[Illustration]
A boiled fowl's legs are bent inwards, but before it is served, the
skewers are to be removed. Lay the fowl on your plate, and place the
joints as cut off on the dish. Take the wing off, in the direction of
_a_ to _b_, in the annexed engraving, only dividing the joint with your
knife; and then, with your fork, lift up the pinion, and draw the wings
towards the legs, and the muscles will separate in a more complete form
than if cut. Slip the knife between the leg and body, and cut to the
bone; then, with the fork, turn the leg back, and, if the bird is not
old, the joint will give way. When the four quarters are thus removed,
take off the merry-thought from _a_, and the neck bones, these last by
putting in the knife at _c_, and pressing it under the long broad part
of the bone, in the line _c_, _b_; then lift it up, and break it off
from the part that sticks to the breast. The next thing is to divide the
breast from the carcass, by cutting through the tender ribs, close to
the breast, quite down to the end of the fowl; lay the back up, put your
knife into the bone, half way from the neck to the rump, and on raising
the lower part, it will readily separate. Turn the neck towards you, and
very neatly take off the two sidesmen, and the whole will be done. As
each part is taken off it should be turned neatly on the dish, and care
should be taken that what is left should go properly from the table. The
breast and wings are looked upon as the best parts, but the legs are
most juicy in young fowls. After all, more advantage will be gained by
observing those who carve well, and a little practice, than by any
written directions whatever.