Poultry
TO CUT UP A CHICKEN FOR A STEW OR FRICASSEE.
Nothing is more unsightly and unappetizing than
a portion of chicken with the bones chopped at all
sorts of angles, and with splinters of bone in the
meat. All bones will separate easily at the joint
when the cord or tendon and gristly portion
connecting them have been cut.
After the chicken has been singed and wiped,
and the crop removed from the end of the neck,
place it in front of you with the breast up and
the neck at the left. With a small sharp knife
make an incision in the thin skin between the
inside of the legs and the body. Cut through the
skin only, down toward the right side of the leg,
and then on the left. Bend the leg over toward
you, and you will see where the flesh joins the
body and also where the joint is, for the bone
will move in the joint. Cut through the flesh
close to the body, first on the right of the joint
and then on the left, and as you bend the leg
over, cut the cord and gristle in the joint, and
this will free the leg from the body. Find the
joint in the leg and divide it neatly. Work the
wing until you see where the joint is, then cut
through the flesh on the shoulder, bend the wing
up and cut down through the gristle and cord. Make
a straight clean cut, leaving no jagged edges.
Divide the wing in the joint, and then remove the
leg and wing from the opposite side, and divide in
the same way. Make an incision in the skin near
the vent, cut through the membrane lying between
the breast and the tail down to the backbone on
each side, remove the entrails, and break off the
backbone just below the ribs. Separate the
side-bones from the back by cutting close to the
backbone from one end to the other on each side.
This is a little difficult to do; and in your
first experiment it would be better not to divide
it until after boiling it, as it separates more
easily after the connecting gristle has been
softened by cooking. Take off the neck close to
the back by cutting through the flesh and twisting
or wringing it until the bone is disjointed.
Cut off the wish-bone in a slanting direction
from the front of the breast-bone down to the
shoulder on each side. Cut through the cartilage
between the end of the collar-bone and the breast.
Cut between the end of the shoulder-blade and the
back down toward the wing-joint, turn the blade
over toward the neck, and cut through the joint.
blade is the hardest to separate. Remove the
breast from the back by cutting through the
cartilage connecting the ribs; this can be seen
from the inside. The breast should be left whole
and the bone removed after stewing; but if the
chicken is to be fried you may remove the bone
first.
It is not necessary in boiling a chicken to
divide it so minutely, for the wings and legs can
be disjointed, and the side-bones and breast
separated from the back more easily after cooking;
but it is valuable practice, and if one learns to
do it neatly it will help in carving a boiled fowl
or roast turkey.
In arranging a fricasseed chicken on the
platter, put the neck and ribs at the left end of
the dish and the backbone at the right end. Put
the breast over the ribs, arrange the wings on
each side of the breast, the second joints next to
the side-bones, and cross the ends of the
drumsticks over the tail.
BOILED FOWL OR TURKEY.
Fowls or turkeys for boiling should be trussed
with the ends of the legs drawn into the body
through a slit in the skin, and kept in place with
a small skewer. Turn the tip of the wing over on
the back. Cut off the neck, not the skin, close to
the body, and after putting in the stuffing,
fasten the skin of the neck to the back. Put
strips of cloth round it, or pin it in a cloth, to
keep it white and preserve the shape.
In carving, place it on the platter with the
head at the left. Put the fork in firmly across
the breast-bone. With the point of the knife cut
through the skin near the tail, and lift the legs
out from the inside. Then cut through the skin
between the legs and body, bend the leg over, and
cut across through the joint. Cut from the top of
the shoulder down toward the body until the
wing-joint is exposed, then cut through this,
separating the wing from the body. Remove the leg
and wing from the other side. Shave off a thin
slice on the end of the breast toward each
wing-joint, slip the knife under at the top of the
breast-bone, and turn back the wish-bone.
Capons and large fowls may be sliced thinly
across the breast in the same manner as a roast
turkey. But if the fowl be small, draw the knife
along the edge of the breast-bone on each side,
and lay the meat away from the bone; the fillets
will separate easily. Then divide the meat across
the grain. Separate the collar-bone from the
breast. Slip the knife under the shoulder-blade,
turn it over, and separate at the joint. Cut
through the cartilage connecting the ribs; this
will separate the breast from the back. Now remove
the fork from the breast, turn the back over,
place the knife midway, and with the fork lift up
the tail end, separating the back from the body.
Place the fork in the middle of the backbone, cut
close to the backbone from one end to the other on
each side, freeing the side-bones.
The wing and breast of a boiled fowl are the
favorite portions. It is important that the fowl
be cooked just right. If underdone, the joints
will not separate readily; and if overdone they
will fall apart so quickly that carving is
impossible. Unless the knife be very sharp, and
the work done carefully, the skin of the breast
will come off with the leg or wing.
BROILED CHICKEN.
 Split
the chicken down the back and remove the backbone.
If the chicken be very young and tender--and only
such are suitable for broiling--remove the
breast-bone before cooking, or cut the bone
through the middle, lengthwise and crosswise from
the inside, without cutting into the meat. In
serving, divide through the breast from the neck
down, and serve half to each person; or if a
smaller portion be desired, divide each half
crosswise through the breast, leaving the wing on
one part and the leg on the other.
If the chicken be large, break the joints of
the legs, thighs, and wings, without breaking
through the skin; cut the tendons on the thighs
from the inside, cut the membrane on the inside of
the collar-bone and wing-joint, and remove the
breast-bone. This may all be done before cooking,
and will not injure the appearance of the outside.
