IN THE KITCHEN.

Shannon News, 20 November 1928, Page 4

IN THE KITCHEN.

POULTRY AND GAME.

TO PBEPABE FOB COOKING.

To choose poultry: In an old bird the beak and breastbone are hard and rigid; in a young bird soft: and flexible. The feet and logs of an old bird aro rough and scaly; those of a young bird much smoother looking. The flesh

should be plump and firm to the touch. Judge if fresh killed by the eye, which / gets a sunken look if not fresh. Should smell sweet and wholesome. Plucking: Mpt people prefer to pluck the bird.-' while warm. Begin with the soft feathers under the wings and over the breast, then the back and up the neck. Take a few feathers at a time, arid be careful not to break the skin. If the birds’are long dead, plunging them in boiling water for a minute or two makes the plucking eas; ier. •

Singeing: Pass the bird over a gas flame or a flume from a lighted paper to singe' off the down and fine hairs. Wipe oyer with a cloth. Drawing: Cut the head off 2 or 3 inches from the .body. Split the skin, loosen it, and remove the neck where it joins the backbone. The flap of loose skin will cover the hole - made. Take out the crop. Insert the fingers at the neck, and carefully break and loosen the threads attaching the organs to the frame. Cut a piece off the vent and make a small cut across, insert the fingers and loosen the ,inside from this end; then carefully draw’ out the entrails, taking care" not to - break the gall-bladder attached, to the liver, or it will'give an unpleasant taste to the flesh. Wipe out, the fowl with a clean dump cloth. Trussing: For a roast fowl; cut off the toes at the first joint. Scald the legs in boiling water and peel off the scalded skin. If the fowl is at all old, break the bones of the leg halfway be-

tween the foot and the next joint,

twist till the skin breaks, and then with a skewer draw out the sinews. After the sinews are removed, cut the foot off at the break. Flatten the backbone if bent, with a rolling pin. Place the stuffing inside the neck ot crop’of fowls or turkeys, and inside the bodies of ducks and geese. Fold the flap of skin at the neck over the back- in such a way that' when-the skewer is run through the pinions it keeps both them and the flap in place. Press 5 -.the \ legs firmly downwards against the sides of the body. Bun a skewer between the folded bones of

the wings arid one through the points of the thighs- right through the body. Tie the ends of the legs and the tail- together, or skewer through the thick sinew at the back of the leg close to the joint, then through the thin bone at the end of the body. Skower the liver and gizzard each in a wing if liked. Dry and dredge with flour. Poultry may be larded if wished particularly nice. While roasting it must be well basted, or it will be dry. Boiled fowls: After drawing the

sinews cut off the ends of the broken bone. Loosen , the skin of the legs and body so that the legs may be pushed up inside the skin of the body. Tie the

legs to the tail under the skin. Draw the skin smoothly over and stitch. Truss as for roasting, tying instead of skewering. Fold in a buttered cloth. Ducks, geese, etc: Fold the wings as for fowls. The feet are well -washed, scalded, and scraped. The foot and leg are twisted round towards the body so that the foot lies on the back of the bird. /Skewer the leg into position. Game birds: Sometimes the head is left on, drawn to one side, and fastened with" the same skewer as the wings. Quails, snipe, etc., are often skewered with their own long bills, in which case gee that the bills are thoroughly cleaned. The time for cooking: This depends on the size and age of the birds.

Chickens take from 20 to 30 minutes. Fowls from’3o minutes to 1 hour. Game takes longer than poultry. Boning poultry: Use a sharp-point-ed short-bladed knife. Keep the point on the. bone and do not tear the flesh. The lingers are used a great deal, especially with small birds. The legs and wings of small birds are often

left whole and trussed as usual. To bone wild'ibirds and fowl begin by cutting off the legs and .wings where the flesh begins to be thick, remove the first and half the second bone. Cut off

the head above half way down to the body. Slit down the skin and remove the neck at the joint at the back. Take out the ''Merry thought” loosen the flesh till . the point of the wing is reached. Twist the wing and dislocato the joint. Separate the wing from the body. Push down the flesh and skin gradually, scraping and leaving the bony carcase intact. Treat the leg like the wing. Remove the tail part

and draw and sefape the flesh right off the carcase.- Turn the flesh inside out :and scrape the bones from the legs and the wings. Turn right side out and stuff.

For turkeys or larger birds the skin on the back it cut from the head to tail/ and the legs and wings are often left whblfi. It is stitched after,being stiritfed; For stuffing sausage meat or a whole tongue is often used to keep the shape as much as possible. Boast FowL Prepare for cooking as directed above. Baste well as the flesh is naturally dry. Serve with a good brown gravy and bread sauce. Mushroom, oyster, or egg sauce is frequently served with roast fowl. To prevent it getting too brown wrap, in greased paper. Cut'some slices of bacon and place inside the fowl when roasting. It* gives a good flavour and. helps to baste it inside. Boast Duck. Dueks should; hang a day or two before being dressed. Stuff with a sage and onion stuffing. If a pair are cook-ed-leave one unstuffed -as some people object to the flavour. Baste well and a few minutes- before; serving dredge with flour to. make them froth and.

look plump. Pour round, not over, a good brown gravy. Serve with green peas. :

Roast Goose.

Select a goose with white skin; plump breast* and yellow feet. When the bird is old the feet are red. Hang for a few days. Pluck and dress. Stuff with sago and onion stuffing. Baste Well. Serve with a good gravy, made from the giblets if liked; in a tureen. Roast Turkey.

Choose a cock turkey with short spurs and-black legs. Long spurs and pale rough legs show the birds are old. Hang for 4’or 5 days or longer in cold weather. Pluck and dress. Fill with a forcemeat as for fowls. Put the liver under one pinion, the gizzard under another. / Truss firmly with a needle and twine or skewers. Serve with good brown gravy, bread sauce and fried sausages or forcemeat balls. It may be stuffed with sausage meat or a whole tongue if liked. Plain Stuffing (tor Fowl, Veal, Fish). Required: Jib. beef suet, 1 dessertspoon parsley, 1 egg, 1 breakfastcup breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon salt. Mince the suet and parsley, mix with crumbs, pepper and salt. Moisten with a little stock or milk, and bind with a beaten egg.

A Richer Stuffing (tor Veal, Turkey, Hare, Fowl).

To the above add 2oz ham or lean bacon, the grated rind of half a lemon, 1 teaspoon minced herbs, a saltspoon pounded mace, and another egg instead of the stock or milk. Sage and Onion Stuffing. (For Ducks, Geese/ Pork.)

Required: 3 or 4 onions, 9 sage leaves, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 egg, 4 ozs. breadcrumbs, 1J oz. butter, .1 teaspoon pepper. Place the onions in boiling water and boil for about 10 minutes. Scald the sage loaves. Chop the onion and sage, very and mix with the other ingredients/ For poultry the liver may be simmered for a few minutes, chopped fine and added. Goose Stuffing.

Required: 3 laTge apples/ 3 large onions, boiled potatoes, 3 or 4 sage leaves, a little lemon thyme. Tie the hefibs in muslin and put them with the apples and onions in a pot, adding water to cover barely. Boil till soft enough to pulp. Remove the herbs and put the rest through a sieve. Add Well-mashed potatoes till it is of a proper consistency for stuffing. Season with popper and salt to taste.