Fowls

Fowls, in a general sense, mean all kinds of poultry; but, in a limited view, one species of bird. We distinguish this kind in cookery, as the chicken, capon, pullet, cock, and hen. Chickens from their age cannot be otherwise than tender. Capons should have a fat vein under the wing; thick belly and rump; comb short and pale; spurs short and blunt, and legs smooth. Pullets are best in the spring, just before they begin to lay. Cocks should have their spurs short, legs smooth, and comb short, smooth, and a bright color. Hens, legs and comb smooth, and full breast. Black legs are best for roasting and entrees, and white for boiling.

For preparing them for table, M. Soyer invented a plan:- by cutting the sinews of the bird, it not only appears fuller and plumper when cooked, as the heat is lia-ble to contract the sinews, but it also affords facility for carving when the sinews are divided; they are trussed in the usual way, only using strings instead of skewers.

977. - Turkey Pulled And Grilled

Is a mode of preparing the remains of cold turkey, by mincing the white meat and fricasseeing it with white sauce; the legs being scored, peppered, and salted, broiled, and sent up over the mince.

Or devilled, as thus:- On the rump, gizzard, and a drumstick, put salt, pepper, and cayenne. Let them be broiled, and brought to table as hot as possible'; cut them in small pieces; pour over them a ladle of mustard; ditto of melted butter, a spoonful of soy, ditto of lemon-juice, and some of the gravy out of the dish; mix quickly and hand round. It forms an admirable relish; fowls may be treated in the same manner.

978. - Capon, Or Poularde

Should be stuffed and roasted, or otherwise dressed, in precisely the same manner as turkey. They are the male and female of the common fowl, but, when caponed, grow nearly to the size of turkeys, and are very rarely, if ever, boiled.

979. - A La Provencale

Ha]f roast the fowl; cut it in pieces; take a dozen onions; cut them in rings; add a little parsley chopped. Place them in a stewpan, laying a bed of onions and parsley, then fowl, till the whole are used; add a glass of oil or cream, with one or two bay leaves and salt; let them simmer slowly; dish the fowl; put the onions in the middle; add a little sauce, and send it to table.

980. - Poelee To Boil Fowls In

Take two pounds of veal and two pounds of bacon; cut both into large dice; cut also two large carrots and two onions into dice; put them, with a pound of butter, into a stewpan, the juice of four lemons, a little thyme or sweet fennel, and two laurel-leaves bruised; season it with salt and pepper; put them on a good fire; add a spoonful of boiling broth, and boil it.

981. - Fowls, Forced

Cut a large fowl down the back; remove the skin from the whole of the body very carefully; cut the flesh from the bones, and chop it up finely with half a pint of oysters, and an ounce of beef marrow; then season with pepper and salt. Add sufficient cream to mix it well; lay the meat on the bones; draw the skin over, and sew up the back. Lay thin slices of bacon on the breast; tie them on in diamonds, and roast it an hour by a moderate fire. Pour a good brown gravy sauce into the dish. Remove the bacon from the fowl, and then place the fowl in the dish. Garnish with oysters or mushrooms, and serve hot.