Breakfasts, luncheons, and ball suppers

Cut the bird in half with a large sharp knife straight down the middle of the breast bone; lay each half on the table and take out the breast bone from each side. If for cold luncheons, such as shooting or racing, or for devils, and the bird be a small one, such as a grouse or partridge, chop off the wing bone to within an inch of the meat, and the leg bones to the meat on the drum- stick, and trim all skin neatly round, and the bird is ready to serve. If a chicken, guinea-fowl, pheasant, or duck, after having removed the breast bone, cut the legs from the wings, the pinion bones off to within an inch of the meat, and trim each neatly round the bone ; and if a large chicken or duck, divide into two fillets, cut the leg in two, chopping the drumstick off close to the meat. Trim the fillets and joints neatly round; there should be no skin hanging round the edges. For ball suppers or for chaufroix, the legs should be boned and the fillets cut smaller, and for the latter, all .skin removed. It depends, of course, on the size of the bird, the number of fillets which can be cut from each joint ; for instance, in a large chicken, each wing and thigh can be cut into at least three parts. The drumsticks should not be used unless absolutely required. The neatness of the dishes depends on the filleting, and great care is necessary. CHICKEN, TO BRAISE. No. 163. Truss a chicken, cover it with layers of fat bacon, put it in a braising or stew-pan with a quart of White Stock (No. 28), two carrots, two onions quartered, and half a stick of celery ; bring it to the boil at once, put it on the side of the fire, and let it simmer for fifty minutes. 120 BREAKFASTS, LUNCHEONS, AND BALL SUPPERS. CHICKEN, TO BROIL. No. 164. A roast chicken can be filleted, sprinkled with pepper and salt, and broiled over a clear fire ; or sauted in butter and sprinkled with pepper and salt, and served very- hot with broiled ham handed round. CHICKEN, TO ROAST. No. 165. Truss a chicken, rub over with soft butter or lard, cover it with fat slices of bacon, and roast it before a quick fire from thirty to fifty minutes according to size ; five minutes before serving, if covered with bacon, remove it, take off the spit, and put it before the fire to brown nicely. CHAU FRO IX OF CHICKEN. No. 166. Braise, and when cold fillet as in No. 162. Make some White Chaufroix Sauce (No. 40), mask each fillet with it, and put in a plate on ice ; when one side is cold mask the other, and when cold give it a second coating. Arrange neatly round a dish, with a salad de legumes in centre. CHAUFROIX OF CHICKEN IN ASPIC. No. 167. Proceed as in foregoing receipt, and when completed put some Aspic Jelly (No. 29}, which must be cold but not set, down the centre of each fillet ; let it set, when add some more aspic each side, let it set, and continue adding in the same way until the whole top is covered. The fillets should be neatly arranged round a dish with slices of tongue between each, and the centre filled with chopped aspic. CHAUFROIX OF CHICKEN A LA PORTUGAISE. No. 168. The same as the above, only mask with Chaufroix Sauce a la Portugaise (No. 42). POULTRY AND GAME. I2I CROQUETTES OF CHICKEN. No. 169.