Cassell's dictionary of cookery

The age of poultry makes all the difference — nothing is tenderer than a young chicken ; few things are tougher than an old cock or hen, which is only fit to make broth. The meridian of perfection of poultry is just before they have come to their full growth, before they have begun to harden. Fowls must be killed a couple of days in moderate and more in cold weather before they are dressed, or they will eat tough ; a good criterion of the ripeness of poultry for the spit is the ease with which you can then pull out the feathers : when a fowl is plucked leave a few to help you to ascertain this. " It is sometimes taken for granted by writers on this subject," says one author, " that all the birds which can be domesticated with advantage have already been domesticated. The assumption is quite gratuitous, and it might as well be asserted that improvement had reached its utmost in any other direction. The concurrent supposition that the common domesticated kinds were given to man at first as domestic is likewise unsupported by evidence, POU ( 644 ) POU although the (lomestication of some of our poultry birds must be referred to a very early date. Among the Anatidcc some progress has recently been made in the domestication of new kinds ; and a beginning may even be said to have been made as to some additional gallinaceous birds." Poultry a la Tartare. — Divide the remains of a turkey capon or any poultry into neat joints, dip those in egg and bread-crumbs, then into clarified butter, then. into egg and bread-crumbs again, and set them aside untU wanted. Put the yolk of an egg into a bowl, and beat it for two or three minutes. Add a table-spoonful of dry mustard, a little pepper and salt, and a small pinch of cayenne, and, very gradually, eight table-spoonfuls of saladoil. The oil should be put in first in drops and afterwards in tea-spoonfuls, beating well between each addition. Stir in a tea-spoonful of vinegar, and then more oil and vinegar in the same proportion until the sauce is as thick as custard. Taste it, and add a larger proportion of vinegar if liked, but this will make the sauce thinner, which is not desirable. Add three shallots finely minced, a tea-spoonful of chopped tarragon and chervil, and five or six drops of the essence of anchovies. Poiir this cold sauce upon a dish. Broil the pieces of chicken over a clear fire till they are brightly browned, lay them upon the sauce, and garnish the dish with finely-minced pickled gherkins. A fresh chicken may be cut into neat joints and served in this waj', and will be found excellent. It should be seasoned, dipped in egg and bread-crumbs, sprinkled with clarified butter, dipped into egg and breadcrumbs again, and broiled over a clear fire for twenty-five minutes or half an hour. Time to broil the chicken, ten minutes. Probable cost, exclusive of the cold chicken, Is. 4d. Poultry and Veal Sausages {see Veal and Poultry Sausages). Poultry, Aspic {see Aspic Game or Poultry). Poultry, Boiled and Trussed.— In