Twentieth century home cook book

If care be taken to cut only through the skin, these cords may be pulled out easily, one at a time, with the fingers. Or take them all out at once by putting the foot of the fowl against the casing of a door, then shut the door tightly and pull out the leg. The tendons will come out with the foot ; but if once cut, they can not be removed. The drumstick of a roast chicken or turkey is greatly improved by removing the tendons, which always become hard and bony in baking. There is a special advantage in cutting the leg below the joint, as the ends of the bones afford more length for tying, and after roasting, this is easily broken off, leaving a clean, unburned joint for the table. TO ROAST A TURKEY. When the turkey is prepared as above, fill the place from which the crop was taken with a force-meat of bread crumbs, salt pork, sweet marjoram, [125] pepper and salt ; mix well, draw the skin down over it, securing well with a small skewer. Dredge with flour, and if the turkey is not very fat, use bits of butter about the breast Turn the fowl frequently until the flour begins to brown ; baste often with salt and water from the dripping pan ; when half done, dredge it again with flour; if the breast seems to be browning too fast, place a piece of paper over it. Fifteen or twenty minutes before you wish to serve it drip a little melted butter over it. For gravy, boil the neck, heart, liver and gizzard in a pan, adding a pint of water • when very tender, remove from the water, chop all fine, rejecting the neck, and return same to liquor in which they were cooked ; add to this the liquor in the dripping pan of the roaster; skim all the fat from the surface of the stewpan ; set the pan over the fire, boil a- few minutes, thicken gravy with a little browned flour. Serve with Cranberry sauce. ROAST TURKEY. The turkey is without doubt the most savory and finest flavored of all our domestic fowls, and is justly held in the highest estimation by all good livers. A dressing made of bread crumbs, butter, sweet herbs rubbed fine, moistened with eggs and seasoned with pepper, salt and grated nutmeg. Sausage meat or forced meat made of chicken meat, boiled ham grated fine, chopped oysters, roasted or boiled chestnuts, rubbed fine, stewed mushrooms, or last, but not the least in estimation, a dozen fine truffles, cut into pieces and sauted in the best of butter, and adding part to the stuffing and part to the sauce, which is made from the drippings. (Made into a good, brown gravy by the addition of a cupful of cold water thickened with a Httle flour, with the giblets boiled and chopped fine in it.) A turkey of ten pounds will require two and a half hours roasting and frequent basting. Currant jelly, Cranberry jelly or Cranberry sauce, should always be on the table with roast turkey. ROAST TURKEY, WITH OYSTER DRESSING. After washing turkey thoroughly, wipe dry and rub with a little salt. Have ready some bread cut in dice, salt, pepper, sage and one tablespoonful of butter, two dozen raw oysters. Mix all together and stuff the turkey. Sew or skewer it ; put in an oven and bake two and a half hours, basting frequently. POULTRY. ^^" TO BRAISE A TURKEY.