POULTRY
Reading edition
HOW TO CLEAN
Singe fowl over free flame. Cut off head just below bill. Untie feet, break bone and loosen sinews just below joint; pull out sinews and cut off feet. Cut out oil sac. Lay breast down, slit skin down backbone toward head; loosen windpipe and crop and pull out. Push back skin from neck and cut off neck close to body. Make slit below end of breastbone, put in fingers, loosen intestines from backbone, take firm grasp of gizzard and draw all out. Cut around vent so that intestines are unbroken. Remove heart and lungs. Remove kidneys. See that inside looks clean, let cold water run through, then wipe inside and out with wet cloth. Cut through thick fleshy part of gizzard and remove inside heavy skin without breaking, then cut away gristly part so that only thick, fleshy part is used.
ROAST POULTRY
After poultry is cleaned and washed inside and out with cold water, fill inside with dressing. Have at least a yard fine twine in trussing needle. Turn wings across back so that the pinions touch. Run needle through thick part of wing under bone, through body and wing on other side; return in same way, but passing needle in over bone, tie firmly, leaving several inches of twine. Press legs up against body, run needle through thigh, body and second thigh, return, going round bone in same way; tie firmly. Run needle through ends of legs, return, passing needle through rump; if opening is badly torn, one or two stitches may be needed; or if steel skewers are used put one through wings of fowl and other through opposite thigh. Then wind twine in figure eight from one handle of skewer to other. Rub all over with soft butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on rack in roasting pan and put into very hot oven. Make basting mixture with ½ cup each of butter and water; keep hot and baste every 10 or 15 minutes. Roast 3 hours for 8 pound turkey, 1 to 2 hours for chicken and ducks. Keep oven very hot. If bird is very large and heavy, cover breasts and legs with several thicknesses of paper to keep from burning.
POULTRY DRESSING
2 cups stale bread
1 tablespoon finely cut onion
1 tablespoon drippings
1 tablespoon finely cut parsley
½ tablespoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon paprika
powdered sage if desired
Soak bread in cold water 5 minutes and press out all water. Put drippings and onion into pan and cook slowly, stirring constantly until onion is tender but not brown. Add bread, parsley and seasoning, and mix well together.
OYSTER DRESSING
20 oysters
2 tablespoons butter
4 cups bread crumbs
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ tablespoon salt
Drain and rinse oysters with cold water. Put butter in saucepan with oysters and bring to boiling point; add bread crumbs, parsley and seasoning; mix carefully, so that oysters will not be broken.
GIBLET GRAVY
Boil neck, gizzard and wing tips together until tender. Pour off excess of fat in pan in which poultry has been roasted; add enough stock from the gizzard and neck to make 3 cups of gravy. Chop gizzard, liver and heart and add; add 1 teaspoon finely cut onion, 1 teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon pepper, 2 tablespoons flour mixed with a little cold water and boil 3 minutes.
FRIED CHICKEN
Singe, wash and clean chicken; cut into pieces as follows; two second joints, two drumsticks, two wings, breast cut into two pieces, backbone cut into four pieces. Wipe with piece of cheesecloth; season with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. Put into hot frying pan with 2 tablespoons bacon drippings or butter and brown quickly. Add a little water, cover, reduce heat and cook slowly until tender. Remove chicken; mix 1 tablespoon flour with whatever gravy or fat is in pan; add 1 cup cold milk; boil until thick. This gravy should be rich cream color.
FRICASSEE OF CHICKEN
Prepare and cut up as for fried chicken. Pat into saucepan with just enough boiling water to cover; add teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon pepper and, if desired, 1 teaspoon onion juice. Boil slowly 2 hours or until tender; add water from time to time, as it boils away. When finished there should be 2 cups of stock. Thicken with 1 tablespoon flour mixed with little cold water and add 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley. Serve in border of hot boiled rice.
CHICKEN PIE
Singe, draw and clean a 4-lb. chicken. Disjoint, cut breast into four pieces, cut second joints and legs apart. Save neck, wing tips, heart, gizzard and liver for soup. Put on the rest with enough boiling water to cover; cook slowly 2 hours.
Add 1 quart washed, pared and diced white potatoes. Cook 20 minutes or until tender. Add ½ tablespoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley and 2 tablespoons flour mixed with little cold water. Boil 3 minutes. Pour all into dish and cover with pastry. Bake 20 minutes in a moderate oven.
PASTRY
Sift together 1 cup flour, 2 teaspoons Dr. Price's Baking Powder, 1 teaspoon salt; rub in very lightly 4 tablespoons shortening; add just enough cold water to make stiff dough. Roll out on floured board and cover top of pie.
ROAST GOOSE, BREAD AND APPLE DRESSING
Wipe inside with damp cloth, and season with salt and pepper; put in dressing and sew up. Push back skin and cut off neck. In the skin put 2 apples, which have been pared, quartered and cored; tie the skin. Put in pan breastbone up; dust with salt, pepper and flour. Place in hot oven; when seared, baste with 2 cups cold water; turn breast side down and roast two hours, basting three or four times with cold water. Ten minutes before serving turn breast side up. Remove fat and make gravy as directed for Roast Poultry.
DRESSING
1 tablespoon drippings or butter
2 tablespoons chopped onions
1 quart finely chopped apples
4 cups stale bread crumbs
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon pepper
⅛ teaspoon paprika
1 egg
Put drippings and onion into frying pan, cook a few minutes and add apples. Cover bread with cold water a few minutes, drain and press out all water. Put into pan, add seasoning and beaten egg; mix well until thoroughly cooked.