In serving, separate the legs and wings at the
joints, then separate the breast from the lower
part, and divide the breast lengthwise and
crosswise.
Carving-scissors are convenient for cutting any
kind of broiled game or poultry.
ROAST TURKEY.
Turkeys should be carefully trussed. The wings
and thighs should be brought close to the body and
kept in position by skewers. The ends of the
drum-sticks may be drawn into the body or crossed
over the tail and tied firmly.
After cooking, free the ends of the drumsticks
from the body and trim them with a paper ruffle.
This will enable the carver to touch them if
necessary without soiling his hands. Place the
turkey on the platter with the head at the left.
Unless the platter be very large, provide an extra
dish, also a fork for serving.
Insert the carving-fork across the middle of
the breast-bone. Cut through the skin between the
breast and the thigh. Bend the leg over, and cut
off close to the body and through the joint. Cut
through the top of the shoulder down through the
wing-joint. Shave off the breast in thin slices,
slanting from the front of the breast-bone down
toward the wing-joint.
If the family be small and the turkey is to be
served for a second dinner, carve only from the
side nearest you. Tip the bird over slightly, and
with the point of the knife remove the oyster and
the small dark portion found on the side-bone.
Then remove the fork from the breast and divide
the leg and wing. Cut through the skin between the
body and breast, and with a spoon remove a portion
of the stuffing. Serve light or dark meat and
stuffing, as preferred. If carved in this way, the
turkey will be left with one half entire, and if
placed on a clean platter with the cut side
nearest the carver, and garnished with parsley,
will present nearly as fine an appearance, to all
but the carver, as when first served.
When there are many to be served, take off the
leg and wing from each side and slice the whole of
the breast before removing the fork; then divide
as required.
It is not often necessary to cut up the whole
body of the turkey; but where every scrap of the
meat will be needed, or you wish to exercise your
skill, proceed to carve in this manner.
Put the fork in firmly across the middle of the
breast-bone. Cut through the skin between the leg
and body. Bend the leg over and cut off at the
joint. If the turkey be very tender or overcooked,
the side-bone will separate from the back and come
away with the
second joint, making it more difficult to separate
the thigh from the side-bone. Cut through the top
of the shoulder and separate the wing at the
joint. Cut off the leg and wing from the other
side. Carve the breast on each side, in thin
slices, slanting slightly toward the wing. Be
careful to take a portion of crisp outside with
each slice. Shave off the crisp skin near the
neck, in order to reach the stuffing. Insert the
point of the knife at the front of the
breast-bone, turn back the wish-bone and separate
it. Cut through the cartilage on each side,
separating the collar-bones from the breast. Tip
the body slightly over and slip the knife under
the end of the shoulder-blade; turn it over toward
the wing. Repeat this process on the opposite
side. Cut through the cartilage which divides the
ribs, separating the breast-bone from the back.
Lay the breast one side and remove the fork from
it. Take the stuffing from the back. Turn the back
over, place the knife midway just below the ribs,
and with the fork lift up the tail end, separating
the back from the body. Place the fork in the
middle of the backbone, and cut close to the
backbone from one end to the other, on each side,
freeing the side-bone. Then divide the legs and
wings at the joints. The joint in the leg is not
quite in the middle of the bend, but a trifle
nearer the thigh. It requires some practice to
strike these joints in the right spot. Cut off the
meat from each side of the bone in the second
joint and leg, as these when large are more than
one person requires, and it is inconvenient to
have so large bones on one's plate.
It is easier to finish the carving before
beginning to serve. An expert carver will have the
whole bird disjointed and literally in pieces with
a very few strokes of the knife.
ROAST GOOSE.
A green goose neatly trussed and "done to
a turn" looks very tempting on the platter;
but there is so little meat in proportion to the
size of the bird that unless it be skilfully
carved only a small number can be served. The
breast of a goose is broader and flatter than that
of a turkey. It should be carved in a different
manner, although many writers give the same
directions for carving both.
Place it on the platter with the head at the
left. Insert the fork firmly across the ridge of
the breast-bone. Begin at the wing and cut down
through the meat to the bone, the whole length of
the breast. Cut down in the same way in parallel
slices, as thin as can be cut, until you come to
the ridge of the breast-bone. Slip the knife under
the meat at the end of the breast, and remove the
slices from the bone. Cut in the same manner on
the other side of the breast. Cut through the skin
below the breast, insert a spoon and help to the
stuffing. If more be required, cut the wing off at
the joint. Then tip the body over slightly and cut
off the leg. This thigh-joint is tougher, and
requires more skill in separating, than the second
joint of a turkey. It lies nearer the backbone.
But practice and familiarity with its location
will enable one to strike it accurately. The
wish-bone, shoulder-blade, and collar-bone may be
removed according to the directions given for
carving roast turkey. Some prefer to remove the
wing and leg before slicing the breast.
ROAST DUCK.
Place it in the same position and carve in the
same way as a goose.
Begin at the wing, and cut down to the bone in
long thin slices, parallel with the breast-bone;
then remove them from the bone. The breast is the
favorite portion; but the "wing of a flyer
and the leg of a swimmer" are esteemed by
epicures.
The stuffing is not often desired, but if so,
it may be found by cutting across below the end of
the breast.
Geese and ducks are seldom entirely cut up at
the table, as there is very little meat on the
back. But often from a seemingly bare carcass
enough may be obtained to make a savory entree.
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