POULTRY.
Cooked and Roasted Poultry.
Complete directions for utilizing Poultry Remnants.
THE CHICKEN.
The young chicken has a slender body and a delicate color. All young poultry has long legs, soft skin, feathers with oily quill that can be pulled out easily, small red comb, long claws and an elastic breast bone.
Old hens have a small, pale comb. If you wish to keep poultry, hang it up for a few days with the plumage, then pick it and dress it, stuff it with white paper, hang it up or wrap it in a clean cloth and put it on ice.
Poultry must not be cooked directly after slaughtering, because it will not get tender. According to the season it will keep 1–3 days.
A young chicken is roasted or fried. It is best when 8 to 16 weeks old. Old hens are good for cooking.
No. 1—ROAST SPRING CHICKEN.
Quantity for 6 Persons.
Preparation: The chicken is dressed, washed and dried well inside and outside and rubbed with salt.
Heart and liver may be put back into the chicken, gizzard and neck into the pan. The bacon slices are tied over the breast of the chicken, the pieces of butter put on top and then placed in the oven to roast one hour, basting it often until it is a golden yellow or light brown. Add water from time to time so that the butter will not get too brown. During the last 15 minutes put the cream, the flour and if necessary, water into the butter and let it simmer 15 minutes longer. Strain the gravy and serve with the chicken.
Remarks: You may leave off the bacon, but must baste the chicken every 5 minutes, because the breast gets dry very quickly.
No. 2—STUFFED ROAST CHICKENS.
Quantity for 6 Persons.
The Stuffing.
Preparation: The chickens are dressed, washed, dried and salted inside and outside. The stuffing made of finely chopped heart, liver, gizzard, from which the tough membrane has been removed, soaked roll, salt, pepper, parsley, nutmeg, butter, eggs and lemon juice, well mixed, is put into the chickens, the slices of bacon tied across the breast, the chickens sewed up and roasted exactly like No. 1.
Remarks: The stuffing may be made richer with ½ cup of chopped champignons and 3 truffles chopped fine.
No. 3—ANOTHER FORM OF STUFFED CHICKEN.
Quantity for 6 Persons.
The Stuffing.
Preparation: The chickens are prepared as described in No. 1 and 2.
The stuffing is made by heating the butter and stewing the onion slices to a light yellow in it, then add the chopped heart, liver and gizzard and stew 5 minutes. Add the roll and all the other ingredients, stew another few minutes, stir in the eggs, stuff the chickens, sew them up, tie bacon across the breast and fry the same as in No. 1.
No. 4—STEWED CHICKEN WITH CHAMPIGNONS.
Quantity for 6 Persons.
Preparation: The chickens are dressed and washed and fried in ⅛ lb. of butter in the oven for 15 minutes, basting them several times. After this time, stir into the butter the 2 tablespoonfuls of flour, add bouillon or water, salt, pepper, wine and champignons, cover the pot or pan, stew the chickens for 1 hour. Lastly put in the lemon juice and serve the chickens and gravy on one platter.
No. 5—OLD OR YOUNG CHICKEN WITH RICE.
Quantity for 6 Persons.
For the Gravy.
Preparation: The chickens are dressed, washed and boiled until tender in 3 qts. of water, the salt and onion slices. Boil a young chicken 45 minutes, old chicken 2–3 hours, according to its age. In the meantime, cook the rice in a double boiler with a few cups of bouillon and a little salt. When the rice is done, stir in a piece of fresh butter. Do not cook it too mushy.
The Gravy: Stir 1 tablespoonful of butter and 2 of flour, add some of the chicken broth, cook a few minutes till it thickens, add the white wine and stir in the 2 yolks of eggs.
The chickens are carved in nice pieces and placed in a heap in the middle of the platter, the rice around it and the gravy poured over the meat; or leave the chicken whole, place the rice around and serve the gravy separately.
Remarks: The gravy may be prepared without wine.
No. 6—CHICKEN PIE.
Quantity for 6 Persons.
The Paste.
Preparation: The chickens are dressed, washed and put to boil in the water and salt. Young chicken will be tender in 45 minutes, old chicken in 2 to 3 hours.
The Paste: Butter and lard must be very cold. Cut it into the flour and add the very cold water, mix lightly and roll one-half of it out in ¼ inch thick layer. The paste must be dry; the butter must be visible after rolling. Put this layer into a baking dish, cut up the chickens, put the pieces into the dish, pour in the bouillon so that meat and broth are even. Roll the other half of the paste, make a few cuts into it and cover the pie, trimming off the edge neatly. Bake in the oven 1 hour to a golden yellow color. Leave only enough broth for the gravy. Stir into the broth 1 tablespoonful of butter, 1½ of flour, cook, strain and serve with the pie.
