In London the poultry and game are sent in so nicely prepared for cooking that any remark upon the method of killing, plucking, and drawing them would appear almost unnecessary, but remembering the manner that I have seen poultry and game mutilated in some parts of the country, I have been induced to give the following simple directions.

The best way of killing poultry is to take the bird by the neck, placing the thumb of the right hand just at the back of the head, closing the head in your hand, your left hand holding the bird, then press your thumb down hard and pull the head and neck contrariwise, the neck will break instantaneously, and the bird will be quite dead in a few seconds, when hang it a short time by the legs for the blood to flow into the head, which renders the flesh much whiter. In France we usually kill them by cutting the throat close to the head; both methods are good with regard to the whiteness of the flesh, but I prefer the English method, not being so barbarous.

To pluck either game or poultry have the bird upon a board with its head towards you, and pull the feathers away from you, which is the direction they lay in; many persons pull out the feathers in a contrary direction, by which means they are likely to tear the skin to pieces, which would very much disfigure the bird for the table.

To draw poultry after it is well plucked, cut a long incision at the back of the neck, cut the neck bone off close to the body of the bird, but leave the skin a good length over, then take out the thin skin from under the outer with the crop, cut an incision under the tail just large enough for the gizzard to pass through, no larger, then put your finger into the bird at the breast and detach all the intestines, squeeze the body of the bird and force out the whole from the incision at the tail; it is then ready for trussing, the method of doing which will be given in the various receipts throughout this series. The above method of drawing poultry is equally applicable to game.

To make a gravy for roasts well butter the bottom of a convenient-sized stewpan, upon which lay three onions in thick slices, over which lay a few slices of lean bacon and three pounds of lean beef; place it over a good fire and add two cloves and six peppercorns, with a few sprigs of parsley; when the onions begin to brown stir the meat round with a wooden spoon, keeping the onions still at the bottom, stir occasionally until the onions are well browned but not burnt, then fill up with two quarts of water and half an ounce of salt; when boiling place it at the corner of the fire, skim and let it simmer an hour, skim again, pass it through a cloth into a basin and use when required.

The simplicity of roasting is so generally known by all classes of cooks that but very little attention is often paid to it; the simplicity of the arrangement for roasting being such as with many to leave it to attend to itself; but I shall here in a very few words show my readers the facility of roasting well and with little trouble, which I consider of the greatest importance, especially in a dinner-party where, after the entrÉes have been well degusted, nothing refreshes the palate or disposes it better for the second course than a fillet or cut from the fillet of a well-roasted capon, chicken, or some description of game, but if badly roasted it would lose its effect.

In roasting much depends upon the fire which requires to be solid and to throw out a great heat, as it is always easy to keep anything a good distance from it, but a bad fire would be the destruction of anything placed before it, for if you had a couple of good fowls or a brace of birds, and were to put one down before a slow fire and the other before a brisk, you would be so astonished at the difference in flavour that did you not know different you would declare that one was of an inferior quality; I am also very much against the improper manner of basting, which would give any birds or poultry the appearance of having been first roasted and afterwards stewed; I have never during the last six years suffered any bird to be basted in my kitchen with the exception of rubbing a piece of butter over the breast of poultry or game as soon as the skin becomes set; any kind of game or poultry is done when you perceive a great smoke arising from it, and if not taken up immediately you lose the flavour and the bird its appearance, for instead of going to table nice and plump it will present a mean and shrivelled object, loudly bespeaking the cook’s inattention, unless it has been kept in a screen or hot closet, by the party having kept the dinner waiting.

By following the above simple method great benefit will be derived in this simple branch of the art, but the most universally useful, for I think we may say without hesitation that near two thirds of our animal and volatile food is daily roasted, which has made me so desirous of impressing the necessity of attention, which is all that is required to roast well.

No. 939. Roast Turkey au Cresson.

