the skin on; cut the legs off; then run the middle finger into the
inside, raise the skin of the legs, and put them under the apron of the
turkey, put the liver and gizzard in the pinions, turn the small end of
the pinions on the back, run a packing-needle with string through the
joint of the wing and middle joint of the leg, and through the body, and
out at the opposite leg and wing, bring it round and tie it on the back,
then run the needle and string through the ends of the legs or
drumstick, press it through the back, and tie strongly; it is then
ready. When the turkey is trussed, I then stuff it; and if I intend to
have oyster sauce with it, I chop about two dozen of them into small
dice and mix them with the stuffing, and place inside the breast. I then
rub the breast with half a lemon, and put it into a two-gallon pan, and
cover it with cold water, in which I add two ounces of butter, one ounce
of salt, four onions, a stick of celery, one carrot, two turnips sliced,
a large bouquet of parsley, two bay-leaves, two sprigs of thyme; set it
on the fire, when beginning to boil, skim it, let it simmer two hours,
or more if large; try the breast with a needle, if it goes in and out
easily it is done; take it out and set it on a dish to drain, remove the
string, serve on a fresh dish with a pint of good thick oyster sauce
over it; by omitting the oysters in stuffing, you may serve the turkey
with celery sauce, Jerusalem sauce, tomato ditto, mushroom ditto, or
good parsley and butter; and, as an accompaniment, a piece of about two
pounds of nice streaked bacon, which has been boiled with the turkey,
and from which you have removed the skin, and serve on some greens, or
Brussels sprouts, over which you have thrown a little salt, pepper, and
two ounces of oiled butter. You see, dear----, that this dish can be
varied without much expense and trouble; observe, that this way, the
broth is good for soup the same day, and by the addition of two pounds
of veal cut in small pieces, a quarter of a pound of lean bacon, one
onion, one blade of mace, one leek, a wineglass of water; put into a
separate stewpan, stew on fire till forming a white glaze, then add it
to the turkey when on the point of boiling; when done, skim off all fat,
pass it through a tammy or cloth; you may use it for any clear soup by
adding a little brown gravy or coloring, and also for any kind of
purée; or, by reducing it a little, make white or brown sauce, adding to
the last the proper color. I must observe, that this will be almost
impracticable when you have a party; the only plan would be to get the
turkey done one hour before you require it, keeping it hot with its
breast in some of the stock; but, as the broth will keep well in small
quantities, it can be reserved for the next day. That is my plan of
boiling, but the following is my new way of giving the flavor of
vegetables to all poultry, which is a decided improvement. The aroma
from the bird when the cover is removed is quite inviting, and the
appearance of it, which is as white as alabaster, and cuts also full of
juice: I call it--
358. _Roast Braised Turkey._--Peel and wash two onions, one carrot, one
turnip, cut them in thin slices, also a little celery, a few sprigs of
parsley, two bay-leaves, lay three sheets of paper on the table, spread
your vegetables, and pour over them two or three tablespoonfuls of oil;
have your turkey, or poularde, trussed the same as for boiling; cover
the breast with thin slices of bacon, and lay the back of the bird on
the vegetables; cut a few slices of lemon, which you lay on the breast
to keep it white, tie the paper round with string, then pass the spit
and set it before the fire; pour plenty of fat over to moisten the paper
and prevent from burning, roast three hours at a pretty good distance
from the fire; capons will take two hours, poulardes one hour and a
half, fowls one hour, and chickens half an hour. This way it may be
served with almost any sauce or garniture, as stewed peas, oyster sauce,
jardinière, stewed celery, cauliflower, stewed cucumbers, Jerusalem
artichokes, which should be turned in the shape of a pear: these should
be dished on a border of mashed potatoes; that is, an artichoke and a
Brussels sprout alternately, or a small piece of white cauliflower, and
a small bunch of green asparagus, or stewed peas, or stewed celery of
two inches long, never more, or any other vegetable according to season,
which taste or fancy may dictate. When I want to serve them with brown
garniture or sauce, I remove the paper and vegetables twenty minutes
before it is done, and give it a light golden color, then I serve it
with either a ragout financier, or mushroom or English truffle. I also
often stuff it thus: I put two pounds of sausage meat in a basin with a
little grated nutmeg; I then take two tablespoonfuls of chopped onions,
put them in a sauté-pan with a little butter, and let them do for two
minutes, which add to the meat, also two eggs well beaten up, and a
quarter of a pint of white sauce if at hand, and fifteen fine roasted
chestnuts; add this to the stuffing, and fill the bird as usual, not too
full at the breast; roast as above, giving half an hour longer for the
forcemeat, put a quart of demi-glaze and a glass of sherry in a stewpan,
reduce it to a pint and a half, add in it fifty button onions previously
stewed, and twenty-five roasted chestnuts; sauce under.
