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Classic
Cook Books
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page 155
168. Preparation of Poultry. According to its kind, poultry should be killed one
or more days before it is to be cooked, spring chickens and pigeons the previous
evening, old chickens, capons, ducks and turkeys 2 days and geese 3-4 days
beforehand. If it should be necessary, however, to cook the smaller varieties of
poultry at once, they must be put on the fire immediately after being killed.
Poultry intended for roast or brown ragout should be plucked immediately after
killing and while the flesh is still warm, but it must be done carefully so as
not to injure the skin. After geese and ducks have been drawn and singed, they
should be rubbed with warm bran water, or flour and water; to singe the finer
varieties of poultry use a spirit lamp; this does not discolor the skin, neither
does it impart a smoky taste. If geese are to be kept for a long time they
should not be washed after being drawn, at any rate they must be carefully wiped
inside and out with a clean cloth until dry.
Fowl for soups or stews should be put into cold water for 1/4 hour immediately
after killing and they will fully retain their natural white color. Then take by
the legs, let the water drip off and hold in seething hot water for a few
minutes; if the feathers do not come out easily, repeat, but for young fowls the
water must not be too hot, otherwise the entire skin will come off.
Before turkeys or capons are drawn, crush the breast bone by laying the fowl on
its back on a cloth, fold a cloth over its breast to prevent the skin from being
injured and then carefully crush the breast with a meat pounder; it is better,
however, to do this only when the breast bone projects so prominently as to
spoil the appearance of the roast, because crushing somewhat lacerates the meat.
The breast bone of a tender Spring chicken can be quite easily pressed down with
the thumb; it can then be easily taken out, which greatly improves the
appearance of the roast.
Then cut off the head and feet, clean inside and out, carefully dry it and wrap
in a cloth; it should belaid in a dish until wanted, otherwise the action of the
air will injure the whiteness of the skin. When ready to cook wash slightly once
more and truss according to its kind. The liver and stomach of small fowls are
roasted in the
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