Cooked poultry always should be used as
promptly as possible even when properly re¬
frigerated. It tends to dry out and may lose
its fine flavor. In preparing it for service,
heat only enough for the meal and heat it
thoroughly.
Creamed chicken and turkey are par¬
ticularly perishable. To avoid waste and
[227]
also to avoid the risk of food poisoning, pre¬
pare in amounts for immediate service. Any
left-over creamed chicken may be stored in
the freezing compartment for a short time.
Smoked poultry, uncooked or cooked, like
smoked meat, should be refrigerated. To
prevent drying out, taking up odors and
flavors from other foods, or transferring its
own odor and flavor to other foods, smoked
poultry always should be well covered before
refrigerating.
PREPARATION AND COOKERY
Eviscerated or full-drawn poultry and cut¬
up poultry are practically ready for cooking
when purchased. Drawn chickens may need
to be cut up; this will depend upon the
method of cooking and serving. Either may
need washing. Market-dressed poultry will
have to be drawn and groomed for cooking.
Preparation for Cooking. In preparing a
market-dressed bird, the first thing to do is to
singe it by holding a short distance above a
low gas or other flame until the skin is free of
any fine hairs and down. In singeing the bird,
change its position rapidly so as not to let
the heat injure the flesh.
Next remove the head with a sharp, thin
knife; then the feet, by cutting just below
the knee joint, taking care to avoid cutting
the tendons. Place one leg at a time over
the edge of the table at the cut and press
down quickly to break the bone. A foot and
tendons then can be removed by pulling
with the right hand while holding the bird
firmly with the left. In old birds, it is nec¬
essary to remove the tendons one at a time
by running a metal skewer under each ten¬
don and pulling hard to loosen it. The ten¬
dons should be removed from turkeys before
the feet are removed. Then the bird should
be scrubbed thoroughly, with a soft brush if
necessary. A mild soap is sometimes needed
to clean old birds, especially geese.
To remove the pinfeathers — the little un¬
developed feathers protruding just the tiniest
bit — pull them with a strawberry huller or
small tweezers, or remove them with the tip
of a pointed knife. Pressure against the flesh
at the base of each pinfeather with the dull
edge of the knife also helps to push them out.
Next, cut the skin at the back of the neck
down to the shoulders and insert the fingers
to pull out the windpipe; then the crop.
Push the neck skin back and cut off the neck,
leaving the extra skin to fold under and make
a neat finish. The pinions of the wings may
be removed or not as desired. In dry-heat
cookery these tend to harden.
To draw the bird, make an incision
through the skin between the end of the
breastbone and the vent, either in line with
the breastbone or at right angles to it, just
large enough to insert the hand. Reach in
and locate the gizzard, which is easily felt.
It may be grasped firmly and all the viscera
removed including the heart, liver, and in¬
testines. Take care not to break anything,
especially the gall bladder, which lies on the
under side of the right lobe of the liver.
Page 203
Presented as published in 1935. 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
Cooked poultry always should be used as promptly as possible even when properly re¬ frigerated. It tends to dry out and may lose its fine flavor. In preparing it for service, heat only enough for the meal and heat it thoroughly.
Creamed chicken and turkey are par¬ ticularly perishable. To avoid waste and
[227]
also to avoid the risk of food poisoning, pre¬ pare in amounts for immediate service. Any left-over creamed chicken may be stored in the freezing compartment for a short time.
Smoked poultry, uncooked or cooked, like smoked meat, should be refrigerated. To prevent drying out, taking up odors and flavors from other foods, or transferring its own odor and flavor to other foods, smoked poultry always should be well covered before refrigerating.
Eviscerated or full-drawn poultry and cut-up poultry are practically ready for cooking when purchased. Drawn chickens may need to be cut up; this will depend upon the method of cooking and serving. Either may need washing. Market-dressed poultry will have to be drawn and groomed for cooking.
Preparation for Cooking. In preparing a market-dressed bird, the first thing to do is to singe it by holding a short distance above a low gas or other flame until the skin is free of any fine hairs and down. In singeing the bird, change its position rapidly so as not to let the heat injure the flesh.
Next remove the head with a sharp, thin knife; then the feet, by cutting just below the knee joint, taking care to avoid cutting the tendons. Place one leg at a time over the edge of the table at the cut and press down quickly to break the bone. A foot and tendons then can be removed by pulling with the right hand while holding the bird firmly with the left. In old birds, it is nec¬ essary to remove the tendons one at a time by running a metal skewer under each ten¬ don and pulling hard to loosen it. The ten¬ dons should be removed from turkeys before the feet are removed. Then the bird should be scrubbed thoroughly, with a soft brush if necessary. A mild soap is sometimes needed to clean old birds, especially geese.
To remove the pinfeathers — the little un¬ developed feathers protruding just the tiniest bit — pull them with a strawberry huller or small tweezers, or remove them with the tip of a pointed knife. Pressure against the flesh at the base of each pinfeather with the dull edge of the knife also helps to push them out.
Next, cut the skin at the back of the neck down to the shoulders and insert the fingers to pull out the windpipe; then the crop. Push the neck skin back and cut off the neck, leaving the extra skin to fold under and make a neat finish. The pinions of the wings may be removed or not as desired. In dry-heat cookery these tend to harden.
To draw the bird, make an incision through the skin between the end of the breastbone and the vent, either in line with the breastbone or at right angles to it, just large enough to insert the hand. Reach in and locate the gizzard, which is easily felt. It may be grasped firmly and all the viscera removed including the heart, liver, and in¬ testines. Take care not to break anything, especially the gall bladder, which lies on the under side of the right lobe of the liver.