Cabbage salad and fresh boiled potatoes go nicely with it.
No. 7—PUFF PASTE PATTIES, FILLED WITH CHICKEN RAGOUT.
Quantity for 6 Persons.
For the Gravy.
The Paste.
Preparation: The chicken is prepared well and cooked until tender in 1½ qts. of salt water, then cut up into very small pieces.
The Gravy: Melt the butter, stir in the flour, fill up with chicken broth, add cream and wine, cook till it thickens, put in the chopped champignons and the meat, season with salt and pepper, fill hot into the ready baked patties. Then bake in moderately hot oven for about 10 minutes and serve immediately.
Bake the patties according to No. 39, Chapter 3, Veal Sweetbread Patties.
No. 8—CHICKEN RAGOUT IN SHELLS OR OTHER SMALL MOLDS.
Quantity for 6 Persons.
Preparation: The chicken meat is cut up into small pieces. Butter is melted and flour stirred in, broth, cream and white wine added, seasoned with salt, pepper and lemon juice, cooked and filled into the shells or other small molds. Sprinkle with bread crumbs, place pieces of butter on top and bake in oven to a nice brown color.
Remarks: This ragout may be improved with ½ pt. of finely chopped champignons and 4 truffles also chopped fine. This chicken ragout in shells makes an excellent side dish.
No. 9—CHICKEN CROQUETTES.
The preparation and ingredients are the same as in No. 31, Veal Croquettes, or No. 30, Veal Sweetbread Croquettes. See Chapter 3.
No. 10—FINE CHICKEN FRICASSEE.
Quantity for 6–8 Persons.
For the Gravy.
Preparation: The chickens are dressed and washed, fried light brown in ¼ lb. of butter, and, when well done, carved.
For the gravy, stir into the drippings the flour, water or bouillon, cream, wine, champignons, juice and cook well. The gravy ought to be quite thick and light yellow, strain and season it with lemon juice, salt, if necessary, some pepper, and put in the whole champignons and the sliced truffles.
The chicken should be so carved that the meat will not fall from the bones and should be kept very hot. Put the meat on a platter and pour the gravy over it. Garnish the rim with puff paste scallops and small meat dumplings.
The dumplings are made by chopping the chicken liver, heart and gizzard, mixing it well with ½ soaked roll, salt, pepper, 1 egg, ½ teaspoonful of lemon juice. Fry the mixture in 1 tablespoonful of butter; when cool, form small dumplings and fry them a light brown in very little butter. This is a very fine dish.
No. 11—VIENNA BAKED CHICKEN.
Quantity for 6 Persons.
Preparation: The chickens are killed, dressed, washed, dried and prepared at once. Cut the chickens in half, salt them, dip them first into flour, then in beaten egg and then in bread crumbs. The lard is heated in an iron pot or kettle and the pieces of chicken placed into it carefully, one at a time, so as not to cool the fat too much and that the crumbs may not fall off. Bake them to a nice brown color. After the crust is hard, let them cook more slowly until well done. Then put on paper to drain, strew fine salt over the pieces and put on a platter after which they may be garnished with lemon slices.
No. 12—CHICKEN OR PIGEON CUTLET.
Quantity for 6 Persons.
Preparation: The birds are dressed, washed and skinned. Each breast is quartered and pounded a little, on each piece fasten a scraped wingbone and season with salt and pepper.
Beat the egg well with 1½ tablespoonfuls of drawn butter, dip in the cutlets and then into roll crumbs, mixed with 2 tablespoonfuls of flour, then fry in butter 8 to 10 minutes, turning them often. With asparagus these poultry cutlets are very fine.
Remarks: The scraps of poultry may be utilized for soup, croquettes or fricassee.
No. 13—CHICKEN PIE, ENGLISH STYLE.
Quantity for 6–8 Persons.
Preparation: The paste is made the same as the chicken pie in No. 6.
The chickens are prepared as in No. 6, the meat removed from the bones and cut into ¼ inch slices, the ham and veal too. The baking dish is lined with the paste and filled with alternate layers of meat, salted and peppered, chopped parsley and champignons and the yolks of eggs put in whole.
The tablespoonful of butter and 2 of flour are browned a little, broth or water added, stewed, and this poured over the meat. Cover with the paste as described in No. 6, then bake in the oven slowly for 1¾ hours. The pie may be eaten cold. Use no flour for the gravy, but clear broth.
No. 14—PIGEON PIE, ENGLISH STYLE.
