Connecticut western news., 1880-11-10
A CHAPTER ON POULTRY.
How to Cook Young and old Birds.

I luxury and Q delicacy. No cook can get up the enthusiasm in preparing fish or quadrupedal flesh for the table that she has in cooking @ bird, though it be only goose. As fruits, fed on air and sunshine, rank higher in our esti. nation than vegetables that cling to, and are embedded in the soil, so wing ed flesh is more highly esteemed than that which ploddingly goes on all fours. In the hands of skilful cook almost any kind of poultry is made delicious
 by bungler the choicest birds may be utterly spoiled.
 Old poultry may be made tender and savory by the following method: Soak 1t in cold water with handful or two oi ashes thrown in for twenty-four hours
 pick off the feathers and let it hang fo1 twenty-four hours longer. Then let it boil for a quarter of an hour in veal broth or water take it out, lard and bake it; when nearly done haste with hot butter. By this method the flavor of young chicken may be imparted to an old fowl. Poultry of all kinds re. quires thorough cooking, as when under done it is tasteless. A turkey weighing eight pounds should be baked three hours and pasted every ten or fifteen minutes with its own drippings and with melted butter. If proper care is taken in dressing poultry it will not need wash ing. A wet cloth may be used to wipe it clean if necessary, but soaking it in water takes out the flavor. Young poul- try may be known by having smooth legs and supple feet. If the legs are rough and the feet are stiff the poultry is old or stale.
 To BAKE TURKEY.-After it is dressed, salt and pepper it inside; make force meat of bread or cracker crumbs, season with summer savory or sweet marioram. To this forcemeat chestnuts may be added. They are put over the fire in saucepan to burst the skins, then boiled in salt water. Or, whole oysters well seasoned may be added to the stuffing. Truffles are also used. A couple of eggs added to any stuffing im- proves it. Boiled, mashed, and season. ed Irish or sweet potatoes are also used for turkey stufing. When stuffed, tie it in shape, lard the top or lay slices of bacon over it, wet the skin and sprinkle it we'll with salt, pepper and flour. Have the ovenj not very hot till the turkey gets heated through, then in- crease the heat. While the fowl is cook ing, boil the giblets, the neck, liver, gizzard, sweet bread-chop them fine and when the gravy is made add them to it. To make the gravy, after the turkey is removed from the baking pan put the pan over the fire, dredge flour into it, and when Drowned stir in boil ing water or stock skim off every bit of fat, add the giblets, season with salt and pepper. If chestnuts are used in the stutfing, add them also to the gravy. Oyster stuffing should be used just be- fore the turkey is baked with other stuffing it is we'll to let it remain num- Der of hours before cooking that its flavor may permeate the bird. Turkey is served with cranberry jelly or with currant or plum jelly.
 BAKED GoosE.-A goose eight months old and fat is best for baking. Let il
 hang day or two, then remove every
 fine feather, singe it well, and take away
 everything not edible including all tht
 loose fat. Stew the giblets by them
 selves and make pie of them. Goos'
 requires high favored stuffing. Chol
 two large onions fine, add to them
 tablespoonful of pulverized sage, tea
 spoonful of black pepper and tw'
 teaspoonfuls of salt. Mix these in gredients with crumbled bread, put il the body of the bird and sew up closet.
 all the openings. This prevents tn steam from going out and the fat iron getting in and adds to the flavor and ten
 derness of the meat. Put no water in tn pan. A slice of fat pork or some butte may be laid on the breast when it is pu in the oven. Baste with its own fa every twenty minutes. Two hours wi bake goose if the oven is hot. Whe done it will be brown all over; then It , move the bird to platter, pour all tn fat from the baking pan, add to tn
 brown gravy in the pan the gravy frol
 the giblets, but no flour, bring to bo
 and serve in gravy boat. Save the f.
 for medicinal and other purposes. It
 not good for food. Goose should | ' served with apple sauce, onions an y potatoes boiled and peeled but nt d mashed.
 :. CHICKEN PE.-Clean, draw, and cl k up pair of chickens, put them in f saucepan with water enough to cov' , them, salt to season, cover them wei s Make pie crust with quart of fol n and half pound of butter or lard, w !. with sweet milk or cold water. Gov @ deep dish with the crust, lay tl 'f chickens in, put in bits of butter rollt e in flour, fill the dish with the water IS which the chickens were boiled. Inse T a cup in the center of the dish tn n will keep the gravy from soaking in @ the crust. Cover the dish with neat 't fitting crust. Ornament the top of u d pie with thin leaves of paste, cut O }. with tagging iron. Bake in slo n oven and serve hot.
 g Ducks are stuffed and baked like gees IS For the stuffing of ducks mace is an e 10 cellent seasoning.
 It To RE-cooK COLD TURKEY.-Cut d the remains of 8 turkey in small piece is Add to this half pint or more of zoe 7e high favored oysters, cut in piec. II Strew the bottom of dish with crack