MEATS, POULTRY AND GAME EDOUARD PANCHARD MEATS, POULTRY AND GAME How to Buy, Cook and Carve With a Potpourri of Recipes BY M. EDOUARD PANCHARD MANAGING CHEF FOR L. M. BOOMER, PRESIDENT AND MANAGING DIRECTOT OF HOTEL McALPiN, WALDORF-ASTORIA, CLARIDGE, CAFE SAVARIN AND FIFTH AVENUE RESTAURANT, NEW YORK, AND BELLEVUE- STRATFORD HOTEL, PHILADELPHIA. HONORARY LECTURER, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY With a Preface by A. LOUISE ANDREA GOLD MEDALIST IN COOKERY, PANAMA-PACIFIC INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION: OFFICIAL LECTURER ON CULINARY TOPICS, NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION, 1918 NEW YORK E. P. BUTTON & COMPANY 681 FIFTH AVENUE COPYRIGHT, 1919, BY E. P. DUTTON & CO. All Rights Reserved Printed in the United States of America DEDICATED TO Herbert OL AS A SINCERE TRIBUTE TO HIS SELF-SACRIFICING DEVOTION, TIRELESS EFFORTS AND REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENTS PREFACE IT is generally conceded that really well roasted or broiled meats afford the most savory and whole- some viands possible. Yet, as we all know, a good roast or a perfect broil is a rarity the broil a mis- demeanor usually and the roast a reflection upon the perpetrator. And all because of lack of knowl- edge as to specific cooking times and details of treatment those apparent "trifles which make perfection." Obviously, directions have been needed regard- ing this important matter a world-wide need in fact, for even in some of the best Parisian restaurants the Ros Bif Anglais has been merely good material mistreated. The directions are here at last. Le voild! A book authoritative; showing how to select meats, poultry and game and instructing exactly as to the proper roasting and broiling thereof, written by that renowned master of the culinary art, M. Edouard Panchard. What a boon this book will prove to the chef, to the hostess and to house- keepers everywhere! ix x PREFACE As a most useful and valuable corollary, Mon- sieur Panchard has provided specific instructions as to carving; and the accompanying illustrations showing just how all meats, poultry and game should be carved will enable anyone to acquire and immediately this practical accomplishment of which the great Chateaubriand said "A good carver is one of the world's artists and in social life so welcome to the hostess that she blesses him on behalf of her guests and herself." The potpourri of choice recipes originated by M. Panchard, included in the volume, deals with rechauffee and other dishes, serving as guide and inspiration for both cooks and housewives, and with such recipes to refer to, there will never be excuse for monotonous or mediocre meals. A. LOUISE ANDREA. CONTENTS PAGE Preface (by A. LOUISE ANDREA) .... o ... ix Part I. How TO BUY, COOK AND CARVE. Introduction ..... .... = .. 1 Chapter I. The Selection ... .5 Chapter II. The Art of Cooking . Chapter III. Serving and Carving 83 Part II. A POTPOURRI OF RECIPES. Introductory Remarks Soups 110 Fish Salads . .... 118 Sauces - 118 Poultry ... 122 Meats ...... Garnishing 131 Desserts 132 Roasting Time-table 134 ILLUSTRATIONS EDOUARD PANCHARD Frontispiece PAGE PRIME RIBS OP BEEF, BONED, ROLLED AND TIED INTO SHAPE . . 8 PRIME RIBS OF BEEF IN ROASTER 10 ROASTED TENDERLOIN OF BEEF, GARNISHED 14 TENDERLOIN OF BEEF, SHOWING LARDING 16 SHORT LOIN OF BEEF, READY FOR OVEN 19 LOIN OF VEAL, TIED INTO SHAPE, READY FOR ROASTING ... 22 CROWN OF LAMB, STUFFED, READY FOR ROASTING .... 26 LEG OF LAMB, SHOWING BONE LEFT IN, READY FOR OVEN . . 28 SHOULDER OF LAMB, READY FOR OVEN 31 ROASTED CROWN OF LAMB, DECORATED AND GARNISHED . . . 34 LEG OF LAMB ROASTED, GARNISHED AND DECORATED .... 37 CARVING LEG OF LAMB 40 SADDLE OF MUTTON, ROLLED AND TIED 43 CARVING CROWN OF LAMB . . 46 LOIN o* PORK IN PAN, READY TO ROAST 49 TURKEY PREPARED FOR OVEN 52 DUCK, LARDED READY FOR OVEN 58 PARTRIDGE READY FOR ROASTING, SHOWING LARDING PORK . .61 CUT FROM RUMP, READY FOR OVEN 69 SPRING CHICKEN SPLIT, READY FOR BROILING 74 PHEASANT LARDED, READY FOR OVEN 78 TENDERLOIN OF BEEF, SHOWING PORTION CARVED . 82 CARVING PRIME RIBS OF BEEF .85 PRIME RIBS OF BEEF, GARNISHED, READY TO SERVE . . 87 TURKEY, GARNISHED FOR TABLE .... .92 CARVING ROAST TURKEY .95 BROILED SPRING CHICKEN, GARNISHED . .99 CARVING BROILED CHICKEN 101 BROILED CHICKEN CARVED FOR SERVING . . 104 xin MEATS, POULTRY AND GAME PART I HOW TO BUY, COOK AND CARVE INTRODUCTION OF paramount importance is the selection and purchase of food stuffs for the table. Intelligent catering and marketing mean quality and fresh- ness that cannot be assured if the buying is simply considered from the standpoint of convenience. The essentials for the daily meals are necessarily determined by the resources and stocks of the grocers and butchers, and while orders for groceries of standard brands may safely be given to the clerk who calls upon the housewife, or even by telephone, fish, meats, poultry and perishable food stuffs should be personally inspected and a selection made accordingly. Owing to the recently developed interest in cookery, and as a result of popular articles deal- 2 MEATS, POULTRY AND GAME ing with foods and nourishment, the old-fashioned and very commendable custom of going to market is being generally revived and market wisdom is assuming the status that it occupied as one of the fashionable and sterling accomplishments of our grandmothers. To know how to select to the greatest advantage, every day in the year, the best that the market affords, is of far greater importance, both from the standpoint of the physical well-being of the family, and from that of conserving the family income, than is commonly supposed. Yet many women in their everyday routine are very careless and indifferent concerning these matters. But every housekeeper becomes more or less solicitous concerning her catering upon occasion of giving a breakfast, luncheon, or dinner-party, or even a family meal at which guests are to be entertained. The instinct of hospitality impels most persons to feel that nothing is too good for the invited guest; yet the best intentions of the housekeeper who habitually entrusts the choice of meats, poultry, and game to the butcher, and of vegetables to the green-grocer, are often unhappily defeated by the dealer's carelessness or by her own inability in an emergency to recognize the best, so as to insist upon having it. Every woman, out of regard for the welfare of her family, should do her own mar- keting. But certainly the woman who entertains HOW TO BUY, COOK AND CARVE 3 should cultivate this practice, and the nice skill in catering that it gives will add immeasurably to the success of her dinner-parties and other entertain- ments. Not many housekeepers give enough thought to the characteristics of the various cuts of meat re- sulting from their natural relation to the living animal. Indeed, the cook or the carver who knows just what part of the living animal is represented by the piece before him, or what relation the bone in a steak or roast sustains to the animal's skeleton, is doubtless the very rare exception. Yet nothing could be simpler than to familiarize oneself with the various cuts of meat, as exemplified in the accompanying plates, or to identify these upon the butcher's counter. Indeed, any housekeeper can readily arrange, by appoint- ment with the butcher, to be at hand when the lat- ter is cutting up a side of beef, veal, mutton, or pork, and thus receive without expense a practical demonstration of the art of meat cutting. The method of cutting the various sides of meat has been described on another page. It is sufficient in this place to discuss the special characteristics by which the best grades of meat may be recog- nized when marketing, and the qualities of the various cuts from the standpoint of catering, es- pecially for dinner-parties and other entertain- ments. 