Roasting. For true roasting, a bird should
be both young and fat. (See ''Classification
of Poultry,” p. 224.) Frying chickens, roast¬
ers, capons, and pullets may be roasted, also
young hen or Tom turkeys, up to one year
of age. Farm ducks are good for roasting
when from four to nine months old. Green
ducks or ducklings, sold on a commercial
scale, are often three months old or under.
Usually female birds that have begun to lay
eggs are no longer suitable for true roasting.
For the way to prepare the bird for roast¬
ing see page 228. It is roasted whole, with or
without stuffing.
When poultry is roasted the giblets and
neck may be cooked by stewing, in simmer¬
ing, salted water, until tender. The gizzard
and heart need moist heat to make them
tender; and whatever the style of service
they are better if first cooked tender in
water. When all the giblets are cooked in
water, the heart and gizzard should be
started in time to permit one to two hours of
stewing, the liver being added about 15 min¬
utes before the others are done. The cooked
giblets may be chopped and added either to
the stuffing or to the gravy. The stock may
be used to moisten the stuffing, or in the
gravy, if a dry stuffing is preferred.
Poultry stuffings are all made on the same
general plan. The essential ingredients are
(1) a starchy base, usually bread, white,
brown, or corn, though it may be boiled rice
or mashed potatoes; (2) fat in some form,
for richness and flavor and to prevent soggi¬
ness; it may be melted butter, margarine,
rendered poultry fat, drippings, or tiny
pieces of salt pork; and (3) seasonings, in¬
cluding onion, celery, parsley, and herbs,
such as sage, savory, thyme, and marjoram.
To the essential ingredients many additions
are made to stuffings for roast poultry.
These include mushrooms, chestnuts (boiled
15 minutes and peeled), oysters, sausage (no
other fat is needed), eggs, and dried and
fresh fruits. Any meat added to stuffings
should be precooked.
There are two schools of thought on
stuffings, whether they should be rather dry
or have liquid added. The dry type is made
from one- or two-day-old bread.- The loaf
may be cut in two and the inside flaked out
with a fork, leaving the crusts for some other
purpose; or the crusts may be removed and
the loaf grated; or it may be flaked apart
with the fingers, either the inside of the loaf
or slices, leaving the crusts. This type of
stuffing is light and fluffy — seldom soggy.
When moisture is added, drier crumbs
may be used or bread that is older. It may
be pulled apart or cut into cubes. Moist
stuffings sometimes have slightly beaten egg
added as a binder. The liquid may be stock
from the giblets, hot water, or milk. Too
much liquid will make a soggy stuffing.
Page 208
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
Roasting. For true roasting, a bird should be both young and fat. (See ''Classification of Poultry,” p. 224.) Frying chickens, roast¬ ers, capons, and pullets may be roasted, also young hen or Tom turkeys, up to one year of age. Farm ducks are good for roasting when from four to nine months old. Green ducks or ducklings, sold on a commercial scale, are often three months old or under. Usually female birds that have begun to lay eggs are no longer suitable for true roasting.
For the way to prepare the bird for roasting see page 228. It is roasted whole, with or without stuffing.
When poultry is roasted the giblets and neck may be cooked by stewing, in simmer¬ ing, salted water, until tender. The gizzard and heart need moist heat to make them tender; and whatever the style of service they are better if first cooked tender in water. When all the giblets are cooked in water, the heart and gizzard should be started in time to permit one to two hours of stewing, the liver being added about 15 min¬ utes before the others are done. The cooked giblets may be chopped and added either to the stuffing or to the gravy. The stock may be used to moisten the stuffing, or in the gravy, if a dry stuffing is preferred.
Poultry stuffings are all made on the same general plan. The essential ingredients are (1) a starchy base, usually bread, white, brown, or corn, though it may be boiled rice or mashed potatoes; (2) fat in some form, for richness and flavor and to prevent soggi¬ ness; it may be melted butter, margarine, rendered poultry fat, drippings, or tiny pieces of salt pork; and (3) seasonings, in¬ cluding onion, celery, parsley, and herbs, such as sage, savory, thyme, and marjoram. To the essential ingredients many additions are made to stuffings for roast poultry. These include mushrooms, chestnuts (boiled 15 minutes and peeled), oysters, sausage (no other fat is needed), eggs, and dried and
fresh fruits. Any meat added to stuffings should be precooked.
There are two schools of thought on stuffings, whether they should be rather dry or have liquid added. The dry type is made from one- or two-day-old bread.- The loaf may be cut in two and the inside flaked out with a fork, leaving the crusts for some other purpose; or the crusts may be removed and the loaf grated; or it may be flaked apart with the fingers, either the inside of the loaf or slices, leaving the crusts. This type of stuffing is light and fluffy — seldom soggy.
When moisture is added, drier crumbs may be used or bread that is older. It may be pulled apart or cut into cubes. Moist stuffings sometimes have slightly beaten egg added as a binder. The liquid may be stock from the giblets, hot water, or milk. Too much liquid will make a soggy stuffing.