359. _Turkey, if old._--The French stew it exactly like the ribs of
beef, the receipt of which you have; but as this is a large "pièce de
résistance," I think I had better give it you in full as I do it:--Put a
quarter of a pound of butter into a convenient-sized stewpan, such as
will comfortably hold the old gentleman; cut one pound of lean bacon in
ten or twelve pieces for a few minutes in the pan on the fire, then add
your turkey trussed as for boiling, breast downwards; set it on a
moderate fire for one hour, and until it is a nice color, add two
tablespoonfuls of flour, and stir well round until it forms a roux, then
add two quarts of water or broth; when you have it on the point of
boiling, add fifty pieces of carrot the size of walnuts, the like of
turnip, ten button onions, a good bouquet of sprigs of thyme, two
bay-leaves, and ten of parsley, a small glass of rum, a clove, a piece
of garlic, and let it stew gently for four hours. If you use water,
season in proportion. Take your turkey out, and put the vegetables and
sauce in a smaller stewpan, which ought to be nearly full; let it simmer
on the corner of the fire, so that the fat rises and may be removed, and
reduce it to a demi-glaze, dish up your turkey and serve with the sauce
over it; small new potatoes, about twenty, when in season, may be added
to the sauce or roasted chestnuts. The remains are excellent when cold,
or will warm again with the addition of a little broth or water. The
series of entrées will contain the dishes made from the remnants of the
foregoing receipts.
FOWLS, in a general sense, mean all kinds of poultry, but, in a
limited view, mean one species of bird, which is exceedingly common
in all parts of Europe: there are an amazing number of kinds of
this species produced by crossing the breed; great attention having
been bestowed upon this subject of late years, that it is quite
impossible to say which is the best. They are not originally
natives of England, but were found there by the Romans, having
probably been brought by the Phoenicians. We distinguish this
kind in cookery as the chicken, capon, pullet, cock, and hen.
Chickens from their age cannot be otherwise but tender; capons
should have a fat vein on the side of the breast, thick belly and
rump, comb short and pale, spurs short and blunt, and legs smooth.
Pullets are best in the spring, just before they begin to lay.
Cocks should have their spurs short, legs smooth, and comb short,
smooth, and a bright color. Hens, legs and comb smooth, and full
breast. Black legs are best for roasting and entrées, and white for
boiling.
For preparing them for table, M. Soyer has invented a plan:--by
cutting the sinews of the bird, it not only appears fuller and
plumper when cooked, as the heat is liable to contract the sinews,
but it also affords facility for carving when the sinews are
divided; they are trussed in the usual way, only using string
instead of skewers. The following is the ordinary plan of
trussing--
_For Roasting._--Having emptied the fowl and cleaned the gizzard,
cut the skin of the wings, and put the gizzard and liver through
it, and turn the pinion under; put a skewer through the first joint
of the pinion and the body, coming out at the opposite side, and
bring the middle of the leg close up to it; run a skewer through
the middle of both legs and body, and another through the drumstick
and side-bone, and one through the skins of the feet, the nails of
which must be cut off.
_For Boiling._--Prepare as before; put the finger in the inside,
and raise the skin of the legs; cut a hole in the top of the skin,
and put the legs under; put the gizzard and liver in the pinions,
and run a skewer through the first joint; draw the leg close up,
and run a skewer through the middle of the legs and the body, tie a
string on the tops of the legs to keep them in their proper place.
360. _Poulards, Capons, and Fowls._--These are the best at nine and ten
months old; if after twelve or fourteen, are only fit to be stewed like
the turkey, No. 369, but in less time, or boiled in broth or sauces, but
when young serve as boiled turkey, No. 367. Roast, No. 365, less time,
but take care to do it well, as white meat with red gravy in it is
unbearable.
361. _Capon or Poulard roasted._--Prepare it as you would a turkey, and
it may be stuffed with the same kind of stuffing, tie over the breast a
large slice of fat bacon, about a quarter of an inch thick, and two
sheets of paper; ten minutes before being done, remove the paper and
bacon, dredge it, and put a piece of butter on it, so that it is of a
nice color, dish it up very hot with a gravy like the roast turkey.
