Cassell's dictionary of cookery

Chicken, Roast. — Yoimg spring chickens should be vory carefully prepared for roasting, as the flesh is so tender that it will easily tear. They require no stuffing. A little butter placed inside is an improvement. They should be firmly trussed like a fowl, well flavoured, put down to a clear fire, and basted constantly until ready. Bread (brown), mushroom, egg, er chestnut sauce may all be seived with roast chicken. If the fire is too fierce a piece of oiled paper may be fastened over the breast of the bird whilst it is down. Time to roast, half an hour. Probable cost, 2s. 6d. each. Sufficient for two or three persons. Chicken, Roast (another way.) — If it is wished to stuff the chicken, a forcemeat may be made by mincing the liver and an equal quantity of bacon together, then adding a salt-spoonful of finely-minced lemon-rind, a table-spoonful of grated bread-crumbs, a dessert-spoonful of chopped parsley, three or four chives, cut small, and a little pepper. The chicken should then be covered with slices of bacon, with a piece of buttered paper fastened over them. If it is preferred, a couple of boned anchovies may be substituted for the lemonrind in the stuffing. Time to roast, half an hour. Probable cost, 2s. 6d. each. Sufficient for three persons. Chicken Salad, Plain.— Take a wellboiled fowl, and cut it into neat, small pieces. Make a pickle of equal parts of oil, vinegar, with a little finely-minced onion, salt, and pepper, and let the pieces lie in this two or three hours, turning them occasionally that the chicken may become impregnated with the flavour of the pickle. Prepare some lettuce; if it is young, the little heads may be cut into halves ;' if large, the hearts may be cut lengthways and divided ; but especial care should be taken in making salads that the lettuce is perfectly dry. It is a good plan to wash it some hours before it is needed, and hang it in a wire basket in an airy situation. If after this it is not quite free from moisture, two or three leaves at a time should be put into a clean dry towel, and shaken gently about. A salad is never properly made unless attention is paid to this point, as the dressing, instead of mixing with the salad, will be all at the bottom of the bowl. IMake a sauce as in the preceding recipe. Arrange the chicken and salad in the dish as prettily as you can, and CHI ( 132) CHI pour the sauce over them; garnish with thin slices of beetroot cut into shapes with an oriiinarj^ pastry cutter, hard-boiled eggs cut into slices or quarters, and a little green parsley between the pieces of egg. A chicken salad neatly and tastefully arranged has a good appearance, and is generally a welcome dish. Time to boil the chicken, half an hour. Probable cost : chicken, 2s. Gd. ; salad and dressing, Is. Sufficient for six persons. Chicken Salad, Ricli.— Boil a largo