4 MEATS, POULTRY AND GAME Full directions for cooking the various meats and meat dishes are also given herein, but it seems desirable to give in this connection certain sugges- tions of special interest to the woman who enter- tains. CHAPTER I THE SELECTION How to Buy Beef BEEF is a staple article with the butcher and the housekeeper the year round, for not only is a fresh supply constantly coming into the market, but a surplus is always kept in cold storage. Lamb and veal are especially seasonable in early Spring and Summer, mutton and pork in late Fall and Winter; but beef of good quality may be had at any time, and may be served with good taste at any season of the year. Beef is affected as to quality by several condi- tions, such as the breed of the animal, the manner of feeding, the amount of exercise, the age when killed and the length of time the meat is allowed to cure before being used. The beeves from the ranges of the West and Southwest commonly known in America as Western or Chicago beef- are to be preferred, as a rule, to local beef; indeed, there is very little of the latter nowadays in the American market. A grass-fed steer, allowed to 5 6 MEATS, POULTRY AND GAME range on the open plains so as to receive a moder- ate amount of exercise, yields, in general, the best beef, as these conditions make the animal healthy and give the meat the finest flavor; but the stall- fed steer also develops beef of good quality. The age of the animal at killing for prime beef is four years, but the beef continues to be good up to the eighth year of the animal's age, after which it is likely to become tough and stringy. Both the flavor and texture of beef are very much improved by hanging, that is, being kept as long a time as possible before using. The objects of hanging are to allow the skins to dry, thereby closing the pores so as to exclude the germs that cause decay and to allow the muscular fibers and other tissues to relax and soften. To accomplish these results a side of meat should be hung up (never laid flat on a table or shelf) either in the open air which is to be preferred in a hot, dry climate or in cold storage. The larger the side or cut, the longer it may be safely hung before being used and for this reason the heaviest sides of Western beef are quite commonly shipped to England, where the market demands large cuts with a "high" flavor resulting from long hanging. To select good beef, one should preferably go to the butcher-shop and inspect the meat in the full side, or at least before the cut is trimmed, and should require the cut selected to be set aside and Q 1 Q W I HOW TO BUY, COOK AND CARVE 11 trimmed in one's presence. The beef from a me- dium sized carcass, weighing eight hundred to nine hundred pounds, is likely to be best. The side or cut should be medium fat, not over fat, but cer- tainly not lean. With the aid of a little experience anyone can learn to distinguish between the fine texture and bright color of young beef, and the coarse, dry texture and dark color of the older animals. The flesh in healthy young beeves is firm and of fine texture; the color of the lean meat, bright red, that of the fat, yellowish white. But observe that a dark color in beef may be a mere surface dis- coloration due to exposure to the air, which may be trimmed off, leaving the rest of the cut entirely acceptable for use, or it may be an indication that the beef is old, or even tainted. The difference can easily be detected when the cut is trimmed. One may judge the quality of beef not only by the thickness of the layer or fat underlying the skin and about the kidneys, but also by the extent to which the meat is "marbled," i.e., shot through with yellowish white streaks and spots of fat. The portion of any animal that gets the least exercise is naturally the finest, both in texture and flavor. Hence the portion of all animals surround- ing the backbone contains the choicest cuts, and is preferred to the limbs, neck, and similar pieces. In the beef, the choice cuts are the prime ribs, 12 MEATS, POULTRY AND GAME commonly served as roasts, and the Delmonico, porterhouse, sirloin, and tenderloin cuts, which may be served either in the form of roasts or steaks. The chuck or shoulder clod and the rump, round, and top sirloin, stand next in order of general de- sirability. When the beef carcass is first divided into halves, the backbone is split lengthwise so that the cuts taken from the portions surrounding the backbone including the rib roast, the Delmonico, the porterhouse, etc., each contain a triangular piece of bone, representing one-half of the animal's vertebrae. The side is next divided into quarters, called the fore and hind-quarters, of which the muscles of the former having received more exer- cise are coarser and tougher than those of the latter. By reference to the accompanying illustra- tions the sections of bofle~fhat are found in the various cuts of beef can be readily identified. From the standpoint of economy, it is apparent that, in general, the amount of bone in the cut should be small in proportion to the amount of meat. But in this connection the table given elsewhere, showing the relative amount of bone in the dif- ferent cuts of meat, should be consulted. HOW TO BUY, COOK AND CARVE 17 Cuts Fashionable and Serviceable Perhaps the most fashionable cut of beef for a dinner-party is the fillet roast, i.e., the entire tender- loin detached from the backbone and roasted. The fillet should be cut from a young, fat beef, and should be well marbled with fat. But since the fillet is essentially a piece of lean meat, it is cus- tomary to lard the tenderloin by drawing ribbons of fat pork through the upper surface by means of a larding needle a hollow implement designed expressly for this purpose in such wise as to leave both ends protruding. The larding can be seen in the accompanying illustration of carving the tenderloin. The fillet or tenderloin of beef is, in the opinion of many, greatly over-rated. For, although the tenderest of all cuts of beef, it is neither as juicy nor as rich in flavor as the rest of the loin. When planning for a fillet roast, it is sound economy to buy the entire loin, i.e., the Delmonico and porter- house cuts or such part of them as may be neces- sary to secure a filet of the described size remove the tenderloin for the fillet roast, and reserve the rest to be served as steaks, or to be roasted subse- quently. The thin end of the tenderloin, extend- ing toward the rump, is less desirable, and would better be omitted, unless a very large fillet is desired. 18 MEATS, POULTRY AND GAME Next to the tenderloin, the short loin including the porterhouse, and Delmonico cuts makes the tenderest roast, and excels the fillet in flavor. This cut makes an excellent roast for the family dinner to which one or more guests are invited. The short loin may be prepared for roasting in either of two ways, with or without the bone. Many hostesses prefer to have the bone removed to facilitate carv- ing, in which case the butcher should be instructed to this effect when the roast is ordered. How Much to Buy In buying a roast, allow about one pound, or slightly less, for each adult member of the com- pany. That is, order a roast of from four to six pounds for a dinner party of six people. To pre- pare the rib roast, or similar roast of beef, for a dinner-party, first make ready the roast as shown in the accompanying illustrations, or request the butcher to do so, and lay it in the dripping-pan upon the rack or trivet, as illustrated. Add salt, pepper, and unless the meat is very fat, a few drippings or pieces of fine fat. Put the skin side down and set the meat in a very hot oven, so that the fierce heat may sear and hold the juices in the lean