Miss Corson's practical American cookery and household management

After the squabs are carefully plucked, cut off the head, wings, and legs, near the body ; cut through the skin down the middle of the back, and then, keeping the knife pressed flat against the carcass of the bird, cut the flesh away from it until the -joints of the wings and legs are reached ; unjoint these, and continue cutting until the ridge of the breastbone is reached ; it is here that there is most danger of cutting or tearing the skin, so that great care must be exercised to prevent it. When the entire flesh has been freed from the carcass, lay it skin down on the table, take out the wing and leg bones from the inside, and replace the carcass with any good force-meat or stuffing ; well-seasoned sausage-meat will be good for this purpose. Fold the skin over the force-meat, secure it in place with a few stitches, and round the bird in good shape ; roast or bake the boned squabs, and serve them either with aspic jelly or a salad, after removing the string used to confine the force-meat. Orange salad is good with cold birds. The squabs may be served hot ; and tender pigeons may be cooked in the same way, or they may be drawn carefully and either roasted or baked, with or without stuffing, and served with a brown 'gravy. ROAST TURKEY POULT. In the late spring and summer, turkey poults, or young turkeys, are preferable to the larger and older birds. They may be used as soon as they grow plump and well fleshed. Prepare a turkey poult for roasting by carefully removing the feathers, and then singe, and wipe it with a wet towel ; draw it without breaking the intestines ; thoroughly wash a fresh calfs tongue, or several smaller ones, — as many as the turkey will hold ; put the tongue inside the turkey, after seasoning it with a level teaspoonful of salt and a dust of cayenne, and then sew up and truss the turkey ; put it before an open fire, and quickly brown it on all sides, turning it frequendy ; when it is brown, season it with salt and pepper, basting it with the drippings which flow from it. A turkey poult of four or five pounds will roast in about an hour. At the end of three-quarters of an hour, run a sharp thin knife-blade into the flesh, at the joint where the leg is united to the body of the bird, and examine the juice that flows ; if it is brownish in color, the poult is sufficiently cooked ; if the juice is red, the bird is not yet done : when the poult is nearly done, change the dripping-pan under it ; pour nearly all the drippings out of the pan, set it over the • fire, stir in a heaping tablespoonful of flour, and continue to stir until the flour is brown ; then gradually add a pint of boiling water, stirring the gravy thus formed until it boils and is quite smooth, then season it palatably with salt and pepper, and it will be ready to use. When the turkey poult is done, remove the trussing-cords or skewers, and serve it with the gravy ; the tongue is carved, and served with the poult. Any green salad, or fresh tomatoes, make a good garnish for the poult. A salad of sour oranges, sliced and dressed with salad-oil and a little cayenne, is exceedingly good with any roast poultry. BOAST TURKEY. A large turkey may be roasted in the same way, the stuffing being made of tongue ; or any of the following stuffings can be used.