Another part of a fowl, now seldom mentioned, used to be
considered its greatest delicacy. This is the oyster, or, as it
used to be called, Les sots y laissent, “ neglected by fools.” The
oyster of a fowl consists of two very small and delicate morsels
of flesh, situated on either side of the back at the top of the leg.
Unfortunately they cannot be taken out before the fowl is
cooked without spoiling its appearance, and are thus often
neglected. Lord Alvanley, a great epicure at the beginning of
this century, would use only these tit-bits for a supreme of
chicken, and sacrificed twenty chickens to make one small dish.
s
25S TO PREPARE POULTRY AND GAME
The oyster exists in all birds, but for some reason it is only
thought a delicacy when taken either from chickens or from
turkeys.
It is well worth while for a cook to take a lesson in trussing
poultry from a good poulterer, as the method of doing it is
difficult to describe. However, I will give a few simple
directions ; first of all for roasting.
When the bird has been properly cleaned la}' it on its
breast on the board, first turn over the flap of skin left from
the neck and draw it as far as it will go down the middle
of the back. Then bend the root of the tail and tuck it
into the body, drawing up the skin a little. This will close
the openings through which the crop and the liver and' other
organs were drawn out. Hold up the legs, and working
between them twist the end joint of each wing first inwards
and then backwards, so that when folded close to the body
the end joint of the wing will rest elbow-fashion across the
upper joint. Now take hold of the legs and press the thighs
well into the sides of the bird to give it a rounded plump look.
Thread the trussing needle with twine, and go straight through
the joints, first of the lower joint of the right wing, then
through the upper joint of the right leg, then through the
body of the bird, and finally through the same joints of the leg
and wing on the left side. Turn the bird over on its back,
fasten the flap left to hide the neck-opening with a stitch,
draw the string tolerably tight, tie it, and cut it off. To secure
the lower joints of the legs take a stitch upwards through the
thick paii a little above where the scales begin, and downwards
in the same place on the leg on the other side. This must be
done when the bird is a second time turned on its breast. Take
one stitch through the skin of the back to keep all secure, carry
the string round to the breast of the bird, and tie as before.
In this way the fastenings of both the trussing-strings will be
on the breast-side of the bird, and can easily be removed when
the roasting is finished. Nothing looks worse than a forgotten
string when the bird is sent up.
It is more troublesome to truss a fowl for boiling, and the
method is more difficult to describe. Cut the legs off at the
knee-joints, open the skin just above; and pull out the sinews,
TO PREPARE POULTRY AND GAME
259
Page 177
Presented as published in 1898. 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
Another part of a fowl, now seldom mentioned, used to be considered its greatest delicacy. This is the oyster, or, as it used to be called, Les sots y laissent, “ neglected by fools.” The oyster of a fowl consists of two very small and delicate morsels of flesh, situated on either side of the back at the top of the leg. Unfortunately they cannot be taken out before the fowl is cooked without spoiling its appearance, and are thus often neglected. Lord Alvanley, a great epicure at the beginning of this century, would use only these tit-bits for a supreme of chicken, and sacrificed twenty chickens to make one small dish.
s
The oyster exists in all birds, but for some reason it is only thought a delicacy when taken either from chickens or from turkeys.
It is well worth while for a cook to take a lesson in trussing poultry from a good poulterer, as the method of doing it is difficult to describe. However, I will give a few simple directions ; first of all for roasting.
When the bird has been properly cleaned la}' it on its breast on the board, first turn over the flap of skin left from the neck and draw it as far as it will go down the middle of the back. Then bend the root of the tail and tuck it into the body, drawing up the skin a little. This will close the openings through which the crop and the liver and' other organs were drawn out. Hold up the legs, and working between them twist the end joint of each wing first inwards and then backwards, so that when folded close to the body the end joint of the wing will rest elbow-fashion across the upper joint. Now take hold of the legs and press the thighs well into the sides of the bird to give it a rounded plump look. Thread the trussing needle with twine, and go straight through the joints, first of the lower joint of the right wing, then through the upper joint of the right leg, then through the body of the bird, and finally through the same joints of the leg and wing on the left side. Turn the bird over on its back, fasten the flap left to hide the neck-opening with a stitch, draw the string tolerably tight, tie it, and cut it off. To secure the lower joints of the legs take a stitch upwards through the thick part a little above where the scales begin, and downwards in the same place on the leg on the other side. This must be done when the bird is a second time turned on its breast. Take one stitch through the skin of the back to keep all secure, carry the string round to the breast of the bird, and tie as before. In this way the fastenings of both the trussing-strings will be on the breast-side of the bird, and can easily be removed when the roasting is finished. Nothing looks worse than a forgotten string when the bird is sent up.
It is more troublesome to truss a fowl for boiling, and the method is more difficult to describe. Cut the legs off at the knee-joints, open the skin just above; and pull out the sinews,