Middletown transcript., 1888-11-28
THE THANKSGIVING TURKEY.

StructiOnS. Inc aTtlcie Is somewhat
: lengthy, but it is good, and dare say
/ that many housekeeper will cut out
, the instructions and keep them for fu-
: ture reference,
The Turkey How to clean, Stuff,
Truss and Roast it-Pick out the pin
feathers and singe the hairs and down
over blazing paper. Then was the skin
of the turkey thoroughly in warm water
, in which little soda has been dissolv-
ed. It is better to do this before the
, bird has been cut. The drumstick of a
turkey is greatly improved by removing
the tendons, which always become hard
and honey in baking. Cut carefully
through the skin below the legjoint,
but do not cut the tendons bend the
leg at the cut by pressing it on the edge
of the table, and break off the bone.
Then pull out the tendons, one at a
| time, with the fingers or, all at once,
| by putting the foot of the fowl against
| the casing of door that opens towards
| you, then pressing the door hard against
| the foot, and pulling on the leg. The
tendons will come out attached to the
| foot, but if they are once cut they can
j never be removed. There is an advan-
Itage in breaking the leg below instead
t Of f at at the joint, as the ends of the bones
afford more length for trussing, and af-
| ter roasting. this is easily broken off,
leaving clean unburned joint for the
table.
Cut off the head. Slip the skin back
from the neck and cut the neck off half
way down, or close to the body if you
prefer, but always leave the skin long
er than the neck, so it may be folded
over on the back. Remove the wind
pipe and turn the skin over pull the
crop away from the neck and breast
and cut it off close to the opening into
the body. If the bird be not drawn at
the market make a circular cut around
the vent to free the end of the intestine.
Cut out the oil bag in the tail. Make
horizontal incision through the skin
one inch above the vent and wide |
enough to insert the two fingers. Keep |
the fingers close to the breast bone un-
til you can reach in beyond the gizzard |
and heart, and loosen the membranes
on either side down toward the back.
Then draw out the whole mass, and af-
terward remove the lungs which lie
close to the ribs and the soft brown
kidneys found in the hollow of the
back.
Wash the bird quickly in warm soda
water and then in cold water and wipe
dry. Washing does not mean soaking
in pan Of water, but quick rubbing
all over and rinsing.
Place the fowl in deep bowl and put
in the stufing at the end of the neck
until the breost is filed round and
plump. Draw the neck skin together
at the end and sew it over on the back.
Put the remainder Of the stufing into
the body at the other opening. Use
enough to fill in lightly.
The best and most wholesome stufing
is made by crumbling the soft inside of
a loaf of stale bread !; moisten the
crumbs slightly with melted butter,
and season with salt, pepper and thyme.
The steam from the fowl will furnish
sufficient moisture and the stufing will
be light and delicate instead of soggy, 1
rank and heavy.
Draw the thighs close to the body
and put long skewer through the
thigh. If the incision be made as di- I
rected, the ends of the drumsticks may +,
be put through the opening and out at
The vent, and then fastened to the tail {
with skewer or with twine but, if q
made in the usual way, cross the drum
sticks over the tail. Turn the tips of Z
'he wings back and keep them in posi- .
ion close to the body (not up on the
)reast) by running skewer through
,ne wing, under the breast and out
through the other wing. Wind string
rom the tail to the skewer in the thigh
hen up the back to the one in the wing I
lcross the back to the other wing, then
lown to the opposite thigh and tie firm Q
y at the tail.
Put the turkey on a rack in a pan, @
ub well with butter, salt and flour. v
Put it into hot oven for five minutes {
r until the flour begins to color then
educe the heat and add pint of water d
delt one quarter cupful Of butter in a r
upful of hot water and baste with it a
ften, until some of the fat of the tur-
ey has been drawn out into the pan >
r spread piece of clean paper with =
oft butter and lay it over the turkey. :
When the paper is dry and brown lay
n another piece and when this is dry
aste with the dripping and add more Il
Eater as it boils away. Basic often, u
nd when half done dredge again with =
our, to give the outside a frothy ap-
earance. Cook the turkey slowly after al
he first slight browning, and quicken
he fire the last half hour if the bird be Oh
OF sufficiently Drowned. An eight or .rs
IN pound turkey will cook in two or
,ree hours. It is done if the thigh x
,ems tender when pierced with small
,rk, and appears as if it would sepa- :"
ate easily from the body. 7
Remove the turkey to a small pan
nd keep it warm while you make the W
ravy. Pour off nearly all the fat from
le dripping pan. The water will be to
early if not wholly gone. Set the pan T
D the stove, and stir two tablespoon
lis of dry flour into the fat. Scrape
4 add the brown fat that has adhered