part. When this part becomes brown, show- ing that the meat has become seared, baste with the fat, and reduce the heat. For a dinner-party or HOW TO BUY, COOK AND CARVE 23 company dinner, beef should be roasted rare, the condition of beef roasted to a turn being indicated by the expression, "the blood should follow the knife." Veal The subject of veal is of very slight importance from the standpoint of catering for entertainments, as roasts of veal are rarely employed for this pur- pose, and perhaps never except from the stand-^ point of economy. Veal is very much inferior to beef, both in flavor and in nutritive qualities, being immature at best, but the quality depends largely upon the age of the animal when killed, and the manner of feeding. The flesh of the calf killed under four weeks of age "bob" veal should never be used for food, and six to ten weeks of age is preferable as the time for killing. Veal should be very fine grained, tender, and either clear white or slightly pinkish in color. If the flesh is flabby, watery, and gray or bluish in color, the meat is immature and unwholesome. The skin should be very dry and white rather than of a grayish color. Veal is not very fat, as a rule, but there should be some fat to indicate that the animal has been properly nourished. The method of cutting up a side of veal is sufficiently shown in the illustration. The principal roasts are the loin and the shoulder. 24 MEATS, POULTRY AND GAME The loin of veal is prepared for roasting by being rolled up with the kidney in the center, and either tied with cord or fastened by means of skewers, after the same fashion as boned roasts of beef. The shoulder, or even the entire fore-quarter, is so small that it can be easily boned and rolled for a roast. A shoulder of veal weighs about ten pounds and makes a suitable roast for twelve or more people. These various roasts are sometimes served at in- formal family dinners, but are not usually regarded as suitable for formal meals or preferred when guests have been invited. The leg of veal is usually divided into cutlets. The loin or rack is frequently divided into chops. The loin of veal is carved precisely as the tender- loin or Delmonico roasts of beef, except that, being the entire joint, the roast is placed upon its side, with the backbone next the platter. The slices are cut vertically across the grain and then detached by cutting with the point of the knife along the bone. The shoulder of veal is usually boned and stuffed and is carved in the same fashion as the short loin, rump, chuck and similar cuts. While veal is seasonable in many markets the year around, the quality, as a rule, is best in the Spring and Summer. It is usually in its prime in May. m HOW TO BUY, COOK AND CARVE 29 Lamb and Mutton From the standpoint of catering for entertain- ments, lamb and mutton rank next after beef in order of interest and importance, the leg of lamb, the crown roast, and the loin roast being esteemed as delicacies suitable for the most formal entertain- ments. The earliest, or so-called hot-house lambs, come into the market toward the end of Winter, weighing about twelve or fifteen pounds. Around Easter time comes the so-called Easter lamb, weighing fifteen to twenty pounds. These are followed by the Spring lamb, weighing eighteen to twenty-four pounds, during the months of May, June and July. Spring lamb is at its prime in the latter part of June and July and continues in the market until about September. After that, the animal being a year or more old, its flesh is known as mutton. Young lamb meat has a characteristic pinkish color, which gradually deepens and becomes red in mutton. While spring lamb is esteemed as a great delicacy, it is, like veal, relatively immature meat, and is less digestible, less nutritious, and by no means equally as well flavored, in the judgment of epicures, as good mutton. Mutton, moreover, is much less expensive than lamb, is more economical to carve and serve, and, from the standpoint of family means, is more desirable in every way. For 30 MEATS, POULTRY AND GAME formal entertainments and company dinners, how- ever, the more delicate young lamb is advisable. The best young lamb is from a carcass of me- dium weight, of fine, firm texture, clear pink in color, and neither too fat nor too lean. The fat should be clear white. The age of the animal may be determined by the bone in the foreleg, that of the young lamb being smooth, and that of the older animal showing ridges, which increase in depth with age. The quality of mutton may be judged by the amount of fat, the texture, and the weight. Mutton should be fatter than lamb, the flesh of fine rather than of coarse grain, and the carcass small to medium. A large carcass usually indi- cates age. Coarseness of texture indicates tough- ness. For good mutton the animal should be plump, with small bones, and under five years of age. Lamb or mutton should be hung at least three weeks, and preferably longer, before serving. The average mutton carcass weighs from thirty to forty pounds. The lamb or mutton carcass is usually divided, like the beef, first into halves or sides, and after- ward into fore- and hind-quarters. But where a larger roast than the loin or crown roast is desired, the entire back portion of the animal, including the loin on both sides of the backbone, is taken out, this cut being known as the saddle of lamb or mutton. The leg and shoulder of lamb or mutton are com- HOW TO BUY, COOK AND CARVE 35 monly roasted whole. As in the case of beef, the loin of lamb is esteemed a great delicacy, and either single or in the form of saddle, is a favorite roast for company dinners, especially in England. The crown roast consists of the fourteen ribs of the fore- quarter, trimmed and arranged in circular form, fastened with skewers, and stuffed with the por- tions trimmed off in dressing the roast which are chopped fine for this purpose. If a larger roast is required, additional ribs can be inserted, taken from the opposite side. Lamb and mutton, although delicious when properly cooked, are often very uninviting through carelessness in cooking and serving. When prop- erly decorated and garnished, the crown roast of lamb makes a very attractive dish, especially when carved at the table, after the English or the Ameri- can style of service. For family meals, the loin and rack are commonly divided into loin and rib chops, respectively. These are broiled and served singly. The average leg of lamb weighs about six or seven pounds, and is sufficient to serve about seven or eight persons. A loin roast weighs about three pounds, and is sufficient for three persons. The saddle is, of course, exactly double the loin in quan- tity. The shoulder weighs four to five pounds, trimmed ready for roasting. The rack that is, che portion of the spine on the fore-quarter to which 36 MEATS, POULTRY AND GAME the ribs are attached weighs from two to four pounds. The shoulder, or rack, should serve three or four persons. Roast Leg of Lamb To get the most from a leg of lamb, and to carve it easily, the butcher should be instructed to remove the hip bone. The joint should be put on the rack in the dripping-pan with the fleshy part up. French cooks flavor roast lamb by inserting four or five points of garlic at intervals over the surface, in small openings, made by thrusting the point of a wooden skewer through the fat and into the meat. A better flavor will also be imparted to the meat and to the gravy if a few carrots and onions are placed around the roast in the pan. Small new potatoes may also be baked in the pan, as with the roasts of beef. When served, the bone in the leg of lamb may be decorated with a paper frill, and the platter garnished with sprigs of watercress or parsley. To carve this joint, it should be placed before the carver with