This section is from the book "The Modern Cook: A Practical Guide to the Culinary Art in All Its Branches", by Charles Elme Francatelli. Also available from Amazon: The Modern Cook: A Practical Guide to the Culinary Art in All Its Branches.
Draw and truss these as directed for trussing pheasants ; place them upon a spit, fasten the feet to it with string, to prevent the capon from twisting round while roasting: about three quarters of an hour will suffice to roast them. When done, dish them up with water-cresses, pour some bright gravy under them, and serve with bread-sauce in a boat.
Poulards, fowls, chickens, and turkey poults, are treated in the same manner as the foregoing.
Draw the goose, pick off all the stubble-feathers, scald the legs, and rub off the skin with a cloth; cut the tips of the feet, and twist the legs round so as to let the web of the feet rest flat upon the thighs; then truss the goose in the ordinary way, as directed for pheasants. Place it on a spit, and roast it before a brisk fire, for about three quarters of an hour; when done, dish it up with water-cresses round it, pour some gravy under, and serve.
Ducklings are roasted and served in the same way as the above.
Truss these with thin layers of fat bacon and a vine-leaf over the breasts; roast them before the fire for about twenty minutes, and when done, dish them up with a sauce made with the livers, in the manner directed for making liver-sauce for rabbits (No. 1139).
Both these should be trussed in the same manner as pheasants, then roasted before a brisk fire, and five minutes before taking them up should be frothed with flour and butter, according to the directions for roast hare; when done, dish them up with gravy under them, and send to table with fried bread-crumbs, and bread sauce, in separate sauce-boats.
Truss these in the same way as pheasants, except that the head must be left adhering to the skin of the breast, and fastened at the side of the thigh ; let the peahen be closely larded all over the breast, and roasted before a moderate fire for about an hour ; when nearly clone, glaze the larding, and on removing the fowl from the fire, dish up with water-cresses, pour some gravy under, and serve with bread-sauce separately, in a sauce-boat.
Two of these are generally served for a dish, one of which should be larded, and the other covered with a layer of fat bacon; roast them before a brisk fire for about forty minutes, glaze and dish them up with water-cresses: pour some gravy under, and serve bread-sauce separately, in a boat.
 
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