Clean, wash, and cut up a pair of young chickens. Lay in clear water
for half an hour. If they are old, you cannot brown them well. Put them
in a saucepan, with enough cold water to cover them well, and set over
the fire to heat slowly. Meanwhile, cut half a pound of salt pork into
strips, and fry crisp. Take them out, chop fine, and put into the
pot with the chicken. Fry in the fat left in the frying-pan one large
onion, or two or three small ones, cut into slices. Let them brown
well, and add them also to the chicken, with a quarter teaspoonful of
allspice and cloves. Stew all together slowly for an hour or more,
until the meat is very tender; you can test this with a fork. Take out
the pieces of fowl and put in a hot dish, covering closely until the
gravy is ready. Add to this a great spoonful of walnut or other dark
catsup, and nearly three tablespoonfuls of browned flour, a little
chopped parsley, and a glass of brown Sherry. Boil up once; strain
through a cullender, to remove the bits of pork and onion; return to
the pot, with the chicken; let it come to a final boil, and serve,
pouring the gravy over the pieces of fowl.