the bone to the left and the skin side down and steadied by inserting the fork well down toward the end of the roast. Thin slices should then be cut, beginning at the right end, or thickest portion of the roast, at an angle of about thirty degrees, working back to the left until the roast is mm m 1 HOW TO BUY, COOK AND CARVE 41 sliced to the bone. Larger slices can be had by slic- ing horizontally across the top of the roast, but such slices, being cut with the grain, are not equally as tender or palatable. Some persons prefer to carve this roast vertically, making the first cut about the middle of the roast and taking slices from either side. And this plan has the merit of cutting directly across the grain, which is always an advantage. This method is objected to, how- ever, by many, as not being economical of the roast, for the reason that the slices at either end are too small to serve and a portion of the roast is thereby wasted; whereas, by the method first above recom- mended, the slices taken at an angle across the grain, are sufficiently tender and palatable, and yet permit of carving the entire upper portion of the roast into good-sized slices. If more persons re- main to be served after the upper part of the roast has been sliced down to the bone, the bone should be removed by making an incision on either side of it, loosening it at the end, and running the knife underneath, between the bone and the meat. The lower part of the roast may then be sliced the same as the vipper part, the knife being held at such an angle as to increase to any desired extent the size of the slices. 42 MEATS, POULTRY AND GAME Saddle of Mutton Few joints are more toothsome or nutritious than the well-cooked prime saddle of mutton, whether roasted entire or grilled in the form of English mutton chops, which include the kidney lying just under the vertebrae. The best saddle of mutton comes from the short-legged breeds, having black legs and feet, and short, thick, stubby tails, such as the Southdown, in which the meat comes well down the leg, nearly reaching the feet. The saddle of lamb or mutton is rolled and fast- ened with skewers or tied with cords, and otherwise prepared and roasted after the same manner as the equivalent roasts of beef. This joint should first be boned. To this end place it with the bone resting upon the platter and the end toward the carver, make an incision the entire length down the backbone and remove the meat from the bone in two pieces. It may then be carved according to two entirely different methods. The English method of carving is to slice the meat lengthwise. The French method is to slice each piece crosswise, precisely as in serving a tenderloin of beef but in very thin slices. The crown roast, when properly trimmed, roasted, decorated, and garnished, makes an ex- tremely attractive dish, and is especially suitable for the formal breakfast or luncheon. The end HOW TO BUY, COOK AND CARVE 47 of each rib should be decorated with a paper frill, and the platter garnished with cress or parsley. To carve a crown roast is most simple, the divi- sions between the ribs being clearly indicated, and no more care being required than is necessary to cut the portions of equal thickness. A single chop, with a portion of stuffing, a few sprigs of cress or parsley, and a spoonful of gravy is served to each person. Pork Pork is seasonable only in autumn and winter. The great bulk of the animal is so fat that it is unsuitable for food while fresh, and is therefore cured and salted as bacon, salt pork, and the like. The hams are served either fresh or cured, and may be baked, boiled, or broiled in the form of steaks. But with the exception of baked cured ham, sliced cold, no joint of pork is really suitable for service at entertainments. The ribs and loin are the most desirable fresh cuts, and may be either roasted or served in the form of chops. Fresh pork should be of firm texture, and fine grain, the lean pink, and the fat, clear white in color. The loin of pork is prepared for roasting either with or without the bone, in much the same fashion as the loin of beef or mutton, except that, being a lean piece of meat, it may require to be 48 MEATS, POULTRY AND GAME larded with a strip of bacon or salt pork, laid over the top of the joint and fastened with cords, as is shown in the illustration. This joint is carved in the same manner as the similar points of beef. Poultry and Game Chicken, turkey, geese, and domestic ducks are classified as poultry: wild duck, wild geese, partridge, reed birds, quail, and other small birds, as game. Poultry is a staple article of diet, being more or less available at every season of the year. The first broilers come into the market very early in the spring, and continue to become more plenti- ful, and to decrease in price during the Spring and Summer. The season for broilers may be said to be at its height in May and June, at which time they make an excellent dish for formal breakfasts, luncheons, and similar entertainments, and afford a substitute for game birds for formal dinners. The so-called milk-fed and early Spring chickens begin to become available in July, and continue in the market until August. They are commonly cooked, either a la casserole, or roasted, and make an admirable dish for luncheons, breakfasts, and dinner-parties, in the form of supreme of chicken, i.e., breasts of chicken, either sauted or broiled and served with any suitable sauce. Philadelphia capons begin to come in about the same time as HOW TO BUY, COOK AND CARVE 53 roasting chicken, namely, in September. They are usually served at dinner, roasted. The capon has a somewhat larger and plumper carcass than other chickens, and is distinguished by its richer flavor. Live chicken and other poultry are usually most plentiful before Thanksgiving, and the supply of local stock is generally exhausted during or before the holidays. After this the city markets are sup- plied chiefly with cold storage stock, and hold the local stock at an average level of about one-third higher. As the season advances, the tendency is for the local stock to increase in relative price as the cold storage stocks shrink and deteriorate in quality. The season for turkey is now very similar to that for chicken. Not many years ago turkeys were thought to be at their best only on or after Thanks- giving Day, but young turkeys, comparable to chicken broilers and milk-fed chicken, are now com- monly cooked and accepted as a Summer delicacy. Young Guinea hen broilers and roasting chickens are also very delicious, being even more tender when properly cooked, than chicken, and having a distinctive flavor that makes them an excellent substitute for game birds. The season for domestic ducks is the same as that for chicken. The quality of poultry depends upon the breed, the method of feeding, the age of the bird when killed, the manner in which the car- 54 MEATS, POULTRY AND GAME cass is dressed, and the length of time that it has been upon the market. No other kind of meat requires more knowledge, skill, and care in cater- ing than poultry. As to breed, the black- and red- feathered birds are always to be preferred to the light-feathered varieties, and the gray-feathered birds are always to be avoided. The best chickens have soft, yellow feet, smooth, thick legs, and smooth yellow or white skins. The yellow skinned birds are likely to be more plump; those having white skin more tender. The skin should be moist and tender and the breast plump and firm. The cartilage of the breastbone should be soft and pli- able. But observe that this cartilage is sometimes broken to deceive purchasers, a device which, how- ever, if the purchaser be upon the guard, can be very easily detected. As to feeding, grain-fed chickens are to be pre- ferred to those fed upon table