For second course a turkey should be very small and well trussed, the breast thrown out, the sinews of the legs cut and the feet chopped off, run a skewer through the pinion of the right wing, passing it beneath the thigh-bones and through the pinion of the left wing, run your spit through the body, passing it between the skewer and the back-bone, and tie the legs upon a rest (made by folding a thick piece of carrot about two inches long and one broad in buttered paper) upon the spit to keep the legs upon a level with the thighs; have a good clear fire, put down the turkey at a short distance from it, five minutes after it is down rub it over the breast a minute with a piece of butter which being hard and cold you have pressed into a large wooden spoon, (made with a very long handle, by which means you can rub it over the bird whilst turning without approaching too near the fire,) about a quarter of a pound would be sufficient for six or eight; then place it a little further back, (according to the heat and size of your fire,) the butter will form a froth over it; if the skin should blister you must put it still further from the fire, keep it of a nice gold colour, and when done serve with gravy in the dish and garnish with nice fresh water-cresses.

A turkey weighing five pounds will require about three quarters of an hour to roast, and so on in proportion, but one of that size is quite large enough for a roast second course; but if before a small fire an hour and a quarter, or if a larger turkey an hour and twenty minutes.

No. 940. Turkey Barded.

Truss a turkey as described in the last, have a square piece of fat bacon the eighth of an inch in thickness and large enough to cover the breast, upon which tie it with packthread; roast and serve as in the last, taking away the packthread but leaving the bacon; it will require a little longer to roast as the bacon prevents the fillets from being done so soon.

No. 941. Turkey Larded.

Lard the breast of a young turkey as you would a noix de veau (No. 565), (only cut the bacon finer), to facilitate the larding, dip the breast in a stewpan of boiling water, or pass it a minute over the flame of a charcoal fire to set the skin to the flesh, place it down to roast but do not butter it over the larded part; serve with gravy and water-cresses in a dish as before.

No. 942. Dindonneau truffÉ À la PÉrigord.

This dish is sometimes served as a roast in the second course, but very seldom in this country. Proceed exactly as for the remove (No. 524), but choose a very small turkey, for what would look noble in the first course would appear vulgar in the second.

No. 943. Dindonneau farci.

Have a young turkey, but do not let its weight exceed six pounds, have ready one pound of veal forcemeat with which mix six truffles in small dice and half a pound of fat livers previously blanched, season well, then stuff the breast and interior of the turkey, fasten the skin over to the backbone, (but not too tight,) with a packing-needle and string, and roast in vegetables as for the removes; about a quarter of an hour before it is finished take the vegetables from it, and place it closer to the fire to take a nice gold colour; serve with a little gravy in the dish. It will require one hour to roast.

No. 944. Roast Turkey À l’Anglaise.

Have a young turkey, stuff the breast with some veal stuffing (No. 127), roast it plain as directed, and serve with a little gravy and water-cresses; a few small country sausages broiled very crisp should be handed round the table.

No. 945. Turkey Poults.

Turkey poults, so called from being used when about the size of a large poulet, are trussed with the legs turned at the knuckle and the feet pressing upon the thighs, the neck is skinned and the head fixed under the wing; roast them the same as directed for turkeys, about twenty-five minutes or half an hour, according to their size, and in the same modes, but they are usually served, one larded and the other barded, with gravy and water-cresses in the dish.

No. 946. Chapon rÔti au cresson.

Roast and serve a capon in any of the ways directed for turkeys, roast of a nice gold colour and serve with water-cresses round; a capon weighing five pounds requires about three quarters of an hour to roast. Poularde au cresson exactly as above.

No. 947. Poularde À la Demidoff.

