Harper's cook book encyclopædia

Chicken, Boned. — Take an old hen and boil it in water until the bones drop out, and chop fine ; put it back on the fire in a little of the water in which it was boiled, with I oz. of gelatine previously dissolved in a little cold water; season very highly in whatever way you like, and cook gently for a few minutes. Turn out into a shape or mould, and serve cold. Chicken, Breaded. — Singe and draw a spring chicken. Cut it into four pieces. Melt one table-spoonful of butter, and blend with it one teaspoonful Chicken, Broiled Chicken, Celeried of salt and one salt-spoonful of pepper ; roll each part of the chicken in this, and afterwards in beaten egg. Bread each piece of chicken, put them in a well-buttered pan, and pour over one table -spoonful of melted butter. Cook in a hot oven twenty minutes. Cut two white hearts of lettuce into four parts, wash, and tie up to avoid breaking. Boil for fifteen minutes. Drain, and plunge them quickly into cold water. Put them into a clean saucepan, with sufficient broth to cover them, and cook thirty minutes in covered pan. Take out and drain the lettuce well, pressing gently. Keep warm while sauce is being made. Add to the stock in which the lettuce has been cooked one gill of good cream, and cook slowly for five minutes. Mix half a table -spoonful of fresh butter with one teaspoonful of flour, and blend to a smooth paste. Remove the saucepan from the stove, and add this mixture to the stock already in it, stirring so as to mix well. Strain, and serve in a hot sauce-boat. Chicken, Broiled (with tomato sauce). — Split a small spring chicken down the back, twist the tips of the wings over the second joint, wipe dry, and break the breast-bone with a rolling-pin. Lay on a greased broilingiron, and set over a clear fire ; turn often to prevent burning. Sprinkle with pepper and salt. When done, put on a heated dish, pour over melted butter, and serve with tomato sauce. Chicken Broth. — This may be made from the inferior joints of a fowl. Roast it for twenty minutes before putting it to boil ; by this means the flavor will be improved. Generally speaking, a quart of water may be allowed for a medium-sized fowl. Put it into cold water, with very little salt and no pepper, as these are better added afterwards. Simmer very gently for a couple of hours, and skim the liquid carefully as it comes to a boil. If there is time, pour it out, let it get cold, re- move every particle of fat, and boil it up again. Chicken broth may be thickened with rice, oatmeal, or pearl barley, and these, besides making it more nutritious, will absorb a portion of the chicken fat and make it smoother and lighter of digestion. A piece of beef put in with the chicken is an improvement.