SOYER’S TENDON SEPARATOR.
The woodcut at p. xxiii represents one of the most serviceable of instruments. Its object is to relieve carvers, more or less proficient, and must become indispensable for the use of all cooks and poulterers in disjointing the volatile species previous to trussing, roasting, or boiling.
To a clever carver, sitting at a homely table or public banquet, it matters little whether all eyes are fixed upon him or a fidgety footman is at his elbow. He quietly distributes the several dainties according to the fancy of the guests, and everything goes on in comfort. But to a person inexperienced, the notion of being placed at either end of the table, to stay the ravenous appetite of some of the guests, causes such a nervous excitement, that it is not an uncommon thing to see the splashing of sauce and gravy on those around—perchance the sudden appearance of an unfortunate limb flying with terrific velocity on a lady’s dress, the whole of the company being thus thrown into confusion—the poor carver’s apologies received with black looks, and the harmony of the party placed in jeopardy.
It is with a view to extricate society from such an awkward position that the inventor offers to the public the Tendon Separator, as a medium by which any gentleman may boldly take the carving-knife in hand, and be delighted to comply with the invitation of the Amphytrion: instead of inspiring fear, he will be admired for his ability in gracefully dividing a favorite piece of game or poultry.
The simplicity of the operation will easily convince any one that the Tendon Separator possesses all that is required to remove awkwardness in carving; the only necessity being to divide the tendons in the joints, the toughness of which is the difficulty to be overcome, and often abandoned to make a desperate cut at the bones; hence arise the accidents above mentioned.
The following instructions will enable all cooks and poulterers to prepare game and poultry for the table, perfectly free from opposition to any carver’s knife.
THE TENDON SEPARATOR
Is represented shut when done with, by merely slipping the brass ring to keep the spring in its place, and open when in the act of being used; the straight part of the handle, with the ring, resting in the palm of the hand between the thumb and the fore-finger. When about separating the tendons and otherwise dividing other parts of your fowl or bird, you begin by turning the skin over the wings and cutting the tendons (No. 1, p. xxiv) in each of the joints; and then by taking hold of that part commonly called the drumstick with your right hand and the skin being already turned, you can easily get at the joint (No. 2) by making it come out, to cut the tendons of each leg; on turning the Separator with the points upwards, you give a cut at the breast-bone (No. 4); and, by holding the instrument with both hands, immediately after turning the points downwards, you also give a cut at the back-bone (No. 5), and then, the four tendons being cut, the limbs are brought back to their former position. Then you introduce the instrument into the body at the other end of the bird, and with your left hand you take hold of the thigh-bone, which you also divide at No. 3, and again turning the points downwards, you give another cut at the back-bone No. 5; with little practice the cuts at the breast and back-bone, are made without interfering in the least with the skin; then you truss the bird in the common way, but a packing-needle and thread are to be preferred, as explained at page xv. When roasted, the appearance of the poultry is vastly improved by this simple operation, it looks more plump on account of the sinews having lost their power of contraction whilst roasting; therefore, when the bird