Boiled Turkey.—This is a dish I rarely have, as I never could relish it boiled as it generally is, by putting it into that pure and chaste element water, into which has been thrown some salt, the quantity of which differs as much as the individuals that throw it in. I often reflect to myself, why should this innocent and well-brought up bird have its remains condemned to this watery bubbling inquisition, especially when alive it has the greatest horror of this temperate fluid; it is really for want of reflection that such mistakes occur: the flavor of a roasted turkey, hot or cold, is as superior to the boiled as it is possible to be. But yet there is a kind of boiling which can be adopted, and which I sometimes practise, which makes a nice palatable dish, and the broth can be used for other purposes. I think, if you try it, you will never again resort to that bubbling system of salt and water. I proceed as follows:—
357. Boiled Braised Turkey.—I truss it thus: Cut the neck, leaving the skin on; cut the legs off; then run the middle finger into the inside, raise the skin of the legs, and put them under the apron of the turkey, put the liver and gizzard in the pinions, turn the small end of the pinions on the back, run a packing-needle with string through the joint of the wing and middle joint of the leg, and through the body, and out at the opposite leg and wing, bring it round and tie it on the back, then run the needle and string through the ends of the legs or drumstick, press it through the back, and tie strongly; it is then ready. When the turkey is trussed, I then stuff it; and if I intend to have oyster sauce with it, I chop about two dozen of them into small dice and mix them with the stuffing, and place inside the breast. I then rub the breast with half a lemon, and put it into a two-gallon pan, and cover it with cold water, in which I add two ounces of butter, one ounce of salt, four onions, a stick of celery, one carrot, two turnips sliced, a large bouquet of parsley, two bay-leaves, two sprigs of thyme; set it on the fire, when beginning to boil, skim it, let it simmer two hours, or more if large; try the breast with a needle, if it goes in and out easily it is done; take it out and set it on a dish to drain, remove the string, serve on a fresh dish with a pint of good thick oyster sauce over it; by omitting the oysters in stuffing, you may serve the turkey with celery sauce, Jerusalem sauce, tomato ditto, mushroom ditto, or good parsley and butter; and, as an accompaniment, a piece of about two pounds of nice streaked bacon, which has been boiled with the turkey, and from which you have removed the skin, and serve on some greens, or Brussels sprouts, over which you have thrown a little salt, pepper, and two ounces of oiled butter. You see, dear ——, that this dish can be varied without much expense and trouble; observe, that this way, the broth is good for soup the same day, and by the addition of two pounds of veal cut in small pieces, a quarter of a pound of lean bacon, one onion, one blade of mace, one leek, a wineglass of water; put into a separate stewpan, stew on fire till forming a white glaze, then add it to the turkey when on the point of boiling; when done, skim off all fat, pass it through a tammy or cloth; you may use it for any clear soup by adding a little brown gravy or coloring, and also for any kind of purée; or, by reducing it a little, make white or brown sauce, adding to the last the proper color. I must observe, that this will be almost impracticable when you have a party; the only plan would be to get the turkey done one hour before you require it, keeping it hot with its breast in some of the stock; but, as the broth will keep well in small quantities, it can be reserved for the next day. That is my plan of boiling, but the following is my new way of giving the flavor of vegetables to all poultry, which is a decided improvement. The aroma from the bird when the cover is removed is quite inviting, and the appearance of it, which is as white as alabaster, and cuts also full of juice: I call it—
358. Roast Braised Turkey.—Peel and wash two onions, one carrot, one turnip, cut them in thin slices, also a little celery, a few sprigs of parsley, two bay-leaves, lay three sheets of paper on the table, spread your vegetables, and pour over them two or three tablespoonfuls of oil; have your turkey, or poularde, trussed the same as for boiling; cover the breast with thin slices of bacon, and lay the back of the bird on the vegetables; cut a few slices of lemon, which you lay on the breast to keep it white, tie the paper round with string, then pass the spit and set it before the fire; pour plenty of fat over to moisten the paper and prevent from burning, roast three hours at a pretty good distance from the fire; capons will take two hours, poulardes one hour and a half, fowls one hour, and chickens half an hour. This way it may be