The spirit of cookery

The philosophy of the actual roasting of the turkey cannot be exhaustively treated in this place. The bird may be roasted bare, or in an envelope composed of bacon and paper, or in paper only. It should not be basted during the roasting with any gravy or liquid capable of dissolving any part of the browning of the skin. M. de Cussy proposed seriously that any cook basting with gravy a turkey while being roasted should be dismissed at once and banished from France. The distinction between roasting, braising, and boiling is so little understood by some writers, that one of them entitles a certain preparation as boiled braised turkey, and another as roast braised turkey, both containing incompatible adjectives. On closer examination of these recipes, we find that the adjective braised is meant merely to indicate the addition of the complement of vegetables which is mostly added to braises, but which is not an essential part of the process at all. In the case of ‘ roast braised turkey,’ the symphony of sliced vegetables mixed with oil is enclosed in the threefold paper in which the trussed turkey, whitened by slices of lemon, and covered with rashers of bacon, is wrapped and heated before the fire. In this case an effect of good braising, namely, the browning of the surface of the meat by radiated heat in an enclosed moist space, is actually prevented from being attained. The case of the boiled turkey is worse, the conditions of the boiling process excluding any braising at all, unless it were merely succeeded by the latter, which would be a laborious mode of operating. The larding of the turkey for braising excludes boiling. Turkey larded and braised is the dhide en daube of Beauvilliers. The bird is to be old, which means full-grown, at the end of its second or third year. In the present time turkey is rarely larded, but commonly elaborately stuffed, braised, glaced, aud, if eaten cold, garnished with aspic ; if eaten hot, the garnishes are more elaborate. Sausages, fried or boiled in broth (aux chipolates), or introduced into the bird as forcemeat, are most welcome to the diners. Prepared chestnuts, with half their weight of chopped suet, or bacon well spiced, are also very suitable. Veal stuffing is less elegant. Boned and Stuffed Turkey is termed by French cooks dindon en ballon. We have improved this dish when intended for a large supper-party by having a smaller boned and stuffed tui’key placed inside the larger boned turkey in an inverse direction, and filling the intervals between again with farce. This should be braised and glaced. It might be termed a galantine. HISTORY AND PREPARATIONS OF GOOSE 493 Some special forms of turkey are the following ; Boast Turkey, a la Financiere, a sumptuous dish ; Boiled Turkey filled with veal stuffing. Breasts or Fillets of Turkey are made and prepared like those of fowls. A number of preparations after methods, the philosophy of which has been discussed in earlier chapters, require no special notice. The Leg of Roast Turkey is much improved by a second braising with some savoury gravy and spice, or grilling, in which case it is termed devilled or belzebubbed.