Poultry dressed at market seldom have tendons removed unless so ordered. It is always desirable to have them withdrawn, as they become hard and bony during cooking. It is the practice of marketmen to cut a gash through the skin to reach crop and wind- pipe more easily. This gash must be sewed before stuffing and causes the bird to look less attractive when cooked. To Cut Up a Fowl. Singe, draw out pinfeathers, cut off head, remove tendons and oil bag. Cut through skin between leg and body close to body, bend back leg (thus breaking ligaments), cut through flesh, and separate at joint. Separate the upper part of leg, second joint, from lower part of leg, drumstick, as leg is sepa- rated from body. Remove wing by cutting through skin and flesh around upper wing joint which lies next to body, then disjoint from body. Cut off tip of wing and separate wing at middle joint. Remove leg and wing from other side. Separate breast from back by cutting through skin, beginning two inches below breastbone and passing knife between terminus of small ribs on either side and extending cut to collar bone. Before removing entrails, gizzard, heart, liver, lungs, kidneys, crop, and windpipe, observe their position, that the anatomy of the bird may be understood. The back is sometimes divided by cutting through the middle crosswise. The wishbone, with adjoining meat, is frequently removed, and the breast meat may be separated in two parts by cutting through flesh close to breastbone with cleaver. Wipe pieces, excepting back, with cheesecloth wrung out of cold water. Back piece needs thorough washing. To Clean Giblets. Remove thin membrane, arteries, veins, and clotted blood around heart. Separate gall bladder from liver, POULTRY AND GAME 330 cutting off any of liver that may have a greenishtinge. Cut fat and membranes from gizzard. Make a gash through thickest part of gizzard, and cut as far as inner lining, being careful not to pierce it. Remove the inner sack and discard. Wash giblets and cook until tender, with neck and tips of wings, putting them in cold water and heating water quickly that some of the flavor may be drawn out into stock, which is to be used for making gravy. To Stuff Poultry. Put stuffing by spoonfuls in neck end, using enough to fill the skin so that bird may look plump when served. When cracker stuffing is used, allow for the swelling of crackers, otherwise skin may burst during cooking. Put remaining stuffing in body; if the body is full, sew skin; if not full, bring skin together with a skewer. Body may be lined with large crusts, cut from loaf, before putting in stuffing. In Trussing a Chicken for Roasting the String Does Not Cross the Breast To Truss Chicken and Turkey. Draw thighs close to body and hold by inserting a steel skewer under middle joint, running it through body, coming out under middle joint on other side. Cross drumsticks, tie securely with a long string, and fasten to tail. Place wings close to body and hold them by inserting a second skewer through wing, body, and wing on opposite side. Draw neck skin under back and fasten with a small wooden skewer. Turn bird on 334 THE BOSTON COOKING-SCHOOL COOK BOOK its breast. Cross string attached to tail piece and draw it around each end of lower skewer; again cross string and draw around each end of upper skewer; fasten string in a knot and cut offends. In birds that are not stuffed, legs are often passed through incisions cut in body under bones near tail. To Truss Ducks and Geese. Ducks and geese, having short legs, are trussed differently from chicken, fowl, and turkey. After inserting skewers, wind string twice around one leg bone, then around other leg bone, having one-inch space of string between ‘legs. Draw legs with both ends of string close to back, cross string under back, then fasten around skewers and tie in a knot.

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Poultry dressed at market seldom have tendons removed unless so ordered. It is always desirable to have them withdrawn, as they become hard and bony during cooking. It is the practice of marketmen to cut a gash through the skin to reach crop and windpipe more easily. This gash must be sewed before stuffing and causes the bird to look less attractive when cooked. To Cut Up a Fowl. Singe, draw out pinfeathers, cut off head, remove tendons and oil bag. Cut through skin between leg and body close to body, bend back leg (thus breaking ligaments), cut through flesh, and separate at joint. Separate the upper part of leg, second joint, from lower part of leg, drumstick, as leg is separated from body. Remove wing by cutting through skin and flesh around upper wing joint which lies next to body, then disjoint from body. Cut off tip of wing and separate wing at middle joint. Remove leg and wing from other side. Separate breast from back by cutting through skin, beginning two inches below breastbone and passing knife between terminus of small ribs on either side and extending cut to collar bone. Before removing entrails, gizzard, heart, liver, lungs, kidneys, crop, and windpipe, observe their position, that the anatomy of the bird may be understood. The back is sometimes divided by cutting through the middle crosswise. The wishbone, with adjoining meat, is frequently removed, and the breast meat may be separated in two parts by cutting through flesh close to breastbone with cleaver. Wipe pieces, excepting back, with cheesecloth wrung out of cold water. Back piece needs thorough washing. To Clean Giblets. Remove thin membrane, arteries, veins, and clotted blood around heart. Separate gall bladder from liver, cutting off any of liver that may have a greenish tinge. Cut fat and membranes from gizzard. Make a gash through thickest part of gizzard, and cut as far as inner lining, being careful not to pierce it. Remove the inner sack and discard. Wash giblets and cook until tender, with neck and tips of wings, putting them in cold water and heating water quickly that some of the flavor may be drawn out into stock, which is to be used for making gravy. To Stuff Poultry. Put stuffing by spoonfuls in neck end, using enough to fill the skin so that bird may look plump when served. When cracker stuffing is used, allow for the swelling of crackers, otherwise skin may burst during cooking. Put remaining stuffing in body; if the body is full, sew skin; if not full, bring skin together with a skewer. Body may be lined with large crusts, cut from loaf, before putting in stuffing. In Trussing a Chicken for Roasting the String Does Not Cross the Breast To Truss Chicken and Turkey. Draw thighs close to body and hold by inserting a steel skewer under middle joint, running it through body, coming out under middle joint on other side. Cross drumsticks, tie securely with a long string, and fasten to tail. Place wings close to body and hold them by inserting a second skewer through wing, body, and wing on opposite side. Draw neck skin under back and fasten with a small wooden skewer. Turn bird on its breast. Cross string attached to tail piece and draw it around each end of lower skewer; again cross string and draw around each end of upper skewer; fasten string in a knot and cut off ends. In birds that are not stuffed, legs are often passed through incisions cut in body under bones near tail. To Truss Ducks and Geese. Ducks and geese, having short legs, are trussed differently from chicken, fowl, and turkey. After inserting skewers, wind string twice around one leg bone, then around other leg bone, having one-inch space of string between ‘legs. Draw legs with both ends of string close to back, cross string under back, then fasten around skewers and tie in a knot.

Boston Cooking-School cook book