The skin below the breast, called the apron, must first be cut off in
a circular direction as indicated by the letters a a a, when a glass of
port-wine or of claret, ready mixed with a teaspoonful of mustard✪ A Goose,
may be poured into the body or not, at choice. Some of the stuffing
should then be drawn out with a spoon, and the neck of the goose,
which ought to be to the right and not to the left hand, as here,
being turned a little towards the carver, the flesh of the breast should
be sliced in the lines from b b b to c c c, on either side of the bone
The wings may then be taken off like those of any other bird, and
then the legs, which, in the engraving No. ,22, are trussed so com-
pletely under the apron as to render their outline scarcely dis-
tinguishable. Graceful and well-skilled carvers never turn birds on
their sides to remove any of the joints, but those of a goose, unless it
be very young, are sometimes severed from it with difficulty ; and
the common directions for assisting the process in that case are, to
turn it on its side, and with the fork to press down the small end of
xlii
CARVING.
the leg ; then to pass the knife quite under it from the top down to
the joint, when the leg should be turned back from the bird with the
fork, while the thigh-bone is loosened from its socket with the knife.
The end of the pinion marked d is then held down in the same
manner, to facilitate the separation of the bones at e, from which
point the knife is drawn under the wing, which it takes off. The
merrythought of a goose is small, and, to remove it the knife must
first be turned a little from the neck, after the flesh has been cut
through, and then passed under it, back towards the neck. For the
remainder of the carving, the directions for that of a fowl will
suffice
DUCKS.
Tame ducks are served with the feet (which are liked by many
people) left upon them and trussed up over the backs. If large they
may be oarved like a goose, but when very young may be disjointed
like chickens ; the only material difference between them being the
position of the thigh-joints, which lie much further towards the
back-bone than those of a fowl.
No. 23. A WILD DUCK.
The breasts of wild-fowl are the only parts of them held in much
estimation, and these are carved in slices from the legs to the neck
The legs and pinions may, if required, be taken off exactly like those
of a pheasant.
No. 24. A TURKEY.
The carving of a turkey commences by taking slices off the breast,
from the letters b b quite through the forcemeat, which lies under
the letter a, to c c : the greater part of the flesh of the wings is thus
taken off likewise When the bird is boned and filled with sausage
or other forcemeat, the breast is carved entirely across in the direc-
tion d e , nearly, or quite down to the back, which it is better not
altogether to divide at first, as the appearance of the turkey is not
then so good. When it has been prepared in the ordinary manner,
after the breast has been disposed of, the pinions and the legs may be
taken off, the first in the line from f to g, and the latter by passing
the knife under it at h, and bringing it down to the joint at ij, where
it must be taken off in the line shown. The whole of the joints
being in form exactly like those of a fowl, may be separated in the
same manner.
Page 28 · 1 recipe record on this page
Presented as published in 1884. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
The skin below the breast, called the apron, must first be cut off in a circular direction as indicated by the letters a a a, when a glass of port-wine or of claret, ready mixed with a teaspoonful of mustard, may be poured into the body or not, at choice. Some of the stuffing should then be drawn out with a spoon, and the neck of the goose, which ought to be to the right and not to the left hand, as here, being turned a little towards the carver, the flesh of the breast should be sliced in the lines from b b b to c c c, on either side of the bone The wings may then be taken off like those of any other bird, and then the legs, which, in the engraving No. ,22, are trussed so completely under the apron as to render their outline scarcely distinguishable. Graceful and well-skilled carvers never turn birds on their sides to remove any of the joints, but those of a goose, unless it be very young, are sometimes severed from it with difficulty ; and the common directions for assisting the process in that case are, to turn it on its side, and with the fork to press down the small end of
the leg ; then to pass the knife quite under it from the top down to the joint, when the leg should be turned back from the bird with the fork, while the thigh-bone is loosened from its socket with the knife. The end of the pinion marked d is then held down in the same manner, to facilitate the separation of the bones at e, from which point the knife is drawn under the wing, which it takes off. The merrythought of a goose is small, and, to remove it the knife must first be turned a little from the neck, after the flesh has been cut through, and then passed under it, back towards the neck. For the remainder of the carving, the directions for that of a fowl will suffice
DUCKS.
Tame ducks are served with the feet (which are liked by many people) left upon them and trussed up over the backs. If large they may be carved like a goose, but when very young may be disjointed like chickens ; the only material difference between them being the position of the thigh-joints, which lie much further towards the back-bone than those of a fowl.
No. 23. A WILD DUCK.
The breasts of wild-fowl are the only parts of them held in much estimation, and these are carved in slices from the legs to the neck The legs and pinions may, if required, be taken off exactly like those of a pheasant.
No. 24. A TURKEY.
The carving of a turkey commences by taking slices off the breast, from the letters b b quite through the forcemeat, which lies under the letter a, to c c : the greater part of the flesh of the wings is thus taken off likewise When the bird is boned and filled with sausage or other forcemeat, the breast is carved entirely across in the direction d e , nearly, or quite down to the back, which it is better not altogether to divide at first, as the appearance of the turkey is not then so good. When it has been prepared in the ordinary manner, after the breast has been disposed of, the pinions and the legs may be taken off, the first in the line from f to g, and the latter by passing the knife under it at h, and bringing it down to the joint at ij, where it must be taken off in the line shown. The whole of the joints being in form exactly like those of a fowl, may be separated in the same manner.
Records on this page
A Goose