Rabbit In Aspic

(a recipe)

Take farmer's gun from the moss skin woodshed behind the trellis rot remains.

Grease the barrel with compound suet.

Load with pinprick leadshot.

Tramp bracken underfoot and clear the copse cursing.

Take aim.

Fire.

Tap last bolt of consciousness from the skull.

Peel the rodent.

Remove the head.

Cut slit above gaping neck vent and draw out innards.

Separate liver and gall bladder.

Hang for 24 hours.

Older rabbits should be braised or stewed.

Divide the rabbit into neat pieces.

Rinse mould with iced vim.

Harvest jelly from seasonal sap in the aspic arbor.

Line mould with flabby layer of cold, liquid aspic solution.

Allow 72 hours to set.

Fancify the jelly with hard-boiled egg yolk.

Arrange the rabbit, bacon striplets, and remaining egg in layers in the mould

interpsersing each layer with jelly.

Allow each inner layer to partially congeal before adding another.

Turn out the mould.

Garnish with hand-carved trysts of chutney and fig.

Serve cold on Delft or similar.

(next week: Gift Horse In Brine)