Filets de Lapin as at Barcelona

From Georgiana Hill, The gourmet’s guide to rabbit cooking, by an old epicure (1859):

Take the fillets from a fine young Ostend rabbit (by the fillet is meant the thick part of the thigh, separated from the bone) cut the meat into slices, round ways, of about three-quarters of an inch thick; let them soak in a sufficiency of olive-oil, with a few fresh truffles, shallots, and parsley, all finely shred. Season with pepper and salt; let the fillets remain thus for two hours, then wrap each in a thin slice of bacon, with a share of the seasoning to every fillet; cover them with a sheet of white paper, and broil them for twenty minutes. When done take away the paper and bacon, and serve with lemon-juice squeezed over them and garnished with pickled capsicums.

Ostend rabbit was farmed rabbit from the Low Countries which became popular in London markets mid-century for its fine flavour, white flesh and low price, leading to a protectionist outcry from the British poacher.

Nothing is to be found in any of the usual places regarding Georgiana Hill, who appears to have been a rather special person. In Women in English society, 1500-1800 Mary Prior recounts what is known of a literary career which commenced with mass market cookery books, branched out into thoroughly researched niche publications in the same field, and culminated in a history of English dress and a proto-feminist history of women in English life. Unfortunately she doesn’t seem to have recorded other impressions of Barcelona or its cuisine, historically dominated by French and Italian example, whence bruschetta pa amb tomàquet, etc etc.

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