Cut up the rabbit (which should be young), remove the breast-bone and bone the legs.
Put the rabbit, slices of ham, forcemeat balls and hard-boiled eggs, by turns, in layers, and season each layer with pepper, salt, pounded mace and grated nutmeg.
Pour in about 300ml/½pt water, cover with a pastry crust, and bake in a well-heated oven for about 1½hour. Should the crust acquire too much colour, place a piece of paper over it to prevent it from burning.
When done, pour in at the top, by means of the hole in the middle of the crust, a little good gravy, which may be made of the breast and leg bones of the rabbit and 2 or 3 shank-bones, flavoured with onion, herbs and spices.