Quantity for 6 Persons.
Prepare the pie crust as described in No. 6. See Chicken Pie.
Preparation: The pigeons are dressed, washed and fried in the butter for ½ hour, then cut in halves. Fry the steak, which has been cut into small pieces and the fat taken off, in the same butter for 10 minutes. Prepare a baking dish with the crust as described in No. 6, put in the meat, salted and peppered, parsley and champignons and place the yolks of eggs here and there between the meat. Slice the ¼ onion and brown together with the flour in the drippings, add the bouillon, stew, strain and pour over the meat, then cover with crust according to No. 6 and bake in the oven 1¼ hours.
Remarks: For the crust, use butter only.
No. 15—FRIED PIGEON.
Quantity for 6 Persons.
Preparation: The pigeons are dressed, washed, salted inside and outside. Heat the butter and fry the pigeons light brown on every side, basting with spoonfuls of water and cream. During the last ten minutes stir in the flour and add some more water if necessary, strain the gravy. On the stove it requires 1½ hours to fry the pigeons, to roast in the oven only one hour.
No. 16—STUFFED FRIED PIGEONS.
Quantity for 6 Persons.
For the Stuffing.
Preparation: The pigeons are dressed, washed and salted inside and outside.
The stuffing is made by mixing well the chopped liver, heart and gizzard from which the inner membrane has been removed with all the other ingredients. Stuff the pigeons with it, sew them, up and fry them as stated in No. 15; prepare the gravy likewise.
Remarks: You may make the stuffing more simply by omitting the champignons and truffles.
No. 17—FRIED PIGEONS WITH SWEET STUFFING.
Preparation: The butter is melted, and the soaked rolls stirred in and sautéed or dry fried. The almonds are scalded, skinned and ground and added with the rest of the ingredients. The pigeons are stuffed and prepared same as in No. 15.
No. 18—ROAST TURKEY.
Quantity for 10–15 Persons.
Preparation: The turkey is dressed and soaked in cold water 30 minutes, then dried and seasoned with pepper and salt inside and outside. The butter is placed in bits on the turkey and if it is a young turkey, roast it in the oven 2 hours, basting frequently with cream and water.
For the gravy, brown the flour in the drippings, add water, cook, strain and serve with the turkey.
If the turkey is older it will require 3 hours to cook it well, and it is best to cover it so it will not get too brown. To prevent the butter from getting too dark, add water from time to time.
Remarks: The leavings may be utilized in many ways. Turkey ragout in shells, see No. 8 for Chicken ragout in shells; Turkey croquettes, see No. 31. or No. 30, Chapter 3, Veal and veal sweetbread croquettes; Turkey pie, see No. 6, Chicken pie. The bones make a good soup.
No. 19—ROASTED AND STUFFED TURKEY.
Quantity for 10–15 Persons.
The Stuffing.
Preparation: Mix these ingredients well, stuff the turkey with the mixture and roast as directed in No. 18. Prepare the gravy the same as in No. 18.
The Goose.
The young goose or gosling has a soft gullet, a pale yellow bill and feet with pointed claws. The bill and feet of old geese are reddish yellow. The color of the skin must be white, not purple or blue.
The time for fat geese is from October to January.
No. 20—ROASTED YOUNG GOOSE.
Quantity for 6 Persons.
Preparation: The goose is cleaned and dressed. The wings, neck, head and feet chopped off. The fat is trimmed off, even from the bowels, and is soaked in water separately from the meat. The goose is washed and left to soak in cold water for 15 minutes, then dried and rubbed with salt inside and outside. Put it into the oven with 1 pt. of water, sliced onion and pepper-corns. When the water is boiled down pretty much, baste the goose frequently with browned butter. A young goose will be done in 1½ hours. It should be of a light brown color and very crisp. Sprinkle a tablespoonful of cold water over it to make it crisp.
Now prepare the gravy by stirring the flour into the drippings, cook it a few minutes and add water. Cook well, strain and serve with the goose.
No. 21—FAT GOOSE STUFFED WITH APPLES.
Quantity for 7–9 Persons.
The Gravy.
The Stuffing.
Preparation; The goose is prepared as described in the previous number, washed and salted inside and outside.
The prepared apples are mixed well with the currants and stuffed into the goose, which is then sewed up. The goose is put into the oven in a covered roasting pan with the water, sliced onion and pepper-corns, and roasted for 1 hour. After that time, remove the cover, baste with the drippings every 10 to 15 minutes, and if the water boils down, add spoonfuls of it so the fat will not get too brown. It may require from 2 to 3 hours roasting before the goose is well done and crisp. Sprinkle a tablespoonful of cold water over the skin to make it more crisp. Then serve.
