Harper's cook book encyclopædia

boil Yz lb. of bacon for ten minutes; cut into small pieces and put into a saucepan with a half tablespoonful of butter. Place the squabs over the bacon and cook ten minutes, when they should be a golden color. Pour over them one pint of good warm stock; add one pinch of salt and one of pepper. Have ready a bunch of small new turnips, one of small new carrots which have been parboiled in boiling water for ten minutes and afterwards peeled, with three very small and hard new cabbages, also parboiled for ten minutes, but in a separate kettle. Drain well, and cut into quarters lengthwise the turnips and carrots. Press the water out of the cabbages, but do not break them. Add the vegetables when the stock is poured over ; season with one large onion and two sprigs of parsley. Cook slowly thirty minutes, turning each squab twice during the cooking. Dress the vegetables in centre of the platter, keeping pieces of cabbage to be placed between the birds. Arrange the squabs feet up, with a little bunch of carrots and turnips on top. Keep hot in the oven. Finish the gravy with a half table-spoonful of butter mixed with one teaspoonful of flour. When smooth, strain it over the squabs and vegetables, and serve very hot. Squabs, Baked. — Singe and draw three fat squabs ; wipe them with a clean, wet towel, cut them in four pieces, and flatten with the kitchen knife. Season each piece with salt and pepper. Garnish a small, deep baking-dish with very thin slices of raw bacon. Sprinkle over one tablespoonful of onions, chopped fine ; place one layer of the squabs, then one layer of hard-boiled eggs, sliced, one layer of bacon, and one of squabs, another of hard-boiled eggs, and the last layer on top of bacon. Mix one teaspoonful of butter with one of flour. Pour half a pint of good, warm broth in the mixed flour; mix well, and pour over the squabs. Cover the dish with a piece of well-buttered paper. Bake in a moderate oven one hour. Squabs in Halves (with watercress).— Cut the heads and feet from three large, fat squabs ; singe the birds, and with a sharp knife cut them open at the back ; remove the intestines, reserving the liver. With a wet towel wipe them all over; do not wash them ; it spoils the taste of the meat. Sprinkle them all over with a level salt-spoonful of salt and half a one of pepper. Butter a roastingpan with one table-spoonful and a half of butter, and pour into it half a gill of cooking Madeira wine. Place the squabs in the pan side by side, and cover them with a piece of white buttered paper. Roast in a hot oven for twelve minutes, and then remove the paper. Wash the livers and dry them, and place them with the squabs ; cook three minutes more. Have six slices of toast. Crush the livers, spread them over the toast, and dip the toast in the gravy. Serve a half bird on each slice of toast, arranged around the heaped water-cress. Turkey, Roast Wild (Kentucky style). — Rub the inside of the turkey with salt and cayenne, hang before a brisk fire, baste with melted butter, and turn frequently until done. Cut up the gizzard and liver, stew in a little water, to which add half a teacupful of cream and a table-spoonful of butter ; mix with the gravy. Serve the turkey with apple sauce.