Put a pint and a half of sauce bÉchamel (No. 7) in a stewpan, place it over the fire and reduce until becoming thick, keeping it stirred, then add twenty dressed cockscombs and twelve small French truffles, season with a little pepper, salt, and grated nutmeg, take it off the fire and stir in two yolks of eggs very quickly, stir it another minute over the fire to set, and put it away to get cold, then have a nice poularde trussed with the legs turned inside, cutting off the feet, which stick into the apertures where you turned in the legs, fix them in with string and a packing-needle, as also the legs and wings, using no skewers, and giving the poularde a handsome appearance, take out the breast-bone, stuff the poularde with the above preparation, roast it in vegetables as for the removes; when nearly done take away the vegetables and give it a nice colour; have ready the following sauce: put a pint and a half of white veal stock in a stewpan, with six spoonfuls of bechamel sauce, and reduce it to a white demi-glace, then add a little sugar and four spoonfuls of good cream; sauce round and serve.

No. 948. Poularde rÔti À la StÄel.

Roast a nice poularde in vegetables as above, when nearly done take away the vegetables, let it turn a few minutes before the fire, then rub it all over with butter, have some bread-crumbs and flour mixed together in a flour-box, which shake over the poularde by degrees whilst roasting, it will form a white crust over, take it up and serve with a demi-glace de volaille (No. 6) under.

No. 949. Poulet rÔti.

For a dinner of four entrÉes you would require two fowls, but not too large, truss and roast them as directed for a turkey, judging the time required according to their size, serve with gravy and watercresses; they may be larded, barded, or served in any way mentioned in the foregoing receipts; a fowl weighing two pounds and a half would require half an hour roasting, or three quarters of an hour if larger.

No. 950. Spring Chickens.

Are served like fowls, generally plain roasted, but they may be larded or dressed À la StÄel (No. 948) as the poularde. Be particular in tying the legs upon paper to the spit, as directed for the turkey, as it so improves their appearance when roasted. About twenty-five minutes would be sufficient to roast them.

No. 951. Spring Chickens À la Forrester.

Truss them as directed for poularde (No. 947), but roast them quite plain, not very brown; have two good handfuls of very fresh water-cresses, pick off all the stalks, and one of small salad mixed well together, and completely cover the chickens with it, serve a little gravy on the dish with some separate, and a boat of bread sauce.

No. 952. Geese.

A green goose roasted plain and served with a little gravy is generally sent up for second courses; but if the larger ones are used they must be stuffed with sage and onions, but very few would choose such a thing for a roast second course, whilst green geese in their season are great favourites, truss them by cutting off the leg at the knuckle, and the wing at the first pinion, fixing them at the side with skewers to throw the breast up; a full-grown goose will take one hour to roast, but a green one not more than half an hour.

No. 953. Ducklings.

Make a very favourite roast in the London season, they must have good fillets, white and plump, and require to be a little more underdone than any other description of poultry; if too much done the fat catches and gives a rank flavour to the flesh, besides causing the fillets to eat dry, they are usually served plain roasted for a second course, but I have served them differently upon some occasions for the sake of variety, but it must be with a very thin sauce and one that invigorates the palate, although they never can be better than when served plain roasted, I shall here give one or two deviations; truss them by twisting the legs at the knuckles and resting the feet upon the thighs, cut the wing off at the first pinion, and run a skewer through the bird, fixing the pinion and legs with it, place them upon a spit and roast twenty minutes.

No. 954. Canetons au vin de MadÈre.

Roast them plain, but just before they are done shake a little potato-flour over them mixed with a little common flour, dress them on your dish, and have ready the following sauce: put three spoonfuls of chopped olives and one of chopped eschalots in a stewpan with two glasses of Madeira wine, reduce it a minute, then add half a pint of demi-glace (No. 9) with a little cayenne, sugar, and six spoonfuls of consommÉ, reduce it till it adheres lightly to the back of the spoon, then add the juice of half a lemon, sauce under and serve.

No. 955. Canetons au jus d’orange.

Roast two ducklings plain, and serve with a sauce au jus d’orange (No. 17) over.

No. 956. Canetons au jus d’eschalotte.

Roast as in the last and serve with a sauce au jus d’eschalotte (No. 16) under.