scraps or garbage. Fowls fed upon rice, as is quite customary in cer- tain parts of the South, have white fat, and the Southern barnyard fed turkey, fattened on small rice, is among the finest of domestic fowl. Poultry fed on cornmeal have yellow fat. The so-called milk-fed chickens are presumed to be fed, or at least fattened, in large part, upon meal, or other ground grain mixed with milk instead of water. The age of poultry at the time of killing may usually be determined by the legs and feet, which HOW TO BUY, COOK AND CARVE 55 in young birds are smooth, moist, and supple, and in older fowl, hard and scaly. One test is to try the skin under the leg or wing, or to seize a pinch of the breast and twist it. If the skin and flesh is tender and breaks easily, the bird is young and fresh. Otherwise, it is probably old, and certainly tough. Also turn the wing backward. If the joint yields readily it is tender. The eyes of fresh young fowls are full and bright. A growth of hair over the carcass is an indication of age in both chicken and turkey. Plentiful pin feathers denote a young bird. The flesh of the old turkey, where it shows under the skin upon the back and legs, is purplish. Observe in this connection that about March tur- keys begin to deteriorate in quality. As to the method of dressing, great care should be taken to avoid poultry the flesh of which has become tainted and unwholesome. All poultry should be promptly and properly drawn, but the laws of some states permit of fowls being kept for sale undrawn, a condition which is not only a seri- ous menace to health, but is ruinous to their proper flavor. The partly, or otherwise improperly, drawn chicken is often as bad (and sometimes even worse) than the undrawn one. The higher price charged in most markets for the so-called Phila- delphia chickens is a premium paid for proper methods of killing and preparing them for market. The flavor of poultry is also impaired by scald- 56 MEATS, POULTRY AND GAME ing, as an aid in removing the feathers, hence the dry picked fowl sells at a higher price, and is to be preferred although its appearance may be some- what less attractive. As to the length of time that poultry has been upon the market, the law in most states gives the buyer little or no protection, and in these days of cold storage it behooves one to be upon guard and to place little or no reliance upon the representa- tions of dealers, except when buying in the most reliable local markets. One of the best tests of the fresh chicken is the color and condition of the eyes. If they are bright and clear, as in life, the chicken is fresh, but if dull and lusterless, or even further deteriorated, the carcass has been for some time in cold storage. Another test is to open the beak of the chicken and note whether the blood is still red, in which case the chicken is fresh; whereas, if it is white, the opposite is true. Ducks and Geese A domestic duck or goose should never be more than a year old. Young ducks and geese have white, soft feet and tender wings. The body should be plump and thick, the fat light and semi-trans- parent, the breastbone soft, the flesh tender. The beak should be flesh-colored and brittle. The wind-pipe should break when pressed between the thumb and fore-finger. HOW TO BUY, COOK AND CARVE 59 Domestic ducks commonly called in Eastern markets, Long Island duckling and the domestic geese, are at ordinary prices, as economical as chicken, and may well be used for family dinners on Sundays, holidays, and other special occasions, for the sake of variety, somewhat more commonly than they now are. The season is the same as for poultry. Game Birds The principal game birds in the American market are wild duck such as the Canvas, Mal- lard, Redhead, Blackhead, quail, woodcock, snipe, etc. The best test for selecting game birds is to weigh each one in the hand. The finest birds are always heaviest for their size. The flesh of the breast should be firm, fat, and plump, and the skin clear. Pluck a few feathers so as to expose the flesh inside the leg and about the vent. The flesh of the newly killed bird will be fresh in color and fat; that of the bird which has been hung a long time will be dark and discolored. The wings of the larger game birds should be tender to the touch. The small ones should have full and tender breasts. Note that in the partridge the tips of the wing are pointed in young birds, and round in old ones. The partridge should have full, heavy breasts, dark bill, and yellowish legs. 60 MEATS, POULTRY AND GAME A good substitute for tHe smaller game birds is the squab, or the young of the domestic pigeon, which are available in most city markets at prices within the means of persons who have occasion to entertain in a formal way. The flesh of young pigeons is light red upon the breast, the legs are full and fresh colored. If the breast meat is dark and the legs thin, the birds are old. Wild duck and most other game birds are in season from November until March. r CHAPTER II THE ART OF COOKING General Characteristics of Cooking Meat THERE are three typical methods of cooking meat: first, by the application of intense heat to keep in the juices, as by roasting, baking, or broil- ing; second, by placing the meat in cold water and cooking for a long time at a low temperature, i.e., boiling; and, third, by a combination of the two processes, first searing, and then afterwards stew- ing the meat. The first method is suitable only for the most tender cuts, young poultry and game birds, and as these are the kinds of meat most often selected for meals at which company is to be enter- tained, the processes of roasting, baking, and broil- ing, and the kinds of meat, poultry and game that are the best adapted to these methods of cookery are of chief interest in this connection. Cooks recognize a distinction between roasting and baking. The word roasting, properly speak- ing, applies to the old-fashioned method of cooking by the direct radiant heat from the open fire; whereas baking is cooking by heat reflected by the 63 64 MEATS, POULTRY AND GAME sides of the oven. The older method of roasting is now very little practiced in private houses, and the term roasting is now most often improperly applied to baking in an oven. The rules for the treatment of the meat, however, are substantially the same in both cases, and the two processes there- fore may properly be dealt with together. Meat which is to be roasted should never be washed, but only wiped over on the outside with a clean damp cloth. For roasting in the older sense of the term, it should then be hung on the roasting spit or hook. For baking it should be set on the trivet or meat stand, and placed in a drip- ping-pan large enough to project two or three inches all around it. The modern double dripping- pan, having a close-fitting cover, with a vent to allow the escape of gases and steam from the meat juices, is infinitely superior to the old-fashioned single pan, and the purchase of at least two such pans one of about 8 inches for small roasts, game birds, and the like, and one about 18 inches for large joints, roasting chicken and turkey is to be earnestly recommended to every housewife. The Question of Temperature A very essential point in roasting or baking meat properly is to expose the joint or bird for the first few minutes to a very high temperature HOW TO BUY, COOK AND CARVE 65 to sear the surface and thereby harden the albumen on thfe outside so as to prevent the escape of the meat juices, and then to lower the temperature and keep it at a substantially lower point for the re- mainder of the time that the joint requires for roasting or baking, with the object of preventing a similar hardening of the albumen in the interior of the meat. The proper temperature for a large piece of meat at the beginning