On Fri, 17 Oct 2003 22:58:00 GMT, jmarvell >
wrote:

>I was told of a method of hanging the rabbit or hare in a tree and allowing
>it to become fly-blown. Apparently, the flies and/or maggots eat the guts
>and when the flesh is almost green it is taken down, washed and cooked. This
>was told to me by someone who, many years ago, worked in a German-settled
>area of South Australia and this was how they did it there. I'm aware
>pheasant is hung and I was wondering if anyone could tell me about this
>practice.

Hanging game out to age in a cold, ventilated spot was/is an English
practice. Not gutting it, that I don't know, I woiuld think
putrifaction would set in from the bacteria and acids in the digestive
tract. You hang for the same reason you age beef, it allows enzymes
present in the meat to tenderize it, and it concentrates the flavor.

Maggots eat rotting flesh, so they would have a 'protective' effect -
that is, they would tend to scavange the meat that was starting to
really go bad.

I have a recipe from the 1780's for jugged hare. The name comes from
how it is prepared - slow cooked in an early version of a crockpot.


'Cut your hare into little pieces, and lard them here and there with
little flips of bacon. Season them with a little pepper and salt and
put them in an earthen jug, with a blade or two of mace, an onion stuck
with cloves and a bundle of sweet herbs. Cover the jug close, that
nothing may get in, and set it in a pot of boiling water and three hours
will do it. Then turn it out into the dish, take out the onion and
sweet herbs and set it hot to table.'