No. 957. Guinea Fowls.

These birds must be very young, for being naturally very dry, they are not eatable if more than twelve months old; they are generally larded or barded, and served plain roasted, rather well-done, they are trussed like the common fowls, and require nearly three quarters of an hour to roast.

No. 958. Pea Fowls.

These magnificent birds make a noble roast, and when young are very excellent, they are larded, plain roasted, and served with the tail stuck into them, which you have preserved, the head with its feathers being left folded up in paper and tucked under the wing; roast about an hour and a half, take the paper from the head and neck, dress it upon your dish with water-cresses and a border of tulips or roses round, and the gravy separate in a boat.

In large families where these volatile demi-gods are plentiful, I would recommend them to have one of the finest peacock’s tails mounted in silver, and made to easily fix upon the dish, by means of a slide, in which the fowl is served, it would look splendid upon table, and remind us of the ancient Roman banquets, where Lucullus, Tiberius, and Horace used to feast and sing their love.

No. 959. Pigeons

Are trussed as a fowl to roast, and served plain roasted, with a little gravy in the dish, or roasted with a vine-leaf upon the breast, over which you have tied a square piece of bacon, they will take a quarter of an hour to roast, but serve them with the bacon and leaf over; my new way of cooking them is to cut up a head or two of celery into very thin layers, lay some on the breast of each, and tie pieces of fat bacon over, roast and serve with a little gravy as usual; this method has been much approved of.

No. 960. Quails.

Eight quails are sufficient for a dish, they should be killed if possible forty-eight hours before dressing, draw and truss them by cutting off the wings at the first pinion, leaving the feet, and fixing the pinion of the wing and legs with a very small skewer; cover the breasts with vine-leaves, over which tie a thin square slice of fat bacon, then pass a long skewer through the pinions and thighs of each, tie them on a spit and roast them nearly twelve minutes at a convenient distance from a sharp fire of a nice gold colour, serve with a little gravy in the dish.

No. 961. Cailles À l’Eloise.

Prepare eight quails with the bacon and vine-leaves as before, then have a pig’s caul, cut it into eight square pieces and fold a quail in each, roast them a minute longer than in the last, and serve with a very thin sauce bÉchamel (No. 7) which you have finished with a spoonful of whipped cream under.

No. 962. Pheasants

For second course are usually served plain, you require two of them for a dish in a four entrÉe dinner, truss them the same as a fowl, leaving the head and neck on, which skin, and fix round at the side with the skewer you have fixed the wing and legs with; a middling-sized one will take about half an hour before a brisk fire, they are also good larded, or one larded and the other barded.

Roast a couple of pheasants, and when done cut the breasts in slices without detaching them; put six spoonfuls of consommÉ of game in a stewpan, with a piece of glaze the size of a walnut, boil two minutes, then add two pats of butter, a little cayenne pepper, and the juice of half a lemon, pour over and serve.

No. 964. Grouse

Are generally served plain roasted upon a piece of toast, with gravy separate in a boat; they may also be served À la Rob Roy, as directed for the Remove (No. 548), but two birds will be sufficient for a roast, truss them as you would a fowl to roast.

No. 965. Grouse À la Bonny Lassie.

Truss them rather roughly, roast them before a brisk fire rather underdone, if young a quarter of an hour will be sufficient, and serve them upon toast, crisp and well-buttered, made from brown bread, and serve with a rather thick and boiled melted butter (No. 71) over.

Grouse may likewise be served for a change with a thin sauce À l’essence de gibier, with which you may add a few truffles or mushrooms, but this will of course much depend upon the first course, or, at least, of what the first course consists, although, as I have before stated, they are better plain roasted; yet in some parts of the country where they are plentiful a change may be desired.