362. _Capon boiled._--The same as the turkey.
363. _Capon or Poulard à l'Estragon._--I have been told many fanciful
epicures idolize this dish. The bird should be trussed for boiling; rub
the breast with half a lemon, tie over it some thin slices of bacon,
cover the bottom of a small stewpan with thin slices of the same, and a
few trimmings of either beef, veal, or lamb, two onions, a little
carrot, turnip, and celery, two bay-leaves, one sprig of thyme, a glass
of sherry, two quarts of water, season lightly with salt, pepper, and
nutmeg, simmer about one hour and a quarter, keeping continually a
little fire on the lid, strain three parts of the gravy into a small
basin, skim off the fat, and pass through a tammy into a small stewpan,
add a drop of gravy or coloring to give it a nice brown color, boil a
few minutes longer, and put about forty tarragon leaves; wash, and put
in the boiling gravy, with a tablespoonful of good French vinegar, and
pour over the capon when you serve it; by clarifying the gravy, it is an
improvement. All kinds of fowls and chickens are continually cooked in
this manner in France. They are also served with rice.
364. _Poulard with Rice._--Having been braised as before, have a quarter
of a pound of good rice washed, put in a stewpan, with a pint of broth,
three spoonfuls of the capon's fat from the stewpan, a bouquet of
parsley, let it simmer until it is tender, take the parsley out, add two
ounces of butter, a little salt, pepper, nutmeg, stir it round, or form
it into a delicate pulpy paste, lay some of it on a dish with the capon
on it, put the remainder round it, making it smooth with a knife,
leaving the breast uncovered; salamander the rice, and serve clear gravy
separate; sometimes I add a little curry powder in the gravy, and egg
and bread-crumb the rice, and salamander or make the rice yellow with
curry powder, and make a border of half eggs round the dish, it looks
well, and that is a great thing; and one fowl done thus will often go as
far as two plain. It is generally the custom with us to send either ham,
tongue, or bacon, as an accompaniment to poultry. I endeavor to vary it
as much as possible; the following is one of my receipts.
365. _Poulards or Capons, with Quenelles and Tongue._--When you are
either roasting or braising, you make about twenty quenelles with table
spoons, out of forcemeat of veal. Proceed and cook the same; when done,
make a roll of mashed potatoes, which put round the dish you intend to
serve it in, have ready cut from a cold tongue as many pieces of the
shape of the quenelles, warm gently in a little gravy, then put the
quenelles on the border; having cut a piece off the end, so that they
may stand properly, with a piece of tongue between each, put the fowl in
the centre, have ready made a quart of a new white sauce, which pour
over the fowl and quenelles, glaze the tongue, and serve very hot. I
found this dish at first rather complicated, but now my cook can do it
well without my assistance; it looks and eats well, but is only adapted
for a dinner of importance.
366. _The same with Cucumbers._--Cut about four nice fresh cucumbers
into lengths of two inches, peel and divide them down the middle, take
the seedy part out, trim the corners, put about thirty of them into a
stewpan, with two ounces of butter, a spoonful of eschalot, and the same
of sugar; lay on a very slow fire for half an hour, or till tender; lay
them on a border of mashed potatoes, with quenelles as above, and place
the tongue between; in another stewpan you have put a little butter, and
the trimmings of the cucumbers, then add a quart of white sauce, boil
and pass through a tammy, adding a little sugar, or other seasoning if
required, and finish with half a gill of good cream sauce over all
except the tongue, which glaze. Cauliflower, sprue grass, Jerusalem
artichokes, or Brussels sprouts, like the turkey, make excellent and
inviting dishes.
367. _Capon with young Carrots._--Scrape two bunches of young carrots,
keep them in their original shape as much as possible, wash them and dry
on a cloth, put them into a stewpan with two ounces of butter, a little
sugar, salt, and pepper, set it on the fire for ten minutes, moving them
now and then, add a quart of white broth, simmer gently until very
tender and it comes to a demi-glaze; dish the carrots on a border of
potatoes, the points towards the centre, cook some small button onions
the same way, but very white, and dress them alternately; mix the two
gravies together with a quart of demi-glaze, set it on the fire, boil
fast, skim it, when forming a bright thinnish sauce, pour it over the
capon and vegetables; it being served with a brown sauce, it ought to be
roasted brown like turkey (No. 355); turnips may also be added instead
of carrots, or both.