For the gravy, pour off nearly all of the grease and prepare as described in No. 20. If there is very much grease from the goose, skim some of it off while roasting.
No. 22—FAT GOOSE STUFFED WITH CHESTNUTS.
Quantity for 7–9 Persons.
The Stuffing.
Preparation: The preparation and ingredients for goose and gravy are the same as in No. 21. The chestnuts are put into the oven; when the shells burst take them out, peel them at once and chop them fine. Put them into a kettle over the fire with water, butter, 1 pinch of salt and 1 of pepper and sugar and cook until well done, then put in the chopped goose liver, stuff the goose with this mixture and sew it up. Prepare the roast and gravy as directed in No. 21.
No. 23—FRIED GOOSE LIVER.
Quantity for 7–9 Persons.
Preparation: Carefully remove the gall from the liver and put the liver into milk diluted with water for 2 hours, dry it well, salt and pepper, dip into beaten egg, then into flour. Heat the butter and fry the liver 5 minutes to a light brown, turning it several times. Serve on a hot platter. For the gravy, brown ¼ tablespoonful of flour in the butter, add broth or water, cook well and serve with the liver.
No. 24—GOOSE GIBLETS.
Quantity for 2–3 Persons.
For the Gravy.
Preparation: The feet are scalded and skinned, the gizzard emptied and also scalded and skinned, the gullet cut from the neck, the eyes taken out, wings, neck and head well cleaned and singed. Now put all this in a kettle over the fire with the water, onion, salt, peppers, cloves, bay-leaf and cook until tender.
For the gravy, melt the butter, stir in the flour, cook and add the goose broth. The gravy must be smooth; stir into it one yolk of egg and pour it on the giblets. Serve in a deep dish.
Fresh, peeled potatoes are good with it.
Remarks: You may also utilize these goose giblets for soup and put in small potatoes.
No. 25—GOOSE LIVER PIE.
Quantity for 6 Persons.
Preparation: Two of the goose livers are larded with oblong slices of peeled truffles. Drip the juice from 1½ lemons on the livers and let stand for several hours.
The ⅛ lb. of butter is heated, mixed with the flour, salt and pepper and ¾ pt. of broth and Madeira added. The finely chopped or ground veal and pork are stirred into the thick gravy. The one goose liver is chopped, fried 2 minutes in 2 tablespoonfuls of butter and the onion, salted and peppered and mixed into the filling. Fill all this into a deep baking pan or mold lined with bacon slices so that it makes 2 to 3 layers of stuffing, alternating with slices of goose liver. Cover with slices of bacon, set in steamer over a kettle of boiling water and boil for 1½ hours or bake in oven for 1 hour.
A truffle or Madeira gravy may be served with it.
No. 26—GOOSE LIVER PUDDING.
Quantity for 6 Persons.
Preparation: Liver and bacon are chopped fine. Fry the butter, grated onion, and the roll a few minutes, then put in the chopped liver and bacon, salt, pepper, cheese, cream, 3 yolks of eggs, the beaten whites and mix well. Put into a buttered mold, set in a steamer over a kettle of boiling water and boil for one hour, dump it on a plate and serve with a hot, brown gravy. This pudding may be made of duck liver as well; truffles may be added to make it richer. It makes a fine dish garnished with roasted blackbirds.
No. 27—ROASTED WILD GOOSE.
Quantity for 6 Persons.
For Roasting.
The Gravy.
Preparation: Wild geese are usually very tough, therefore take a young goose only. Clean and dress it well, let it soak in water for ½ hour, dry it and salt it inside and outside.
The filling or stuffing is made by heating the butter, chopping the scalded onion and put into the butter together with the peeled and sliced apples, cut into ⅛ths. Let these cook half done, then add 1 pinch of white pepper, salt and 2 pulverized cloves, fill the goose with this and sew it up.
Tie the slices of bacon across the breast of the goose and put into the oven with the water and ⅛ lb. of butter, basting it frequently. When the gravy gets too brown add more water. After it is well cooked, take off the string and bacon and serve it.
The Gravy: Stir some flour into the broth, add water or more broth, cook a few minutes, strain and serve.
No. 28—SMOKED GOOSE BREAST.
