Cut carefully through the skin of the leg first,
bend back the foot so as to expose the sinews and
crack the bone. Now give the foot a twist and a
pull, and the sinews will generally come away. If
not, take a skewer and loosen them one by one,
giving the skewer a twist and pulling them out.
Or, if very tough, the foot of the fowl may be
jammed in a drawer and a good pull given to the
drumstick. If properly done, seven ligaments in
all should come away. Now scald the piece of
leg, that is left on the fowl, in boiling water and
peel off the outside skin. If the fowl is to be
stuffed, or anything to flavour it put inside, this
should now be done. The custom of putting the
gizzard in one wing, and the liver in the other, is
now somewhat out of date.
To truss the fowl — place it on its breast, pull
the piece of skin from the neck over the back,
and cross the ends of the wings over this. Turn
over, push the rump through the slit in the skin
at the vent end and thus close up the opening.
Then take hold of the legs and push them well
back towards the wings, and downwards, to give
the fowl a nice plump appearance. Now take a
trussing needle and fine string, pass the needle
through one wing, one leg, right through the body,
and catch the leg and wing at the other side, and
draw it through. Turn the fowl over, with needle
and string catch the points of the two wings and
the skin of the neck, and tie the two ends of the
string together. Leave both ends at least J yard
in length, and draw off the needle.
Bring the ends of string down, and tie them
round the rump of the fowl. Then tie down the
two legs into position, bringing them close together,
and making the shanks stand up. Fasten the
string off in a loop knot, so that it can easily be
undone.
Dust the fowl over with a little flour and it is
ready for roasting.
To Truss a Fowl for Bolling. — Draw and prepare
the fowl as directed above, then cut off the legs
at the knee joint. To do this, cut the skin round
the leg at that part, crack the joint, and pull the
shank off, bringing the sinews with it.
Put the first finger through the hole made for
drawing the fowl, loosen all the outside skin from
the flesh of the thighs, and press the leg joints
inside. They should be quite out of sight with
the loosened skin drawn over them. Push the
rump also inside and draw the skin over, so as to
close the opening.
Then truss in the same way as for a roast fowl,
except that, instead of tying the string round the
rump, twist it twice round the narrow end of the
fowl and then tie it very tightly, to prevent the legs
slipping upwards and breaking through the skin.
To Cut a Fowl in Joints
First cut off the wings, taking a slice off the
breast with them and separating them at the joint.
Then remove the legs, cut them in two at the joint
and chop off the ends of the bones. Now separate
the breast, bone and all, from the back of the
fowl. Cut the breast in two lengthwise, right
through the bone and in two again, if large. Then
chop the back through in two or three pieces.
The number of joints depends very much on the
size of the fowl, but ten pieces at least should be
procured — two wings, four pieces from the legs,
two from the breast and two from the back.
POULTRY, RABBITS, AND GAME 277
To Bone a Fowl ✪ Steamed Fowl
Page 441 · 2 recipe records on this page
Presented as published in 1914. 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
Cut carefully through the skin of the leg first, bend back the foot so as to expose the sinews and crack the bone. Now give the foot a twist and a pull, and the sinews will generally come away. If not, take a skewer and loosen them one by one, giving the skewer a twist and pulling them out. Or, if very tough, the foot of the fowl may be jammed in a drawer and a good pull given to the drumstick. If properly done, seven ligaments in all should come away. Now scald the piece of leg, that is left on the fowl, in boiling water and peel off the outside skin. If the fowl is to be stuffed, or anything to flavour it put inside, this should now be done. The custom of putting the gizzard in one wing, and the liver in the other, is now somewhat out of date.
To truss the fowl — place it on its breast, pull the piece of skin from the neck over the back, and cross the ends of the wings over this. Turn over, push the rump through the slit in the skin at the vent end and thus close up the opening.
Then take hold of the legs and push them well back towards the wings, and downwards, to give the fowl a nice plump appearance. Then take a trussing needle and fine string, pass the needle through one wing, one leg, right through the body, and catch the leg and wing at the other side, and draw it through. Turn the fowl over, with needle and string catch the points of the two wings and the skin of the neck, and tie the two ends of the string together. Leave both ends at least 1 yard in length, and draw off the needle.
Bring the ends of string down, and tie them round the rump of the fowl. Then tie down the two legs into position, bringing them close together, and making the shanks stand up. Fasten the string off in a loop knot, so that it can easily be undone.
Dust the fowl over with a little flour and it is ready for roasting.
To Truss a Fowl for Bolling. — Draw and prepare the fowl as directed above, then cut off the legs at the knee joint. To do this, cut the skin round
the leg at that part, crack the joint, and pull the shank off, bringing the sinews with it.
Put the first finger through the hole made for drawing the fowl, loosen all the outside skin from the flesh of the thighs, and press the leg joints inside. They should be quite out of sight with the loosened skin drawn over them. Push the rump also inside and draw the skin over, so as to close the opening.
Then truss in the same way as for a roast fowl, except that, instead of tying the string round the
rump, twist it twice round the narrow end of the fowl and then tie it very tightly, to prevent the legs slipping upwards and breaking through the skin.
To Cut a Fowl in Joints
First cut off the wings, taking a slice off the breast with them and separating them at the joint. Then remove the legs, cut them in two at the joint and chop off the ends of the bones. Now separate the breast, bone and all, from the back of the fowl. Cut the breast in two lengthwise, right through the bone and in two again, if large. Then chop the back through in two or three pieces.
The number of joints depends very much on the size of the fowl, but ten pieces at least should be procured — two wings, four pieces from the legs, two from the breast and two from the back.
To Bone a Fowl
Records on this page
Steamed FowlBoiled Fowl