is about 550 degrees, but after the surface is well browned, the tempera- ture should be dropped to about 400 degrees, and kept at this point until the process is finished. To accomplish this, a roast of meat should be hung close to the fire, and meat to be baked should be placed in the hottest part of the oven, until the surface is thoroughly browned. Then it should be drawn back or moved to a cooler part of the oven. If a gas oven is being used, the gas should be turned on full, in advance, and allowed to burn about ten minutes. Then it may be turned down slightly to reduce the temperature. In the absence of an oven thermometer the cook must of course learn by experiment the proper management of her own oven. Basting and Larding Meat, while being cooked, whether by roasting or baking, must be often basted, i.e., the melted fat 66 MEATS, POULTRY AND GAME which has run from it must be poured over its surface with a spoon or ladle, to prevent the roast from drying out or burning. In order to insure that there may be sufficient dripping for this pur- pose, the cook must take notice whether the meat has enough fat; otherwise a little additional fat should be put in the pan, and also upon the top of the roast. Lean joints of meat, or poultry, game, and the like which have no natural fat on the outside should be larded by having slices of fat bacon laid over them and tied tightly with a cord to protect the meat from browning too rapidly. Or a piece of buttered paper may be used for this purpose, which may be taken off dur- ing the last fifteen minutes so that the surface may become brown. Larding is usually necessary for thick pieces only. Meat roasting before an open fire requires frequent basting, at intervals of about ten minutes. Meat baking in the oven except for very small pieces requires basting only about half as often, or at intervals of twenty minutes. A Few Points on the Cooking of Beef The time required for a thick piece of beef is about fifteen minutes to the pound, and fifteen minutes over, and the roast should be ready at least a half an hour before being carved, in order to allow the albumen inside to set. A somewhat HOW TO BUY, COOK AND CARVE 67 longer time should be allowed for a roast which has been boned and rolled into symmetrical form as such a roast is more compact and the interior heats through more slowly. No water should be placed in the dripping-pan unless there is danger that the fat in the bottom may be burned, in which case a tablespoonful at a time may be added. The juices from the meat will ordinarily form a sufficient gravy. But the flavor of the gravy may be very much enhanced by placing around the roast in the pan a few small carrots and onions, and a sprinkling of bay leaves, thyme and parsley. Many hostesses also add small, new potatoes in season, previously peeled, to be baked, browned, and flavored by the roast. Lean roasts of meat and poultry or game birds, that are deficient in fat, may also require larding, i.e., the addition of some meat or vegetable fat, such as fine drippings, lard, or vegetable fat. Butter should not be used for this purpose, as it is likely to burn at the bottom of the pan. The gravy, however, should not be suffered to become too rich and greasy. If any fat is evident upon the surface of the gravy, it should be poured off before the gravy is served or thickened. The gravy may be thickened or not, as the hostess prefers, the un thickened or "dish gravy" being usually given preference at formal meals, and the thickened gravy being perhaps more cus- 70 MEATS, POULTRY AND GAME tomary at family dinners. French cooks, in order to make a somewhat richer gravy, commonly sprinkle dry flour over the roast before placing it in the pan. After becoming browned and flavored by contact with the roasting meat, this flour, gradually falling into the bottom of the pan, browns and flavors the gravy and slightly thickens it. After the meat is done and has been removed to the platter, hold the corner of the dripping-pan over a bowl, pour off the fat from the top of the gravy, and save it. Then pour one pint of good stock into the pan, dissolve it in all the sediment of the coagulated albumen and juices, simmer, until it has been reduced about one-third in bulk and pour into the sauce bowl, For further sug- gestions on the length of time required for roast- ing, consult the Complete Time Table, page 134, and "How Long to Cook a Roast" on page 71. The prime ribs of beef are used chiefly for roasts, and constitute the best part of the fore-quarter. Between the four cuts of prime ribs there is very decided preference. The first cut, that nearest the hind-quarter, is very nearly equal in quality to the short loin, and is valued accord- ingly. The second cut is also a very good roast. The others are less desirable in their order. Rib roasts may also be had boned and rolled by the butcher, if desired, but these cuts are quite com- monly roasted with the bones, upon the ground HOW TO BUY, COOK AND CARVE 71 that they give the roast additional flavor, and also cause it to present a more attractive appearance. Other less desirable, but also less expensive roasts, are the top of the round, i.e., the inside of the hind-quarter of the animal so named because that side usually lies uppermost on the butcher's counter the rump, and the chuck, or shoulder clod, a solid piece of meat of low cost, but of fair quality. How Long to Cook a Roast Some experience is required to determine when a roast is sufficiently done. The inexperienced cook should consult the Time Table, on another page. But one must also realize that the time required depends upon the weight and the quality of the roast. As a general rule, a thick piece of beef requires fifteen minutes to the pound, and fif- teen minutes over. A similar piece of pork or veal will require tAventy minutes to the pound, and fif- teen minutes over; poultry, fifteen minutes to the pound. With a little experience, the cook should be able to tell when the meat is done by pressing with the finger upon the outside. If the roast is well done, the outside will recover slowly from the pressure of the finger. If done, it will rebound at once. If overdone, it will scarcely yield at all, MEATS, POULTRY AND GAME Broiling Broiling, like roasting, is cooking by the direct rays of the fire but, unlike roasting, it is adapted to small and thin pieces of meat, such as chops, steak, chicken, and smaller game birds. The whole of the cooking is accomplished by sharp heat ap- plied to the outside, but so regulated as to allow the outside to be hardened while the inside is being gently cooked. To accomplish perfect broiling, some care and experience are required, and lack of care and judgment many times causes failure in broiling, the meat being either tough and dry or underdone. In cooking on the grill, the state of the fire must be taken into consideration. The coals must be glowing, without smoke or flame. Should flame arise a few drops of cold water sprinkled over the coals will cause them to subside. For broiling by gas, the gas must be lighted long enough in advance to radiate a strong heat, both over and under the grill. The grill must be greased with suet or pieces of larding pork, and the steak or other pieces of meat to be broiled laid on this, held at a proper distance from the fire, and turned once in a while till done. A chop or steak when properly grilled, should look plump in the middle, and should be rare and juicy, rather than dry and hard. As to the time required for broiling, observe HOW TO BUY, COOK AND CARVE 75 that, in general, the time is regulated, not by weight, but by the thickness of the meat, and is approximately as follows: For a steak, one and one-half inches thick, underdone, fifteen minutes; well done, twenty minutes. For a steak, one inch