Ptarmigans

Are Swedish birds, but many are found in Scotland, much of the same species as grouse, and are very plentiful about the month of February; they are dressed precisely in the same way as the grouse. A curious anecdote of the celebrated Charles the Twelfth, relating to what he used to call a fÊte, or repas champÊtre, gave me the idea of inventing the following roast, and calling it

Ptarmigan À la Charles the Twelfth.

Kill them by accident, pluck them immediately, draw them, and save the feathers and interior, put three guns in bivouac, and hang the ptarmigans on one side with string or green twigs, light a wood fire beneath, upon which put the feathers and interior, let remain, turning them the whole time, till done, and serve them au naturel, with a good bit of salt sprinkled over them; many people would object to this method, but the flavour is excellent to a scientific palate, and more so to a hungry stomach.

The anecdote is as follows: crossing a mountain in Sweden with a small part of his army, the King was unexpectedly attacked by a numerous body of Russians, and a skirmish took place, but the King was as usual victorious; having lost several of his braves, a search was made for them in the heather, where they found one hundred and fifty-one killed and thirty wounded, being fifteen of the enemy, two Swedish officers, one lieutenant, seven privates, one hundred and thirty ptarmigans, and twenty-five black cocks, all killed by accident, the birds were, by command of his Majesty, plucked and roasted, to the no small satisfaction of his troops, who were short of provisions at the time; so great was the treat that they hoped his Majesty would often repeat the fÊte champÊtre.

No. 966. Black Cocks and Grey Hens.

These birds, like pheasants, must be well kept; they are excellent eating, and are usually served plain roasted, trussed like grouse, but may be served À la Stockholm as follows: lard one side of the breast, and cover the other side with vine-leaves and fat bacon, which tie on, roast from half to three quarters of an hour according to the size, and serve with toast under, and gravy in the dish.

No. 967. Partridges

Make a very nice roast, truss them in the same manner as directed for grouse, obtain them young if possible, the old ones although not the best for stewing eat much better dressed that way; four will be sufficient for a roast, put them upon the spit, and when the first course goes to table place them before a sharp fire fifteen minutes, or according to the size, and serve with a gill of clear gravy upon the dish and bread sauce in a boat; you may also lard or bard them with fat bacon, or lard two and bard two, allowing them a little longer to roast, it will give them a very nice appearance.

No. 968. Dun Birds

Are very seldom sent to table, but plain roasted is the usual way, and a little or no improvement can be made; serve them in a dish with gravy and a lemon separate, not too much underdone.

No. 969. Wild Ducks and Pintails.

Must not be too old, they require keeping two or three days or longer before they are dressed; they are trussed by twisting each leg at the knuckle, and resting the claws on each side of the breast, fixing them with a skewer run through the thighs and pinion of the wings (No. 953), rub the liver over the breasts, and roast them from fifteen to twenty minutes rather brown, serve three for a roast, as the breast is the only part eatable, a little gravy on the dish and lemons separate.

No. 970. Wild Ducks À la Chasseur.

Truss them as before, rub the liver over, and roast underdone, cut the breast in slices without detaching them, catch the gravy that escapes in a sautÉ-pan, add a piece of glaze the size of a walnut, place it on the fire, and when hot add four pats of butter, half a glass of port wine, a little mignonette, pepper, and the juice of half a lemon, shake altogether over the fire, and when the butter is melted sauce over and serve. Although I have directed that they should be roasted underdone they must have no appearance of rawness.

No. 971. Widgeons

Require but very little keeping before they are dressed, if well roasted they are nearly equal to the wild duck, and are served the same; it requires rather more than a quarter of an hour to roast them to perfection.

No. 972. Teal

Make a beautiful roast as well as entrÉe, and when in good order are very delicious, after a frost they are generally very fat; truss them with care, leaving the breast the same as ducklings, six will be sufficient for a dish, keep them a very light brown colour and rather crisp, serve with a little gravy and water-cresses, if approved of, serve lemon separate; these birds being tender are easily cut in halves by the carver, to one half of which he can assist each guest; they will require about eight minutes roasting.