Preparation: The breast is cut from an undressed goose. Cut off the legs and the meat off the breast down to the bone. Be careful not to injure the outer skin. The small fillets are separated from the breast and it is rubbed well with ½ the quantity of salt, which has been mixed with the saltpetre and sugar until it dissolves. Replace the small fillets after salting them also, fold, and sew up the breast. Salt it well on the outside and place into a crock for 7 days, turning it twice a day and basting it well with the brine that collects. On the eighth day wrap in paper, place it between two boards, well weighted, and draw a string through the top end of fat and skin by which to hang it up. Hang it into a smoke house in medium smoke for 8 to 10 days. Then place again between two boards weighted down for a few days. By this process the fat becomes white and hard and the meat keeps better.
The Duck.
When the duck is 6 months old it makes the finest roast, but you may roast it up to a year old. The best time for duck is from August to the beginning of December.
No. 29—ROAST DUCK.
Quantity for 6–8 Persons.
Preparation: The duck is dressed, neck, wings and feet cut off and it is washed, dried and salted inside and outside. The apples are peeled, quartered, mixed well with the currants, filled into the duck and this sewed up. Put it into a pan with the water, 2 tbsps. butter, and roast for 1½ hours, basting frequently.
For the Gravy: If there is too much grease, pour some of it off, stir in the flour, brown it a little, add water, cook well, strain and serve with the duck.
No. 30—ANOTHER FORM OF STUFFED DUCK.
Quantity for 6–8 Persons.
The Stuffing.
For the Gravy.
Preparation: The ducks are dressed after cutting off neck, wings and feet, then washed and salted and strewn with 1 pinch of pepper inside and outside.
The stuffing is made of chopped liver, heart, gizzard, mixed with all the other ingredients and put into the ducks, which are then sewed up and treated just the same as described in No. 29.
Prepare the gravy as given in No. 29.
No. 31—FRIED DUCK LIVER.
This is prepared the same as described in No. 23.
No. 32—GOOSE AND DUCK SCHWARZ-SAUER.
Black Soup.
Quantity for 4 Persons.
Preparation: Neck, head, feet, wings, heart and gizzard are cleaned well and cooked until tender in 1 qt. of water with salt, pepper and 2 cloves. The prunes and quartered apples or pears are cooked until done in ½ qt. of water. The blood is stirred with the flour into ½ of the broth from the giblets and poured back on again. The chopped fruit added, then seasoned with vinegar and sugar and brought to boil, stirring constantly. It must not coagulate.
THE GAME BIRDS.
THE PHEASANT.
One can recognize the young bird by its less developed spurs and flexible bones. The pheasant may become 5 to 10 years old. Freshly shot pheasants are not good to eat because the meat is dry and hard. In winter the bird may be left hanging with its feathers for 2 to 3 weeks.
No. 33—FRIED PHEASANT.
Quantity for 6 Persons.
Preparation: The young pheasant is dressed, carefully washed and dried, then salted inside and outside and the liver put back into the bird with a piece of butter. The slices of bacon are tied across the breast.
Put the pheasant into the oven with ⅛ lb. of butter, baste it frequently and roast to a golden yellow. After 30 minutes, baste frequently with the cream and water by spoonfuls. It will require 1 to 1½ hours to cook it well done. Before serving, remove the bacon slices.
Into the drippings stir the flour, brown it, if necessary add more water, cook and strain and serve the gravy with the bird.
No. 34—FRIED OLD PHEASANT.
The preparation is just the same as the one under No. 33, with the exception that it requires from 2½ to 3 hours to cook the bird well done, therefore take a little more cream and water for basting and cover the roasting pan during part of the time to keep the bird from getting too dark.
No. 35—PHEASANT PATTIES.
In Shells or Other Small Molds.
Quantity for 6–8 Persons.
Preparation: The skin is removed from the meat. The meat, truffles and champignons are chopped fine. The bones are put on the fire with 2 qts of water, salt, a small piece of onion and boiled down to ½ qt. of bouillon. Then the gravy is made by heating the 3 tablespoonfuls of butter and the same quantity of flour stirred in to brown, ½ qt. of bouillon added and cooked. Season with salt and pepper, add white wine, meat, truffles and champignons and stir in the 2 yolks of eggs. Beat the whites of eggs and stir lightly into the mixture. When this is done, fill the shells or buttered molds with the filling and bake in the oven to a nice brown color.
Remarks: Truffles and champignons may be omitted.
No. 36—STEWED PHEASANT.
Quantity for 6 Persons.
Preparation: The pheasant is cleaned, dressed, put into a stewpot with 3 tablespoonfuls of butter, fried a little on all sides, the flour stirred in and then enough broth added to cover the bird. Put in the rest of the ingredients named above and roast slowly in the oven for 2 to 2½ hours.
Strain the gravy through a fine sieve and serve with the pheasant.