368. _Fowls, Italian way._--Prepare and cook the fowls as above, or
re-warm some that may be left, cut the remains of a tongue into pieces
one inch long and one quarter in thickness, cut three times the quantity
of plain boiled macaroni the same way, with a few mushrooms, and add the
whites of four eggs to it, with some broth and half a pint of white
sauce; when boiling, add a quarter of a pound of grated Parmesan and
half that of Gruyère, shake the stewpan so that the contents are well
mixed, add a little salt and cayenne, put fowl on dish, sauce over and
serve; or put the macaroni on the dish, mix bread-crumbs and a little
grated cheese together and sprinkle over it, put it into the oven until
it is a yellow-brown color, put the fowl on it very hot, and serve with
a little white sauce over, and a strong gravy separate.
369. _Fowl à l'Ecarlate._--Roast and braise two nice fowls, and boil a
fine salted tongue, which trim so as to be able to stand it in a dish,
when place it in the middle in a slanting position, place two fine heads
of cauliflower at each end, and make a pint of cream sauce, pour over
the fowl, and brocoli; glaze the tongue and serve. Fowls may be dressed
in any of the ways before described, and dished up thus.
GEESE.--We have now arrived at your favorite dish, or, as your
better half said on your return home from this, "What is better
than a goose stuffed with sage and onion!" Of course many persons
are of his idea, and I must say that I for one enjoy them
occasionally when in season; yes, indeed I do, and with the
original apple-sauce too; this last addition to our national
cookery must have been conferred on it by the Germans, who eat
sweets or stewed fruit with almost every dish; or, perhaps, from
William the Conqueror, who left his land of apples to visit and
conquer our shores; but never mind to whom we are indebted for this
bizarre culinary mixture, I sincerely forgive them, and intend to
have one for dinner to-day, which I shall have cooked as follows;
but I must first tell you how they should be chosen. The flesh
should be of a fine pink color, and the liver pale, the bill and
foot yellow, and no hairs, or but few, on the body; the contrary
will be observed in an old one, which will have the feet and bill
red.
370. _Goose (to truss)._--Having well picked the goose, cut the feet off
at the joint, and the pinion at the first joint; cut off the neck close
to the back, leaving all the skin you can; pull out the throat, and tie
a knot at the end; put your middle finger in at the breast, loosen the
liver, &c., cut it close to the rump, and draw out all the inside except
the soal,[6] wipe it well, and beat the breast bone flat; put a skewer
in the wings, and draw the legs close up, running a skewer through the
middle of both legs and body; draw the small of the leg close down to
the side bone, and run a skewer through; make a hole in the skin large
enough to admit the trail, which when stuffed place through it, as it
holds the stuffing better.
371. _Roast Goose._--Peel and cut in rather small dice six middle-sized
onions, put in a pan, with two ounces of butter, half a teaspoonful of
salt, a quarter ditto of pepper, a little grated nutmeg and sugar, six
leaves of fresh sage chopped fine, put on fire, stir with wooden spoon
till in pulp, then have the goose ready trussed as under, and stuff it
whilst hot, tie the skin of the neck to the back, pass the spit through
and roast two hours before a moderate fire; baste the same as turkey
(No. 355), give a nice yellow color, remove it from the spit, take off
the string, and serve with half a pint of good brown gravy under and
apple-sauce in a boat.
372. _The same, with another stuffing._--I have tried it with the liver
chopped and mixed it with the onions; I also at times add two cold
potatoes cut in dice and a spoonful of boiled rice; it removes the
richness of the fat, and renders it more palatable and digestive; and I
also sometimes add twenty chestnuts cut into dice. The giblets should be
stewed or made into pies. (See Receipt.) Where there is no gravy, broth,
or glaze, still gravy is wanted, therefore put into the dripping-pan a
teaspoonful of salt, half a pint of water, and dredge a little flour on
it; when the bird is done, pour the contents of the pan into a cup,
remove the fat, pour over the back of the bird, which serve on a very
hot dish as soon as taken from the fire.
373. _Goose roasted (another way)._--Having the goose ready the day
previous to using, take three cloves of garlic, which cut into four
pieces each and place inside the goose, and stuff it as follows; take
four apples, four onions, four leaves of sage not broken, four leaves of
lemon-thyme not broken, and boil in a stewpan with sufficient water to
cover them; when done, pulp them through a sieve, removing the sage and
thyme, then add sufficient pulp of mealy potatoes to cause it to be
sufficiently dry without sticking to the hand, add pepper and salt, and
stuff the bird, having previously removed the garlic, tie the neck and
rump, and spit it, paper the breast, which remove after it has been at
the fire for twenty minutes; when done, serve it plain with a thickened
gravy.
