The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-02-08

"HE term poultry includes all
domestic birds used as food,
excepting pigeons and squads,
which are classed as game.
The term game is applied to animals
and birds which are pursued and taken
in field and forest, such as quail, part
ridge, wild duck, deer, etc.
In choosing poultry, age is given the
first consideration. A young fowl has
soft feet, smooth skin and soft cartilage
at the end of the breast-bone. After the
fowl is about a year old, the cartilage
hardens into bone and the feet become
hard and dry, with coarse, scaly cover
ing and strong spurs. Pin feathers in
dictate young fowl; hairs an older one.
Roasting Poultry
In roasting poultry of every kind there
are three very important points which
must be carefully observed. First, al
ways have the oven very hot at first,
then finish the cooking at a moderate
temperature the intense heat sears the
surface and closes the pores, so that the
nutritive juices are all sealed within.
Second, never submerge in much water,
or the water will draw out the juices !;
for this reason the fowl should rest on
rack in the baking pan. The rack
should be smaller than the pan, to admit
the free use of the spoon in basting.
feshy part of the fowl in turning, as this
makes an opening for the juices to
escape.
Chickens, ducks and geese are roasted
in the same way as turkeys, the time
required varying according to the age of
the fowl. Spring chickens and ducks re-
quire about an hour. When about a
year old from two to three hours. A
"green" goose (Which is about four
months old) is choicest for roasting
If about year old, the goose should be
praised or steamed until almost tender,
allowing from two to three hours, then
Drowned in the oven, basting frequently.
Seasoning Fowl
To season ducks and geese, rub. well
with salt, pepper and ginger, both inside
snd out. If liked they may also be
rubbed, before other seasoning is added,
with the cut side of Glove of garlic or
half an onion. A Glove of garlic may
also be added to the liquid in the pan
during roasting to flavor both meat and
gravy. Ducks and geese are sometimes
stuffed with sliced apples or several
onions and head of celery, but as such
stuffing is supposed to absorb the natur-
ally strong flavor of these fowls, it is
not intended for serving. Serve apple
or gooseberry sauce with ducks and
geese.
A rich apple stufing much esteemed
for both ducks and geese is made as
follows: Melt one-fourth cupful butter
OF clarified poultry fat, add one tea
spoonful Cor more) of finely minced
onion, cook one minute; add heart and
liver of the fowl, finely chopped, and
cook, stirring constantly, several min
utes;- then add quart of sliced apples.
Cover and cook until apples are soft,
then add one cupful raisins, one and a
half cupful currants, one cupful soft
bread-crumbs, one-fourth cupful sugar,
one teaspoonful salt, one-half teaspoon
full cinnamon, and one-fourth teaspoon
full pepper. Take from fire, mix thor
oughly, cool and add one beaten egg.
Season more, if needed, according to
taste.
wild Duck
Roast wild duck should be cleaned
and trussed the same as domestic duck
Rub with salt and pepper. Before
roasting, tie very thin slices of bacon
over the breast. Bake in very hot
oven, basting every five minutes with
the fat in the pan. The time required
in cooking is from twenty minutes for
rare to forty minutes for well-done
birds. Bread stufhng seasoned with
sage, onion, or both, is used if stuffing is
desired. Small squares of fried mush
or fried hominy garnished with currant
jelly are nice to serve with ducks.