served with almost any sauce or garniture, as stewed peas, oyster sauce, jardinière, stewed celery, cauliflower, stewed cucumbers, Jerusalem artichokes, which should be turned in the shape of a pear: these should be dished on a border of mashed potatoes; that is, an artichoke and a Brussels sprout alternately, or a small piece of white cauliflower, and a small bunch of green asparagus, or stewed peas, or stewed celery of two inches long, never more, or any other vegetable according to season, which taste or fancy may dictate. When I want to serve them with brown garniture or sauce, I remove the paper and vegetables twenty minutes before it is done, and give it a light golden color, then I serve it with either a ragout financier, or mushroom or English truffle. I also often stuff it thus: I put two pounds of sausage meat in a basin with a little grated nutmeg; I then take two tablespoonfuls of chopped onions, put them in a sauté-pan with a little butter, and let them do for two minutes, which add to the meat, also two eggs well beaten up, and a quarter of a pint of white sauce if at hand, and fifteen fine roasted chestnuts; add this to the stuffing, and fill the bird as usual, not too full at the breast; roast as above, giving half an hour longer for the forcemeat, put a quart of demi-glaze and a glass of sherry in a stewpan, reduce it to a pint and a half, add in it fifty button onions previously stewed, and twenty-five roasted chestnuts; sauce under.
359. Turkey, if old.—The French stew it exactly like the ribs of beef, the receipt of which you have; but as this is a large “pièce de résistance,” I think I had better give it you in full as I do it:—Put a quarter of a pound of butter into a convenient-sized stewpan, such as will comfortably hold the old gentleman; cut one pound of lean bacon in ten or twelve pieces for a few minutes in the pan on the fire, then add your turkey trussed as for boiling, breast downwards; set it on a moderate fire for one hour, and until it is a nice color, add two tablespoonfuls of flour, and stir well round until it forms a roux, then add two quarts of water or broth; when you have it on the point of boiling, add fifty pieces of carrot the size of walnuts, the like of turnip, ten button onions, a good bouquet of sprigs of thyme, two bay-leaves, and ten of parsley, a small glass of rum, a clove, a piece of garlic, and let it stew gently for four hours. If you use water, season in proportion. Take your turkey out, and put the vegetables and sauce in a smaller stewpan, which ought to be nearly full; let it simmer on the corner of the fire, so that the fat rises and may be removed, and reduce it to a demi-glaze, dish up your turkey and serve with the sauce over it; small new potatoes, about twenty, when in season, may be added to the sauce or roasted chestnuts. The remains are excellent when cold, or will warm again with the addition of a little broth or water. The series of entrées will contain the dishes made from the remnants of the foregoing receipts.
FOWLS, in a general sense, mean all kinds of poultry, but, in a limited view, mean one species of bird, which is exceedingly common in all parts of Europe: there are an amazing number of kinds of this species produced by crossing the breed; great attention having been bestowed upon this subject of late years, that it is quite impossible to say which is the best. They are not originally natives of England, but were found there by the Romans, having probably been brought by the Phœnicians. We distinguish this kind in cookery as the chicken, capon, pullet, cock, and hen. Chickens from their age cannot be otherwise but tender; capons should have a fat vein on the side of the breast, thick belly and rump, comb short and pale, spurs short and blunt, and legs smooth. Pullets are best in the spring, just before they begin to lay. Cocks should have their spurs short, legs smooth, and comb short, smooth, and a bright color. Hens, legs and comb smooth, and full breast. Black legs are best for roasting and entrées, and white for boiling.
For preparing them for table, M. Soyer has invented a plan:—by cutting the sinews of the bird, it not only appears fuller and plumper when cooked, as the heat is liable to contract the sinews, but it also affords facility for carving when the sinews are divided; they are trussed in the usual way, only using string instead of skewers. The following is the ordinary plan of trussing—
For Roasting.—Having emptied the fowl and cleaned the gizzard, cut the skin of the wings, and put the gizzard and liver through it, and turn the pinion under; put a skewer through the first joint of the pinion and the body, coming out at the opposite side, and bring the middle of the leg close up to it; run a skewer through the middle of both legs and body, and another through the drumstick and side-bone, and one through the skins of the feet, the nails of which must be cut off.