No. 973. Teal au jus d’orange.

Roast as above, and serve with a sauce au jus d’orange (No. 17) over them, or they may be served with a sauce au jus de bigarade (No. 18), or a demi-glace de gibier (No. 61).

No. 974. Plovers

Are good when well kept, and excellent as a roast, truss, but do not draw them, and put six on a skewer, set some toast underneath to catch the trail which may escape from them whilst roasting, about ten minutes is sufficient; cut the toast in diamond shapes, place them in your dish with the plovers over, and gravy separate in a boat, they may also be served barded with the vine-leaf as for pigeons or quails, but the bacon must be very thin, and when roasted quite crisp, black plovers are dressed in the same way, but the golden ones are the most delicate.

No. 975. Of the Woodcock.

These birds are one of the greatest luxuries, they must not be too fresh or too stale when dressed; they are fit for cooking when they look black between the legs and the feathers become rather loose; pluck and truss them with the legs twisted at the knuckles and the feet pressing upon the thighs; bring the pinion of the wing to the thigh, you have previously skinned the head and neck, bring the beak round under the wing, which pass through the pinions of the wings and thighs, place about four upon a skewer, tie them upon a spit and roast them from ten to fifteen minutes before a sharp fire with a piece of toasted bread beneath to catch the trail that falls from them; when done cut the toast in diamond shapes, each piece large enough to stand a bird upon, dress them slantwise on your dish with gravy sufficient to lightly moisten the toast, and some separate in a boat; they may also be barded with a piece of bacon tied over the breast not too thick, but they will require rather longer to roast. The beak may be made to form the skewer.

No. 976. Woodcocks À la StÄel.

Truss as before, put them down to roast, when down two minutes rub butter over, and shake flour gently but continually over them till done, it will give them quite a new appearance, and are by many preferred to plain roasted; serve them on a toast as before.

No. 977. Woodcocks À la fumÉe de Gibier.

Roast as before and serve with a sauce fumÉe de gibier (No. 60), which you have finished with a pat of butter. Although I recommend that this delicate bird should be served plain roasted, yet it may be served with advantage as above directed.

No. 978. Woodcocks À la Piedmontaise.

Roast as before then cut four large truffles in slices, fry them a few minutes in oil, then pour off the oil, add ten tablespoonfuls of sauce fumÉe de gibier and a little sugar, boil altogether two minutes, dress the birds on toast, sauce over and serve.

No. 979. Larks

Are very delicious little birds, about twelve or fifteen are sufficient for a dish; they are usually roasted plain, or with a thin slice of fat bacon tied over them, and served with a little gravy in the dish and crumbs of fried bread round; they require about eight minutes to roast them well.

No. 980. Snipes

Are somewhat similar to woodcocks, and dressed exactly the same, but you require eight or ten for a dish; they do not require more than ten minutes roasting.

No. 981. Hares.

One is sufficient for a roast, skin and truss it nicely, stuff the belly with a good veal stuffing, sew it up, then put it on the spit, rub butter over the back and shake flour over it, roast it about forty minutes before a sharp fire, but that depends upon the size of course; serve them with plain gravy in the dish and currant jelly separate. They are also served with a sauce poivrade (No. 32), or sauce au jus d’groseilles (No. 36), they may also be larded.

No. 982. Leverets

Are plain roasted and do not require stuffing, nor so long roasting being smaller; they are usually served with plain gravy, but may be served with either of the sauces mentioned in the last; you require two for a roast. They will take from twenty-five to thirty minutes roasting.

No. 983. Rabbits.

You require two for a roast; they may be stuffed with a good veal stuffing or forcemeat of veal, plain roasted, and served with a little gravy on the dish. Wild rabbits are dressed precisely the same; they may be stuffed with a forcemeat of game instead of veal, both require butter and flour rubbed over them, and will take from twenty to twenty-five minutes roasting.