thick, underdone, twelve minutes; well done, fif- teen minutes. For spring chicken fifteen minutes, squab chicken, ten minutes. For a lamb chop, seven minutes; and for a veal chop, fifteen minutes. Poultry As a general thing, fresh-killed poultry should not be cooked for twenty-four hours, although in hot climates, as for example, in the southern United States, broiling and roasting chickens are commonly sold alive, and killed by the cook and immediately prepared for the oven. But at all events, poultry should be picked and drawn as soon as possible after killing. The flavor of poultry is better if the birds are picked dry, but the feathers will come off more easily if the fowl is plunged into a pot of scalding water. After the carcass is picked clean, it should be held over the coals or over a roll of burning white paper on an alcohol flame, to singe off all hairs. To draw poultry and game, make cut around the vent and make an incision up toward the breast bone. Insert two fingers, loosen the fat from the 76 MEATS, POULTRY AND GAME skin and separate the membranes lying close to the body. Keep the fingers up close to the breastbone until you can reach in beyond the liver and heart and loosen them upon either side, gradually work- ing the fingers around toward the back. Always remember that the gall bladder lies under the liver at the left side, and that if it is broken, the contents will make every part of the meat that it touches bitter and unfit for use. If the fingers are kept up and everything is carefully loosened before be- ing drawn out, there will be less danger of its breaking. The kidneys and lungs are not infre- quently left in by careless cooks, but everything should be taken out that is movable. After the bird has been drawn, it should be wiped dry, inside and out, with a clean towel. The head and neck should then be cut off, and the bird trussed for the oven. To truss a chicken or turkey draw the thighs up close to the body, cross the legs over the vent, and tie firmly with twine. Thrust a skewer through one thigh, into the body, and out through the op- posite thigh, and another in like manner through the wings. Draw the wings and thigh closely to- gether, and tie firmly with twine. Since poultry and game birds have little or no fat in the meat under the skin, they should be larded by laying a thin strip of salt pork or bacon over the breast after the carcass has been placed on its back in the HOW TO BUY, COOK AND CARVE 79 dripping-pan, as shown in the accompanying illus- trations. When roasting a chicken or small fowl there is danger that the legs may burn or become too hard to be eaten. To avoid this, a strip of cloth dipped in a little melted lard, or rubbed with lard, may be wound about the legs while the heat in the oven is highest, and afterward removed in time to allow the legs to brown sufficiently. This difficulty will be overcome, however, if the deep roasting pan with a close cover is used, as shown in the illustra- tions. These pans are made double, with only a small opening in the top as a vent for the accumula- tion of steam and gases, but retain most of the moisture and flavor of the juices, that would other- wise be lost in large measure by evaporation. To dress a chicken or other bird for broiling, pick, singe, cut off the head and neck close to the breast, and the legs at the knee joints. Singe again, wipe dry, and split down the middle of the back, instead of along the belly. Lay the carcass open, and remove the contents. Cut the tendons in the thighs or break the joints, and remove the breast bone to facilitate carving. Lay the carcass flat between the double broiler, as illustrated, or upon the bars of the grill, and broil, for the squab chicken, ten minutes, and for the spring chicken, fifteen minutes. To cut up a raw chicken for fricasseeing, pick and wipe dry as for a roasting chicken. First take 80 MEATS, POULTRY AND GAME off the legs from the carcass, then the wings. Then separate the breast from the remainder of the car- cass. Split it into two and cut each half to the breast into either two or three parts, according to the size of the chicken. Cut the rest of the carcass crosswise, in three pieces or, if the chicken is very big, split the carcass in two before cutting cross- wise. Separate the drum-sticks from the second joints and cut the latter in two. If bird is a heavy one the second joint will make three cuts. Roasting Duck The wild duck, notably the Canvasback, Mal- lard, and Redhead, are deservedly among the most popular game birds of the world. They are roasted, without trussing, in their own juices, but when roasting Mallard it is customary to put in- side the carcass a few sticks of celery. Wild duck are so expensive as rarely to be served in the ordinary household, and are still more rarely properly cooked. Duck should be roasted very rare, the test of duck done to a turn, being that "the blood will follow the knife." To find out whether the duck is done, lift the bird and let a few drops of blood run out from the carcass. If the blood comes out bluish, it is ready to be served. CHAPTER III SERVING AND CARVING Roast Beef THE fillet or tenderloin, properly larded, presents a very attractive appearance, especially when garnished with a few sprigs of watercress or parsley. To carve, it should be held firmly with a fork, grasped in the left hand, and cut into slices slightly less than a half inch thick, beginning with the thicker or forward portion of the tenderloin, and continuing toward the thin end. The slices should be cut squarely across the grain of the tenderloin, which is usually at a slight angle from the plate on which the fillet lies. To serve a fillet of beef, serve each person one slice, add a few sprigs of parsley or cress, and put a spoonful of mushroom sauce upon the side of the plate. The short loin, the top of the round, the rump, and the chuck roasts are carved and served in the same manner as the tenderloin, i.e., in slices cut vertically across the grain, except that they should be sliced as thin as possible. The top of the round, 83 c 88 MEATS, POULTRY AND GAME especially, should be in very thin slices, as it is rather tough although juicy and well flavored. The process of carving a porterhouse, Del- monico, or rib roast depends upon whether or not the bones have been removed. In the latter case the roast should be rolled into symmetrical shape, and fastened by means of either metal or wooden skewers, preferably the former, or by means of a cord. The proper cord for this purpose is rather large and soft and should be cut into the right lengths, drawn tightly around the roast, and knotted at intervals of about one inch throughout its entire length. The cord should not be con- tinuous, else the carver will have difficulty in separating it and it will present an untidy and awk- ward appearance. The accompanying illustration shows a rib roast from which the bones have not been removed, the ends of the ribs being decorated with paper frills, and the platter garnished with watercress. To carve such a roast, observe that it should be placed before the carver with the ribs protruding to his left. He then steadies the roast by grasping the uppermost rib with the left hand, and cuts very thin slices transversely across the grain, until the edge of the knife encounters the rib. Then, he draws the point of the knife across the slices near the bone, so as to separate them. The process of carving a porterhouse, Del- HOW TO BUY, COOK AND CARVE 89 monico, or rib roast from which the bone has been removed is precisely similar, except that the roast is steadied by means of a fork, firmly inserted at a point just below the slice that is next to be taken, and that the skewers or cords with which the roast is fastened together must be removed, one by one, as they are encountered. If the