Rail and Reed Birds. — Rail, when
roasted on the spit, enveloped in greased
paper, are very good. They should never
be stuffed. Fifteen minutes will cook them
if the fire be brisk. Reed birds are best
when roasted ait naticrcl on the spit before
a brisk fire. They cook better enveloped
in greased paper, there being less waste of
the fat. They are good, also, when stuffed
with bread crumbs, butter, and a little of
herbs ; and also when nicely broiled. Some
prefer them this way to all others.
Fried Rabbit. — Freeze or soak in salt
water over night ; cut off all the fat. Boil
tender, changing the water once or twice.
Dip in a batter and fry in hot butter and
lard mixed.
Stewed Rabbit. — Dress and freeze or
lay in salt water over night, boil until ten-
der, season with butter, and make dump-
25
lings, same as biscuit dough ; roll, cut in
pieces and drop them in; thicken gravy with
a little flour and milk.
Rabbit Smothered in Onions. — Parboil
the rabbit, salt, pepper, and roll in flour.
Put in pot alternately a layer of rabbit and
a layer of onions. Let simmer slowly until
done.
Quail on Toast. — Pick dry, draw and
split down the back ; wash and soak in salt
water a few minutes, drain and dry with a
cloth. Broil and baste often wdth butter;
set in the oven with bits of butter on each
piece and brown nicely. (They may be
fried as chicken if desired.) Have ready as
many slices of buttered toast as there are
birds and serve with breast upward on each
slice.
Roast Pigeon. — When clean and ready
for roasting, fill wdth dressing made same
as for turkey or chicken. They must be
well basted with melted butter, and roast
from three-quarters to one hour.
Game Pie. — When several kinds of
small game are brought in, the best way to
utilize them is to stew each kind tender,
add them together with enough butter to
make the gravy rich , and make the pie by lin-
ing a baking-pan wdth a rich crust the same
as for chicken pie ; put in the game, sea-
soned with salt and peppe✪ Game Pier, a little of the
dough for dumplings, and the gravy after it
has been thickened ; add top crust, pinch
the edges together like pie ; bake half an
hour in a hot oven.
Meats.
What we call flesh is chiefly composed
of muscle, with a certain proportion of fat
and a considerable quantity of water. A
piece of fresh beef, thoroughly dried, will
lose three-fourths of its weight. Starch
and sugar, which compose nearly fifty per
cent, of wheat bread, are absent from meat.
For this reason a due admixture of animal
and vegetable food seems best adapted for
the nutrition of the human body.
Wild animals have usually very little
fat. Domestic animals, fed for the market,
have often a large proportion of it. The
flesh of heavy sheep may be three-fourths
THE MODEL COOK BOOK
fat. Such fattening as this is unprofitable
to the consumer, causing much waste.
Good meat may be told from its firmness
and elasticity to the touch, from its marbled
appearance, its color, between pale pink and
deep purple, its lack of unpleasant odor,
and its slight shrinkage in cooking.
The following directions for the choice
of meat will be of service to the young
housekeeper :
Page 20 · 1 recipe record on this page
Presented as published in 1901. 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
Rail and Reed Birds. — Rail, when roasted on the spit, enveloped in greased paper, are very good. They should never be stuffed. Fifteen minutes will cook them if the fire be brisk. Reed birds are best when roasted naturally on the spit before a brisk fire. They cook better enveloped in greased paper, there being less waste of the fat. They are good, also, when stuffed with bread crumbs, butter, and a little of herbs ; and also when nicely broiled. Some prefer them this way to all others.
Fried Rabbit. — Freeze or soak in salt water over night ; cut off all the fat. Boil tender, changing the water once or twice. Dip in a batter and fry in hot butter and lard mixed.
Stewed Rabbit. — Dress and freeze or lay in salt water over night, boil until tender, season with butter, and make dump-
lings, same as biscuit dough ; roll, cut in pieces and drop them in; thicken gravy with a little flour and milk.
Rabbit Smothered in Onions. — Parboil the rabbit, salt, pepper, and roll in flour. Put in pot alternately a layer of rabbit and a layer of onions. Let simmer slowly until done.
Quail on Toast. — Pick dry, draw and split down the back ; wash and soak in salt water a few minutes, drain and dry with a cloth. Broil and baste often wdth butter; set in the oven with bits of butter on each piece and brown nicely. (They may be fried as chicken if desired.) Have ready as many slices of buttered toast as there are birds and serve with breast upward on each slice.
Roast Pigeon. — When clean and ready for roasting, fill wdth dressing made same as for turkey or chicken. They must be well basted with melted butter, and roast from three-quarters to one hour.
Game Pie. — When several kinds of small game are brought in, the best way to utilize them is to stew each kind tender, add them together with enough butter to make the gravy rich , and make the pie by lining a baking-pan wdth a rich crust the same as for chicken pie ; put in the game, seasoned with salt and pepper, a little of the dough for dumplings, and the gravy after it has been thickened ; add top crust, pinch the edges together like pie ; bake half an hour in a hot oven.
Meats.
What we call flesh is chiefly composed of muscle, with a certain proportion of fat and a considerable quantity of water. A piece of fresh beef, thoroughly dried, will lose three-fourths of its weight. Starch and sugar, which compose nearly fifty per cent, of wheat bread, are absent from meat. For this reason a due admixture of animal and vegetable food seems best adapted for the nutrition of the human body.
Wild animals have usually very little fat. Domestic animals, fed for the market, have often a large proportion of it. The flesh of heavy sheep may be three-fourths
fat. Such fattening as this is unprofitable to the consumer, causing much waste. Good meat may be told from its firmness and elasticity to the touch, from its marbled appearance, its color, between pale pink and deep purple, its lack of unpleasant odor, and its slight shrinkage in cooking.
The following directions for the choice of meat will be of service to the young housekeeper :
Records on this page
Game Pie