Boiled Fowls

Ingredients

• a full-sized fowl
• rather less than half a gallon of cold added to an equal quantity of boiling water
• a small half-teaspoonful of salt

Method

1. 1

   Truss the fowls firmly and neatly, cover with hot water (not boiling).

2. 2

   A full-sized fowl requires about 45 minutes to simmer.

3. 3

   Serve with sauces like parsley and butter, bechamel, or white mushroom sauce.

As published

This recipe was extracted from Modern cookery, in all its branches (1884) by Eliza Acton, page 255. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

BOILED FOWLS. White-legged poultry should always be selected for boiling as it is of better colour when dressed than any other. Truss the fowls firmly and neatly, with the legs drawn into the bodies, and the wings twisted over the backs ; let them be well covered with water, which should be hot, but not boiling when they are put in. A full-sized fowl will re- quire about three quarters of an hour from the time of its beginning to simmer ; but young chickens not more than from twenty to twenty-five minutes : they should be very gently boiled, and the scum should be removed with great care as it gathers on the surface of the water. Either of the following sauces may be sent to table with them : parsley and butter, bechamel , English white sauce, 0}rster, celery, or white-mushroom sauce. The fowls are often dished with small tufts of delicately boiled cauliflower placed round them ; or with young vegetable marrow scarcely larger than an egg, merely pared and halved after it is dressed : white sauce must be served with both of these. The livers and gizzards are not, at the present day, ever served in the wings of boiled fowls. The livers may be simmered for four or five minutes, then pressed to a smooth paste with a wooden spoon, and mixed very gradually with the sauce, which should not boil after they are added. Full-sized fowl, f hour : young chickens, 20 to 25 minutes. Obs. — Rather less than half a gallon of cold added to an equal quantity of boiling water, will bring it to the proper degree of heat for putting in the fowls, or the same directions may be observed for them as those given for a boiled turkey. For richer modes of boiling poultry, see Blanc and Poelce , Chapter IX. TO BROIL A CHICKEN OR FOWL. Either of these, -when merely split and broiled, is very dry and unsavoury eating ; but will be greatly improved if first boiled gently from five to ten minutes and left to become cold, then divided, dipped into egg and well seasoned bread-crumbs, plentifully sprinkled with clarified butter, dipped again into the crumbs, and broiled over a clear and gentle fire from half to three quarters of an hour It should be served very hot, with mushroom-sauce or with a little good plain gravy, which may be thickened and flavoured with a teaspoonful of mushroom-powder mixed with half as much flour and a little butter ; or with some Espagnole. It should be opened at the back, and evenly divided quite through; the legs should be trussed like FowLfor boiling. CHAP. XIV.] POULTRY. 275 those of a boiled fowl ; the breast - bone, or bat of the back may be removed at pleasure, and both sides of the bird should be made as flat as they can be that the fire ma}’’ penetrate every part equally : the inside should be first laid towards it. The neck, feet and gizzard may be boiled down with a small quantity of onion and carrot, previously browned in a morsel of butter to make the gravy ; and the liver, after having been simmered with them for five or six minutes, may be used to thicken it after it is strained. A teaspoonful of lemon-juice, some cayenne, and minced parsley should be added to it, and a little arrow-root, or flour and butter, to f hour. FRICASSEED FOWLS OR CHICKENS. (ENTREE.) To make a fricassee of good appearance without great expense, prepare, with exceeding nicety, a couple of plump chickens, strip off the skin, and carve them very neatly. Reserve the wings, breasts, merrythoughts, and thighs ; and stew down the inferior joints with a couple of blades of mace, a small bunch of savoury herbs, a few white peppercorns, a pint and a half of water, and a small half- teaspoonful of sal

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