Baked Turkey

Ingredients

• a turkey
• a teaspoonful of bicarbonate of soda
• a half teaspoonful of pepper
• one teaspoonful of salt
• one teaspoonful of summer savory
• enough grated bread crumbs
• sufficient butter
• about a pint of boiling stock

Method

1. 1

   Put the turkey into a pan of cold water; rinse it inside and out in three or four waters.

2. 2

   In the last water but one, dissolve a teaspoonful of bicarbonate of soda.

3. 3

   Fill the body with this water; shake it well; pour it off and rinse with fresh water.

4. 4

   Wipe it dry inside and out; rub the inside with pepper and salt.

5. 5

   Prepare a dressing by mixing enough grated bread crumbs to fill the craw and body of the turkey with pepper, salt, savory, and sufficient butter to make it slightly moist.

6. 6

   Stuff the turkey, tie the neck, sew up the incision, and bake with a pint of boiling stock, basting frequently.

As published

This recipe was extracted from Manual for army cooks (1896) by United States. War Dept. Subsistence Dept., page 48. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

. Turkey cannot be too fat ; the broader the breast and the shorter the neck the better. The skin must be uniform in appearance and white. A young turkey has a smooth leg and a short spur, eyes bright and full, and, if fresh, the feet are flexible. The al)sence of these signs denotes age or staleness. Chickens. — The skin of a chicken should be a clear white and easily torn, the fat pale yellow, and tlie flesh Avhite. If the rump is hard and stift* it is fre.sh, if soft it may be tainted. Ducks. — If the duck is young the lower part of its legs is soft, the web is also soft, and the lower mandible will not sustain the weight of the bird. This rule applies to all birds. If the breast of the duck is hard it is fresh enough. Geese. — A young goose has much down, the bill yellow, and the legs soft and of a yellow color. An old goose has little down, the skin is thick and tough, and the legs are reddish and rough. When fresh the legs are soft and the feet i^liable. TO PREPARE POULTRY. Cut off the neck within an inch or two of the body, and the legs at the first joint. Make a length- wise incision under the rump large enough to easily draw the bird, which must be done carefully, exer- cising particular care not to rupture the gall blad- der ; carefully pick the bird and singe with a piece of lighted paper, or, better, over an alcohol flame. 114 MANUAL FOR ARMY -COOKS. BAKED TURKEY. Tame and wild turkeys are prepared and cooked alike. The time for cooking is from fifteen to twenty minutes to the pound, but this depends much upon the age of the bird ; it must be well done to be j)alatable. Success lies in cooking it long enough, and frequent basting Put the turkey into a pan of cold water ; rinse it inside and out in three or four waters ; in the last water but one dissolve a teaspoonful of bicarbon- ate of soda. Fill the body with this water ; shake it well ; pour it off and rinse with fresh water ; wii:)e it dry inside and out ; rub the inside with pepper and salt. Prepare a dressing as follows : Mix into enough grated bread crumbs to fill the craw and body of the turkey, a half teaspoonful of pepper, one teaspoonful of salt, one teaspoonful of summer savory, thyme, or sage with sufficient butter, beef drippings, stock, or lard to make the mixture slightly moist. Mix all thoroughly and stuff the craw and body with it ; tie a string tightly about the neck ; sew uj:) the incision ; tie down the wings and legs, then lay it on its back in the baking pan ; wet the skin, sea- son it with pepper and salt, and dredge it with flour. Distribute on the upper side small pieces of butter ; put into the |)an about a pint of boiling stock

Cook this with the app: pantry check, scaling, and the assistant.