Poéled fowls are trussed as above; they are covered with slices of bacon in order that the fillets may be protected during the first stages of the cooking; then they are cooked in butter on poéling-aromatics, under cover and in a deep, thick sauce- pan. When the piece is almost cooked, just moisten it a little, either with rich poultry-stock, with the cooking-liquor of truffles or mushrooms, with Madeira, red or white wine, &c. This moistening serves in the basting of the fowl and must there- fore be renewed if it reduces too quickly. After having been cleared of all grease, it is always added to the sauce which accompanies the piece of poultry. Braised fowls are always treated after the manner described under No. 248; they are not rubbed with lemon, but they are covered with slices of bacon. The latter should only cover the breast, but be thick, notwithstanding; for they protect the belly, which, without them, would shrivel by the time the legs cooked. The covering of bacon is essential to all pieces of poultry, whether these be poached, poéled, braised or roasted. 1444—THE WAY TO SERVE POULTRY RELEVES QUICKLY AND HOT I feel bound to call the reader’s attention to this very im- portant point in culinary work :— Owing to the difficulties involved in the carving of the fowl and the placing and arranging of the pieces and their garnish upon the consumers’ plates—both of which operations require dexterity and expertness, which those in charge very often do not possess, or thanks to the inefficiency of particular installa- tions, or what not, I have noticed for some considerable time, that the method of serving large pieces of poultry is, in many cases, very far from being the right one. » For, indeed, how often does not the diner find himself pre- sented with a plate of fowl which is neither appetisingly dainty nor yet sufficiently hot! It follows from this, that all the care and trouble devoted by a chef to the preparation of the dish are entirely wasted. Now, I have tried to improve this state of affairs, by planning a method of serving which would be at once simple and expeditious, without necessarily being devoid * of tastefulness and presentability, POULTRY 475 In the first place, it is my practice to remove the fowl’s two suprémes, in the kitchen, and to keep them warm in a little cooking-liquor until the last minute. Secondly, I remove all the bones of the breast, and I reconstruct the fowl with a garnish in keeping with the dish, 7.e., either a mousseline force- meat, pilaff rice combined with cream, foie gras and truffles, spaghetti, or noodles with cream. Having properly smoothed and arranged the selected gar- nish, the fowl may now be placed, either at one end of any but a round dish, or on a low cushion of fried bread, on which it may be set firmly. It may also be entirely coated with Mornay sauce, sprinkled with grated cheese, and speedily glazed. When the body of the bird is dished, its garnish should be set round it in fine, tartlet crusts; its suwprémes, quickly sliced, _ should be distributed among the tartlets, and the dish sent to the table with the sauce separately. By this means, it reaches the table hot, it is served quickly and cleanly; and every person gets a slice of meat, and not garnish only, as was so often the case formerly. Instead of tartlets, one may use thin crottons of bread, of the size of the slices of chicken, and fried in fresh butter. Thus, for a “‘ Poularde 4 la Derby,’’ after having stuffed the pullet with rice, suppressed the bones of the breast, and removed the suprémes ; all that is necessary is to properly shape the rice, and to dish the fowl on a cushion.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Poéled fowls are trussed as above; they are covered with slices of bacon in order that the fillets may be protected during the first stages of the cooking; then they are cooked in butter on poéling-aromatics, under cover and in a deep, thick saucepan. When the piece is almost cooked, just moisten it a little, either with rich poultry-stock, with the cooking-liquor of truffles or mushrooms, with Madeira, red or white wine, &c. This moistening serves in the basting of the fowl and must therefore be renewed if it reduces too quickly. After having been cleared of all grease, it is always added to the sauce which accompanies the piece of poultry. Braised fowls are always treated after the manner described under No. 248; they are not rubbed with lemon, but they are covered with slices of bacon. The latter should only cover the breast, but be thick, notwithstanding; for they protect the belly, which, without them, would shrivel by the time the legs cooked. The covering of bacon is essential to all pieces of poultry, whether these be poached, poéled, braised or roasted. 1444—THE WAY TO SERVE POULTRY RELEVES QUICKLY AND HOT I feel bound to call the reader’s attention to this very important point in culinary work :— Owing to the difficulties involved in the carving of the fowl and the placing and arranging of the pieces and their garnish upon the consumers’ plates—both of which operations require dexterity and expertness, which those in charge very often do not possess, or thanks to the inefficiency of particular installations, or what not, I have noticed for some considerable time, that the method of serving large pieces of poultry is, in many cases, very far from being the right one. » For, indeed, how often does not the diner find himself presented with a plate of fowl which is neither appetisingly dainty nor yet sufficiently hot! It follows from this, that all the care and trouble devoted by a chef to the preparation of the dish are entirely wasted. Now, I have tried to improve this state of affairs, by planning a method of serving which would be at once simple and expeditious, without necessarily being devoid * of tastefulness and presentability, In the first place, it is my practice to remove the fowl’s two suprémes, in the kitchen, and to keep them warm in a little cooking-liquor until the last minute. Secondly, I remove all the bones of the breast, and I reconstruct the fowl with a garnish in keeping with the dish, 7.e., either a mousseline forcemeat, pilaff rice combined with cream, foie gras and truffles, spaghetti, or noodles with cream. Having properly smoothed and arranged the selected garnish, the fowl may now be placed, either at one end of any but a round dish, or on a low cushion of fried bread, on which it may be set firmly. It may also be entirely coated with Mornay sauce, sprinkled with grated cheese, and speedily glazed. When the body of the bird is dished, its garnish should be set round it in fine, tartlet crusts; its suprêmes, quickly sliced, _ should be distributed among the tartlets, and the dish sent to the table with the sauce separately. By this means, it reaches the table hot, it is served quickly and cleanly; and every person gets a slice of meat, and not garnish only, as was so often the case formerly. Instead of tartlets, one may use thin crottons of bread, of the size of the slices of chicken, and fried in fresh butter. Thus, for a “‘ Poularde 4 la Derby,’’ after having stuffed the pullet with rice, suppressed the bones of the breast, and removed the suprémes ; all that is necessary is to properly shape the rice, and to dish the fowl on a cushion.

A guide to modern cookery