skewers are in- serted, as they should be directly across the grain of the meat, so as to be parallel with the slices, they can usually be loosened without difficulty, and should be placed upon the side of the platter or carving board. If the roast is bound with cords, only one cord should be cut at a time. This should be loosened with the fork, and allowed to fall upon the side of the platter or carving board, with due care that it does not come in contact with the cloth. The other cords should be left in place until the rest of the roast is sliced down to them, in order to keep it in shape and preserve the uniformity of the slices, and also to prevent the juices from run- ning out. Beefsteak The Delmonico, porterhouse, and sirloin cuts are very commonly served as steaks, either broiled or planked, broiled steak being a favorite dish in American households for informal family dinners, to which one or more guests are invited. Instruc- tions for broiling and planking steaks are given 90 MEATS, POULTRY AND GAME elsewhere, but observe that any steaks worthy of the name should be cut very thick an inch and a half or even two inches being about the proper thickness and that they should be broiled or roasted very rare, so that the meat will be bright and red, rather than white or even brown, in color. One of the most common and flagrant errors of the American cook is to order (or accept) steaks cut a half inch or less in thickness, and to fry them until they are done brown through and through, and of a tough and leathery consistency. The carving of steak will be greatly expedited if the butcher is instructed to take out the bone which can be done to very much better advantage before the steak is cooked than afterward and steaks to be planked are invariably boned before planking. Otherwise the carver should first re- move the bone by cutting along its edge with the thin round-pointed knife, which is elsewhere recommended for this purpose. He should then divide the entire steak, except the thin portion at the small end, into sections of an inch or more in width, depending upon the thickness of the steak and the number of guests, beginning with the wide or bone end of the steak. In serving porterhouse, Delmonico and similar beef-steaks, the fact should be borne in mind that the tenderloin and wider portion of the steak opposite the tenderloin, is superior in texture and HOW TO BUY, COOK AND CARVE 93 flavor to the narrow portion at the opposite end. Hence, in justice to all, it is desirable to divide the steak, if possible, into about twice as many strips as there are guests, and to serve each guest with one of the less desirable, as well as one of the more desirable portions. A steak should preferably be garnished with sprigs of watercress, one or two of which should be placed beside each portion served, and a spoon- ful of gravy should be added upon the side of the plate. The planked steak is served with an assortment of vegetables, the various vegetables being placed around the steak in orderly array, so as to form a most effective garnish. Planked steak is first divided in the same manner as any other; then one or more slices are served to each plate, and a helping of each of the various vegetables added, with care to preserve their separate identities and to avoid jumbling all to- gether. Poultry To carve a turkey or other large bird, such as goose, duck, or roasting chicken, place the carcass on a platter or wooden carving board, upon its back, with the head to the left, the carcass resting diagonally rather than at right angles to the carver's body. Insert a fork firmly across the 94 MEATS, POULTRY AND GAME breast bone, grasp the fork with the left hand, firmly enough to steady the carcass on the side nearest the carver, cutting clear down to the leg joint. Force the leg over sharply from the car- cass, so as to expose the joint, and completely sever the drumstick and second joint in one piece from the carcass. Separate the drumstick from the second joint by cutting from the point of the angle between them upon the inside, straight in and di- rectly across the joint, the exact location of which can be easily ascertained by the sense of touch by manipulating with the fingers and feeling the joint in the carcass of the uncooked bird. If this cut is made at the right point, no further difficulty need be anticipated. For if the knife is drawn squarely across the joint, it will separate without resistance, whereas at any other point the knife will encounter solid bone. Now make an incision along either side of the bone, in the second joint, cut under the bone at the end, lift it up, and cut underneath and between the bone and the meat, so as to remove the bone from this joint entirely. Now carve thin slices of the white meat from the breast, parallel with the breastbone, and similar slices of the dark meat from the face of the second joint, also parallel with the bone, and serve to each person a slice of the white and a slice of the dark meat with a few sprigs of cress or parsley, a por- HOW TO BUY, COOK AND CARVE 97 tion of the dressing, and a spoonful of gravy upon the side of the plate. If the slices from the breast and second joint are sufficient to serve the entire company, the carver need proceed no further; but if not, the wing should next be cut off, in the same manner as the leg, and similarly divided at the joint, the second joint of the wing being served as one portion. The tip of the wing and the drumstick are neither carved nor served except when necessary at the family dinner, but are usually, reserved and con- sumed in the form of hash, or other palatable rechauffe. Should the whole turkey be required, the platter should be turned and the opposite side carved in precisely the same fashion, but the carver should proceed no further than is necessary, leaving the remainder of the carcass intact, for another meal. Wild Duck One duck is usually served for two persons al- though occasionally a large duck, like the Mallard, might be big enough for three. To carve wild duck, insert a fork in the carcass with the left hand, just behind the breastbone, make an incision with the knife from the point of the breastbone down the middle of the breast, and cut along this line between the breastbone and the meat, be- ginning at the head of the bird, and forcing the 98 MEATS, POULTRY AND GAME knife between the bone and the meat until the whole breast has been removed in one piece. Where a duck is served for two persons, half of the breast is served to each, the remainder of the carcass be- ing reserved for salmi or similar rechauffe. Partridge Place the bird with the head toward the carver, insert a fork near the breastbone, and cut through the center of the breast and back, lengthwise cut- ting the bird right through. Serve a half of the partridge to each person, with currant jelly, and bread sauce, or fried bread crumbs. Sometimes a large partridge may be served to the three persons by separating the breast from the breastbone, and dividing the breast into three parts. Broilers Place the chicken with the head toward the carver, disjoint the leg by inserting a fork in the second joint and making an incision with the knife around the leg joint, bend the joint over sharply, separate it from the breast, and divide the leg at the joint. Split the breast in two. Serve half the breast and the second joint to each person, with a spoonful of drawn butter and a few sprigs of cress or parsley. Or each half of the breast and each second joint may be served on toast, as separate portions. Broiled chicken is an excellent dish to serve for a breakfast or luncheon. \ I 1 C4 O M JL i IW LD 21-100m-6,'56 (B9311slO)476 General Library University of California Berkeley 3 YC 1806 't * .an, iffi ;; !*!;>!}{ :i 11 iiillii 8 B ! i i! I i lu j Hw; II Hi II i