3i8 THE COOKERY OF VENISON 



similar soups, and has not the rich flavour of the 

 Scottish purke de lievre, with its copious infusion of the 

 fresh blood. But venison plays a leading part in the 

 potage a la Meg Merrilies, for which we are indebted, 

 as Lockhart tells us, to the genius of the Duke of 

 Buccleuch's accomplished chefa M. Florence, an ex- 

 officer of the Grand Army, who devised it as a graceful 

 compliment to the author of ' Guy Mannering.' You 

 may use with the venison the shin of beef or the 

 scrag of mutton. Boil with carrot and turnip, parsley, 

 and peppercorns. Throw in anything you please in 

 the way of winged game, from muirfowl or snipe to 

 partridge or pheasant. Carve the birds in delicate 

 pieces and season with spices. Put the game to 

 the strained stock, with small onions, sliced celery 

 and sections of white cabbage, and let the vege- 

 tables simmer for half an hour before the game is 

 added. Wine to taste, as previously, though that 

 was no part of the savoury mess which gladdened 

 the soul of Dominie Sampson in the Kaim of Dern- 

 cleugh. 



We had almost forgotten the familiar hash, the 

 secret of which and three-fourths of the savour are in 

 the concoction of the gravy as already described. 

 The meat and the gravy in the saucepan must be 

 shaken frequently, and suffered to simmer slowly. 



