its body in all sorts of ungainly and almost impossible directions with wooden and iron skewers, as long and large as ordinary walking-sticks. Then again, the goose is sent to table literally floating in gravy. Now the Continental cook, in view of the probable dearth of good Carvers, takes the skeleton out of the goose by boning, and having stuffed the bird, and pressed it back again into its original shape, sends it to table boneless and skewerless, so that a child can cut it; and what is equally to the point, the gravy or sauce is served in a- tureen. But it is not with dishes that need no special carving that we have to deal here ; such delicacies as galantines and boned meats generally requiring to be sliced only, it will be sufficient to observe that for them the Carver needs only to use a long, broad-bladed knife. To carve joints, game, fish, or poulti-y, the Carver should be comfortably and conveniently seated, with the dish holding the viand to be carved placed at a distance not exceeding the length of the forearm — that is, from the elbow to the wrist — from the edge of the table. The Carver should sit close to the table, upon a chair about Fig. 348. Poultry-scissors and Carver Combined. 2in. higher than the generality of dining-room chairs. Standing up to carve is neither graceful nor necessary, provided the Carver is a master of the art ; in any case, it is a sure sign of incompetence, and indicative of a “force- of-arms” operation, threatening direful consequences to the neighbouring guests. The Carver should be supplied with tools that are suit- able for the purposes required of them — a long, broad- bladed knife for slicing, such as round of beef (see Fig. 345) ; a long, narrow blade for ham (see Fig. 346) ; a short medium-broad blade for poultry (see Fig. 347) ; a slice for fish (see Fig. 357) ; and a pair of Carver's scissors for large birds when expedition and exceeding neatness are desirable. Fig. 348 illustrates a very ingenious instrument invented by a Frenchman, being poultry- scissors and carver combined. A would-be Carver can only attain proficiency by studying the bony structure, joints, and outward land- marks, so that he may carry his knife through the soft parts direct to the joint he wishes to sever ; otherwise, instead of clean cuts, he will disfigure the soft portions by hacking and jagging. Full directions for reaching these joints are described under their various headings ; 2 f 2 Sauces , dc., referred to, see under their special heads. 308 TEE ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF PRACTICAL COOKERY. Carving — continued. but it may be as well to state bere that as the limbs of all vertebrates, whether beasts, birds, or fishes, are joined to the trunk by ball-and-socket joints (see Fig. 349), they require a dexterous twist of the point of the knife to separate the internal ligament that holds the ball in its place. Other joints of the limbs are hinge joints (see Fig. 350), and some are merely slightly cupped or flat; but the most complicated and troublesome of all to divide are the joints of the vertebra in the backbone, from Fig. 349. Ball-and-socket Joint.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

its body in all sorts of ungainly and almost impossible directions with wooden and iron skewers, as long and large as ordinary walking-sticks. Then again, the goose is sent to table literally floating in gravy. Now the Continental cook, in view of the probable dearth of good Carvers, takes the skeleton out of the goose by boning, and having stuffed the bird, and pressed it back again into its original shape, sends it to table boneless and skewerless, so that a child can cut it; and what is equally to the point, the gravy or sauce is served in a- tureen. But it is not with dishes that need no special carving that we have to deal here ; such delicacies as galantines and boned meats generally requiring to be sliced only, it will be sufficient to observe that for them the Carver needs only to use a long, broad-bladed knife. To carve joints, game, fish, or poultry, the Carver should be comfortably and conveniently seated, with the dish holding the viand to be carved placed at a distance not exceeding the length of the forearm — that is, from the elbow to the wrist — from the edge of the table. The Carver should sit close to the table, upon a chair about Fig. 348. Poultry-scissors and Carver Combined. 2in. higher than the generality of dining-room chairs. Standing up to carve is neither graceful nor necessary, provided the Carver is a master of the art ; in any case, it is a sure sign of incompetence, and indicative of a “forceof-arms” operation, threatening direful consequences to the neighbouring guests. The Carver should be supplied with tools that are suitable for the purposes required of them — a long, broadbladed knife for slicing, such as round of beef (see Fig. 345) ; a long, narrow blade for ham (see Fig. 346) ; a short medium-broad blade for poultry (see Fig. 347) ; a slice for fish (see Fig. 357) ; and a pair of Carver's scissors for large birds when expedition and exceeding neatness are desirable. Fig. 348 illustrates a very ingenious instrument invented by a Frenchman, being poultryscissors and carver combined. A would-be Carver can only attain proficiency by studying the bony structure, joints, and outward landmarks, so that he may carry his knife through the soft parts direct to the joint he wishes to sever ; otherwise, instead of clean cuts, he will disfigure the soft portions by hacking and jagging. Full directions for reaching these joints are described under their various headings ; 2 f 2 Sauces , dc., referred to, see under their special heads. Carving — continued. but it may be as well to state bere that as the limbs of all vertebrates, whether beasts, birds, or fishes, are joined to the trunk by ball-and-socket joints (see Fig. 349), they require a dexterous twist of the point of the knife to separate the internal ligament that holds the ball in its place. Other joints of the limbs are hinge joints (see Fig. 350), and some are merely slightly cupped or flat; but the most complicated and troublesome of all to divide are the joints of the vertebra in the backbone, from Fig. 349. Ball-and-socket Joint.

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