238 THE RABBIT 



button-mushrooms ; take off the leathery skin and 

 stew them in veal gravy, with pepper, cayenne, mace, 

 nutmeg, salt, and a piece of butter rolled in flour or 

 arrowroot to thicken, as the abounding gravy of the 

 mushrooms makes this dish need a good deal of 

 thickening. Stew till tender, stirring them now and 

 then, and pour the sauce over the rabbits. Those 

 who like a high relish of mushroom may add a spoon- 

 ful of mushroom gravy, or the mushrooms may be 

 stewed in cream and seasoned and thickened as above.' 



It is a good sauce, but, far from needing to 

 strengthen the mushroom flavour, in our opinion it 

 is essentially too strong. It somewhat oppresses the 

 sweet simplicity of the rabbit, whereas, though it 

 may seem paradoxical, currying appears to elicit it. 

 This recipe is more suitable ; for celery is the most 

 harmonious of all concomitants, though it does not 

 come, like the onion, with a counterblast to provoke 

 a piquancy : — 



Wash, pare and slice the sticks of celery. Blanch 

 and boil and season with spices and pepper. Flavour 

 the sauce with an infusion of lemon, but be niggardly 

 with the condiments, which in excess must neutralise 

 the flavour of the celery, not to speak of outraging the 

 susceptibilities of the rabbit. 



Allusion to onions and sauces has tempted us on 



