In young fowls the legs should be smooth and the claws should break easily if turned back. In old fowls the flesh has a purplish tinge, and the skin hard and horny. Game-fowls, and those with dark-coloured legs, are better for roasting than for boiling. White fowls, such as Dorkings, are more suitable for boiling. Capons should be plump and fat, and much larger than ordinary fowls. Drawing- Fowls. Pluck off the feathers and remove all the stumps. Cut a slit in the back of the neck near the body. Loosen the skin all round the neck, and then cut off the neck close to the body, leaving two or three inches of skin to cover the opening. Remove the crop (which is the food-bag of thin skin found in front of the neck), and, with the fingers, loosen the ligaments, etc., found inside the body. Place the fowl on its back. Cut a small opening at the vent, just above the tail. Put two fingers inside, loosen the internal organs, then take hold of the gizzard, which is found under the breast-bone, and remove it and the rest of the inside. 83 Take care not to break the gall-bladder, which is attached to the liver, as this would give the fowl a bitter taste. Wipe the inside with a clean damp cloth, but do not wash it, as that makes the fowl tasteless. Singe off all the hairs. Trussing for Roasting. Scald the hard scaly part of the legs and feet, skin them, and cut off the ends of the claws. Turn the tips of the pinions towards the back, so that the tips may lie on the backbone. Place the fowl on a board, breast upwards, and press the thighs close to the sides of the body to make the breast look plump. Thread a trussing needle with string-, and pass it through the wing where the first and second joints unite, then through the upper part of the thigh, straight though the body and out on the other side, catching the thig-h joint and wing in the same manner as at the commencement. Turn the fowl on its breast, fasten the skin of the neck to the backbone, pull the string tightly over it, and fasten it off where it began. Turn the fowl on its back again, pass the needle over the leg and through the gristle at the bottom of the breast-bone, over the other leg, and fasten it at the back. Trussing" for Boiling. Pluck, draw, and singe the fowl as for roasting. Cut off the legs at the knee joint. Loosen the skin all round the thighs (this is done by inserting the fingers between the flesh and skin near the opening made for drawing), and push the legs inside till they are quite hidden under the skin. Truss the wings in the same manner as for roasting. Turn the end of the tail inside the body. Pass the needle through the skin over the legs, catch in the end of the breast-bone, bring out the needle through the other side, then pass it through the back and fasten off securely. In roasting fowls, the liver, which is a favourite morsel, should be placed inside the fowl, or in the bend of the wing. The gizzard (which few people eat) and the neck may be used for gravy. 84 Roast Fowl. The best way of roasting is before the fire in a hastener, but the commonest way is really baking in the oven. In either case the fowl must be well basted with butter or good dripping — bacon fat is the best.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

In young fowls the legs should be smooth and the claws should break easily if turned back. In old fowls the flesh has a purplish tinge, and the skin hard and horny. Game-fowls, and those with dark-coloured legs, are better for roasting than for boiling. White fowls, such as Dorkings, are more suitable for boiling. Capons should be plump and fat, and much larger than ordinary fowls. Drawing- Fowls. Pluck off the feathers and remove all the stumps. Cut a slit in the back of the neck near the body. Loosen the skin all round the neck, and then cut off the neck close to the body, leaving two or three inches of skin to cover the opening. Remove the crop (which is the food-bag of thin skin found in front of the neck), and, with the fingers, loosen the ligaments, etc., found inside the body. Place the fowl on its back. Cut a small opening at the vent, just above the tail. Put two fingers inside, loosen the internal organs, then take hold of the gizzard, which is found under the breast-bone, and remove it and the rest of the inside. Take care not to break the gall-bladder, which is attached to the liver, as this would give the fowl a bitter taste. Wipe the inside with a clean damp cloth, but do not wash it, as that makes the fowl tasteless. Singe off all the hairs. Trussing for Roasting. Scald the hard scaly part of the legs and feet, skin them, and cut off the ends of the claws. Turn the tips of the pinions towards the back, so that the tips may lie on the backbone. Place the fowl on a board, breast upwards, and press the thighs close to the sides of the body to make the breast look plump. Thread a trussing needle with string-, and pass it through the wing where the first and second joints unite, then through the upper part of the thigh, straight though the body and out on the other side, catching the thig-h joint and wing in the same manner as at the commencement. Turn the fowl on its breast, fasten the skin of the neck to the backbone, pull the string tightly over it, and fasten it off where it began. Turn the fowl on its back again, pass the needle over the leg and through the gristle at the bottom of the breast-bone, over the other leg, and fasten it at the back. Trussing" for Boiling. Pluck, draw, and singe the fowl as for roasting. Cut off the legs at the knee joint. Loosen the skin all round the thighs (this is done by inserting the fingers between the flesh and skin near the opening made for drawing), and push the legs inside till they are quite hidden under the skin. Truss the wings in the same manner as for roasting. Turn the end of the tail inside the body. Pass the needle through the skin over the legs, catch in the end of the breast-bone, bring out the needle through the other side, then pass it through the back and fasten off securely. In roasting fowls, the liver, which is a favourite morsel, should be placed inside the fowl, or in the bend of the wing. The gizzard (which few people eat) and the neck may be used for gravy. Roast Fowl. The best way of roasting is before the fire in a hastener, but the commonest way is really baking in the oven. In either case the fowl must be well basted with butter or good dripping — bacon fat is the best.

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