374. _Goose stewed._--If an old one, stew it with vegetables, as duck
(No. 378), only give it more time to cook. On the Continent they are
dressed in different ways, but which are too complicated for both our
kitchens.
375. _Goose Giblets, Ragout of, or of Turkey._--Put them into half a
gallon of warm water to disgorge for a few hours, then dry them on a
cloth, cut into pieces not too small, put into a stewpan a quarter of a
pound of good lean bacon, with two ounces of butter; when a little
brown, add your giblets, and fry for twenty minutes longer, stirring it
together; add a little flour, a good bouquet of parsley, twenty button
onions, same number of pieces of carrot and turnip, two saltspoonfuls of
salt, the same of sugar, stew together one hour until tender, skim off
the fat, dish up the meat, reduce the salt if required, take bouquet
out, and sauce over the giblets: both goose and turkey giblets take the
same time to stew. If any remaining, they will make a capital pie or
pudding, or merely warm up with broth or water, and a little flour.
376. _Preserved Goose for the Farm, or Country House._--In case you have
more geese in condition and season than what you consume, kill and cut
them up into pieces, so that there shall be as little flesh left on the
carcase as possible, and bone the leg; rub into each piece with your
fingers some salt, in which you have mixed a little saltpetre, put them
into an earthen pan, with some thyme, bay-leaf, spice, a clove of
chopped garlic, rub them for a couple of days, after which dip each
piece in water and dry on a cloth; when you have chopped fine and melted
all the fat you could get from the goose, and scraped a quarter of a
pound of fat bacon and melted with it, pass through a sieve into a
stewpan, lay the pieces in it, and bake very gently in a slow oven until
a stiff piece of straw will go through it, then lay it in a sieve; when
nearly cold put it in a bowl or round preserving jar, and press a
smaller one on the top so that it all forms one solid mass, pour the fat
over, when cold cover with a piece of bladder, keep it in a cold place,
and it will be good for months together, and is excellent for breakfast,
luncheon, or supper, having previously extracted the fat. Last winter I
kept some for three months quite sweet; having half a one left, I put it
by in the above way, bones and all, in a basin, and covered with the fat
produced with roasting, and put in the larder, and it was excellent.
Ducks may be served in the same way.
DUCKS.--There are several varieties of this bird, all, however,
originating from the mallard. There has not been that care and
attention paid to this bird as to the fowl; but I think it is well
worthy the attention of farmers, it being one which is exceedingly
cheap to rear; great care should be evinced in feeding it twelve
days previous to its being killed. Ducklings are considered a
luxury, but which, I think, is more to be attributed to their
scarcity than flavor. The drake is generally considered the best,
but, as a general rule, those of the least gaudy plumage are the
best; they should be hard and thick on the belly, and
limber-footed.
377. _Ducks roasted._--Prepare them for the spit (that is, the same as
geese, only leave the fat on), and stuff them with sage, onion, and
bread-crumbs, prepared as for the goose, roast before a very quick fire,
and serve very hot. There are many ways of cooking ducks, but this is
the plainest and the best.
378. _Stewed Duck and Peas._--Procure a duck trussed with the legs
turned inside, which put into a stewpan with two ounces of butter and a
quarter of a pound of streaked bacon let remain over a fire, stirring
occasionally until lightly browned, when add a tablespoonful of flour
(mix well) and a quart of broth or water, stir round gently until
boiling, when skim, and add twenty button onions, a bunch of parsley,
with a bay-leaf, and two cloves, let simmer a quarter of an hour, then
add a quart of nice young peas, let simmer until done, which will take
about half an hour longer, take out the duck, place it upon your dish
(taking away the string it was trussed with), take out the parsley and
bay-leaf, season the peas with a little pepper, salt, and sugar, skim
the fat, reduce a little if not sufficiently thick, pour over the duck
and serve.
379. _Duckling with Turnips_ is a very favorite dish amongst the middle
classes in France. Proceed as in the last, but instead of peas use about
forty pieces of good turnips cut into moderate-sized square pieces,
having previously fried them of a light yellow color in a little butter
or lard, and drained them upon a sieve, dress the duck upon a dish as
before, season the sauce with a little pepper, salt, and sugar, reduce
until rather thickish, a thin sauce not suiting a dish of this
description; the turnips must not, however, be in purée; sauce over and
serve.