch, hip, cutlets and the racks from the fifth rib by the neck as far down as the tenderloin, the shoulders, tenderloins and breast. The saddle tenderloin and rack are larded. The haunch and quarters are marinated from two to ten days and are also larded, but if very fresh and tender venison is eaten without being marinated.

(2168). Loin Of Deer, Cherry Sauce (Longe De Daim, Sauce Aux Cerises)

The loin is the part of the deer beginning at the thick loin end and reaching as far as the first rib; remove the skin from the sirloin and put the meat into an earthen dish with a quart of vinegar and two gills of water, should the vinegar be too strong; adding whole peppers, salt, bay leaf, thyme and parsley leaves. Leave it to marinate for several days, then lard with medium lardons (No. 2, Fig. 52); lay it it in a baking pan, and pour over some fat; cook in a. hot oven and when three-quarters done season with pepper, salt, pour over vinegar, a little broth and gravy; when done dress and cover with the skimmed stock serving a cherry sauce (No. 447) apart.

(2169). Back Of Venison, Roasted Colbert Sauce (Carre De Chevreuil Roti, Sauce)

Have two racks of venison of seven ribs each, bone, suppress the shine bone (see drawing for rack of mutton Fig. 343); remove the skin covering the meat and lard with lardons (No. 3, Fig. 52); put them into a cold cooked marinade (No. 114) for six hours. Roast, dress on a hot dish, pour over the well-skimmed gravy from the dripping pan, to which clear gravy (No. 404) has been added, and surround with Marchioness potatoes (No. 2797) serving a Colbert sauce (No. 451) separately.

(2180). Jugged Venison (Civet De Chevreuil)

To jug venison use the breasts, neck, shoulder, and thick loin end (the shoulder and loin ends are to be larded through the meat with seasoned lardons (No. 2, Fig. 52). Cut the meats into pieces an inch and a half to two inches square, and for three pounds of it allow six ounces of unsmoked bacon cut in quarter-inch dice; fry the whole in butter, and when stiffened dredge with three table-spoonfuls of flour; let brown slightly, then moisten with six gills of red wine, and three gills of stock (No. 194a). adding a bunch of parsley garnished with thyme and bay leaf, some dry orange peel, a whole clove of garlic, and a seasoning of pepper and salt; cook slowly for one hour and a half, then put in three dozen small onions fried in butter, and three-quarters of a pound of small mushrooms; skim the fat from the surface, and add two gills of brandy, one gill of Madeira, and the strained juice of two lemons, or else three tablespoonfuls of good vinegar. Pile up the meats on a dish; season and reduce the sauce, suppress the parsley, and pour it over the meats; surround with heart-shaped bread croutons fried in oil, then serve.