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, make small slit from 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, lungs and kidneys, wash inside and out with cold water, then wipe dry with 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 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; 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 season. Place on rack in roasting pan and put into very hot oven. Make basting mixture with 1/2 cup each of butter and water; keep hot and baste every 10 or 15 minutes. Roast 3 hours for 8 pound turkey, 1 to 1-1/2 hours for chicken and ducks 3 to 4 pounds. 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 1/2 tablespoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1/4 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 1/2 tablespoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Drain and rinse oysters with cold water. Put butter in saucepan with oysters and bring to boiling point; add bread crumbs, seasoning and parsley; 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; then add 1 teaspoon finely cut onion, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, 2 tablespoons flour mixed with a little cold water.
Boil 3 minutes.
Fricassee of Chicken
Prepare and cut up as for fried chicken. Put into saucepan with just enough boiling water to cover; add a teaspoon salt, a little pepper and, if desired, a teaspoon of onion juice. Boil slowly 2 hours or until tender; add a little water from time to time, as it boils away. Thicken with a tablespoon flour mixed with a little cold water and add a tablespoon of finely chopped parsley. Serve with border of hot boiled rice or dumplings.
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 damp cloth; sprinkle with salt and pepper; dredge in flour. Put into frying pan with 2 tablespoons bacon drippings or half drippings and half butter and brown quickly. Add a little water, cover, reduce heat and fry slowly on both sides. Remove chicken; mix 1 tablespoon flour with whatever gravy or fat is in pan; add 1 cup cold milk or water; boil until thick.
Chicken Pie
Singe, draw and clean a 4-lb. chicken as usual. Disjoint, cut the breast into four pieces, cut the thigh and leg apart. Save the neck, wing tips, heart, gizzard and liver for soup. Put on the rest with enough boiling water to cover; cook 2 hours.
Add 2 quarts washed, pared and diced white potatoes. Cook 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Add 1 tablespoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley and 2 tablespoons flour mixed with a little cold water. Boil 3 minutes. Pour all into dish, cover with rich pastry. Bake 20 minutes in moderate oven.
PASTRY
Sift together 1 cup flour, 2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, 1 teaspoon salt; rub in very lightly 4 tablespoons shortening; add just enough cold water to make a stiff dough. Roll out on floured board and put over 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 and quartered; tie the skin. Put in pan breastbone up; dust with salt, pepper and flour. Place in hot oven; when browned baste with 2 cups cold water; turn breast side down and roast 2 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.
APPLE DRESSING
1 tablespoon drippings 2 tablespoons chopped onions 1 quart finely chopped apples 4 cups stale bread crumbs 1 egg 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1/8 teaspoon paprika 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Put drippings and onion into frying pan, cook a few minutes and add apples. Cover bread with cold water a few minutes, remove and press out all water. Put into pan; add seasoning and beaten egg and parsley. Mix well until thoroughly cooked.
Fish, Meat and Vegetable Sauces
Thin Cream Sauce
1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon flour 1 cup milk or cream 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
Melt butter in saucepan, add flour and mix well; add cold milk slowly, stirring until smooth and creamy; add salt and pepper and boil about 3 minutes.
Thick Cream Sauce
2 tablespoons butter 2-1/2 tablespoons flour 1 cup milk or cream 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
Make as directed for Thin Cream Sauce.
Tomato Sauce
3 slices bacon cut into small pieces 1 slice onion--chopped 2 tablespoons flour 1-1/2 cups strained tomatoes 1 tablespoon chopped green peppers 1/2 teaspoon salt few gratings of nutmeg cayenne
Put bacon into saucepan, add onion and brown slightly. Add flour, tomatoes which have been heated, and stir until thick and smooth. Add seasoning and peppers.
Bechamel Sauce
1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon flour 1/2 cup thin cream 1/2 cup white stock--chicken or veal salt and pepper
Melt butter in saucepan; stir in flour; reduce heat; add seasoning and liquid, stirring until smooth.
Egg Sauce (For Fish)
1 cup white sauce 2 chopped hard-boiled eggs 1 tablespoon chopped parsley 1 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar