Young ducks, or ducklings, and goslings are among the
most delicious poultry : they are very fat, and the flesh is
highly flavored. Good ducks and geese are plump, with
abundance of semi-transparent, soft fat : they have a pliable
breast-bone, flesh-colored and brittle beaks, and windpipes
that break when pressed between the thumb and finger.
As the birds grow old, the color of the feet and beaks
changes from yellow to red. Goslings are sometimes called
green geese.
Pigeons and squabs, either domestic or wild, are gener-
ally in market. Pigeons are good when the breasts are
large and plump in proportion to the size of the bird. The
flesh of old birds is very dark-colored, that of good ones is
dark red, and of squabs so light as to be almost pink. The
36 PRACTICAL AMERICAN COOKERY.
squabs, also, are very short and fat, and have full round
bodies and soft legs and feet.
GAME-BIRDS.
Game-birds are abundant in all parts of America, in their
season, and can usually be bought in good condition from
reliable dealers. The breasts should always be full and
tender, and the skin upon the rump and about the vent
clear and freshly colored : if there is any appearance of
discoloration, the birds are stale. A few feathers plucked
from these parts will disclose the color of the skin, and a
touch will indicate the condition of the breast. Despite the
fact that epicures like game hung until it is upon the verge
of putrefaction, it is neither safe nor wholesome food in that
condition : when it is reasonably fresh, it cannot be excelled.
Among the larger game-birds, the canvas-back duck is the
best. It is as abundant in the great North-western lakes as
upon the Eastern seaboard, and the canvas-backs of the
Pacific Coast are delicious. This duck may be distinguished
from other species by the appearance of the feathers on the
back of the male bird, which resemble a piece of rough can-
vas. The bills of canvas-backs run nearly on a line with the
top of the head, and are about three inches long : they are
black, as contrasted with the bills of other wild duck, which
generally show some trace of color. When the bills of other
ducks are black, they are usually of a different shape to those
of canvas-backs.
GAME.
Large game is abundant and varied, and is good until it
begins to taint. Prime game is clean and fat, and free from
any unpleasant or musty odor. The most abundant is veni-
son ; but buffalo, bear, elk, antelope, wild sheep and goat,
and rabbits, hares, squirrels, raccoons, otters, beavers, badg-
ers, and musquash or muskrat, are frequently marketed, —
MARKETING. 37
the latter especially in Southern cities, where the old /colored
cooks convert them into excellent dishes.
Page 28
Presented as published in 1885. 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
Young ducks, or ducklings, and goslings are among the most delicious poultry : they are very fat, and the flesh is highly flavored. Good ducks and geese are plump, with abundance of semi-transparent, soft fat : they have a pliable breast-bone, flesh-colored and brittle beaks, and windpipes that break when pressed between the thumb and finger. As the birds grow old, the color of the feet and beaks changes from yellow to red. Goslings are sometimes called green geese.
Pigeons and squabs, either domestic or wild, are generally in market. Pigeons are good when the breasts are large and plump in proportion to the size of the bird. The flesh of old birds is very dark-colored, that of good ones is dark red, and of squabs so light as to be almost pink. The
squabs, also, are very short and fat, and have full round bodies and soft legs and feet.
GAME-BIRDS.
Game-birds are abundant in all parts of America, in their season, and can usually be bought in good condition from reliable dealers. The breasts should always be full and tender, and the skin upon the rump and about the vent clear and freshly colored : if there is any appearance of discoloration, the birds are stale. A few feathers plucked from these parts will disclose the color of the skin, and a touch will indicate the condition of the breast. Despite the fact that epicures like game hung until it is upon the verge of putrefaction, it is neither safe nor wholesome food in that condition : when it is reasonably fresh, it cannot be excelled. Among the larger game-birds, the canvas-back duck is the best. It is as abundant in the great North-western lakes as upon the Eastern seaboard, and the canvas-backs of the Pacific Coast are delicious. This duck may be distinguished from other species by the appearance of the feathers on the back of the male bird, which resemble a piece of rough canvas. The bills of canvas-backs run nearly on a line with the top of the head, and are about three inches long : they are black, as contrasted with the bills of other wild duck, which generally show some trace of color. When the bills of other ducks are black, they are usually of a different shape to those of canvas-backs.
GAME.
Large game is abundant and varied, and is good until it begins to taint. Prime game is clean and fat, and free from any unpleasant or musty odor. The most abundant is venison ; but buffalo, bear, elk, antelope, wild sheep and goat, and rabbits, hares, squirrels, raccoons, otters, beavers, badgers, and musquash or muskrat, are frequently marketed, —
the latter especially in Southern cities, where the old /colored cooks convert them into excellent dishes.