The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-12-30
HOW TO DRAW A CHICKEN.
Directions by Experts of Department
of Agriculture.

Following are the directions given
by the poultry dressing specialists Of
the department of agriculture for draw
ing a chicken at home:
Cd Hold the chicken by the legs
and run it quickly over the fame
from . loosely twisted lighted newspa
per which, for safety may be laid in a
coal bucket or ash tray. This will re-
move the fine hairs. Remove any pin
feathers with the aid of a sharp small
knife blade The charred hair may be
washed off later.
(2) Cut the legs off well below the
knee joint. If the legs are cut above
the knee joint the flesh on the drum
stick will be pulled back from the end.
(3) Cut the head off, leaving as
much of the neck possible, then
push the skin of the neck back and
cut the neck off quite close to the
body. The envelope of the remaining
skin gives the dressed bird neater
appearance. The neck bones with the
adhering meat make a valuable addi-
ton to the giblets. The gullet and
windpipe are, of course, on the neck
and must be pulled away.
a. To remove the entrails, make an
| incisiOn about 21o inches in length
across the abdomen and as close to the
vent as possible. In making this in
cisiOn, be careful not to penetrate the
| intestine. Slip the fingers in first, and
gradually insert the whole hand
| through the slit into the body cavity.
Work the viscera loose from its at
tachments by sliding the fingers over
the inner surface of the body walls
I'm this way, after a little practice,
the viscera can be removed quickly
and easily. The lungs will almost in
variahlv tear, leaving shreds sticking
to the back. These, and the kidneys
of the chicken, which are two long,
dark red bodies lying each side of the
| backbone and firmly fastened, should
be removed in pieces. The rest of the
viscera, including the crop which lies
far front and just under the skin of
the breast. when loosened will come
The intestine is still attached to the
bird at the vent. To separate it
clearly. the tube should be picked up
lust as close to the vent as possible
and its contents pushed well back from
the vent. Then cut closely around the
vent, holding the intestine tightly he
tween the fingers TO insure cleanliness
Run stream Of water through the
slit into the body cavity in such WISE
that it flows through the vent and
cleans the short piece OF intestine still
remaining. Then cut both vent and
intestine away, leaving n neat, round
hole no larger than is necessary.
To prepare the piblets, detach the
heart. gizzard and liver, taking great
care not to break the little green gal
bladder attached to the liver, which
Itontains very bitter liquid which il
lallowed to escape. viii give a bitter
flavor to the giblets and gravy Thi:
gall bladder is so close TO the liver
that some liver tissue must be cut
) away to he on the safe side. The col
or Of n healthy chicken liver may
Wary from yellow TO dark red. To pre-
ipare the gizzard, hold it with the thin
edge toward the palm Of the hand anC
make an incision the whole Length
along the thick side, being careful
merely to cut through the muscle. bu
: not into the inner sack. Then opel
the gizzard as you would n pocket
book and remove the inner sac. whicl
F. is full of gravel, if possible withou
breaking it.
Finally. wash the chicken and glib
r. let's in clean cold water. but do no
+ let the chicken soak in the water, be
5 cause the finest favors of the mea
$ and much nutritive material are dis
J. solved in the water.
Once the chicken is dressed an
l. washed, put it at once in the eoldes
: place available and keep it there III
I til it is to be put on the fire. The hes
Il lway is TO dress it Just in time to 9
e finto the stove.