Be careful in picking, that the skin be not broken. Some cooks wash poultry, but if wiping will be sufficient, it is best not washed. Chickens and fowls will keep two or three days, except in very hot weather. A fowl put on in cold water, should simmer by the side of the fire, from twenty-five minutes to half an hour. Some cooks boil a little fresh suet sliced, and also slices of lemon peel, with fowl. Some boil them in milk and water. The water must be well scummed.
Boiled Fowls with white sauce, or mushroom, oyster, celery, liver, or lemon sauce, or parsley and butter. A pretty remove of fish or soup, is, a small tongue in the centre, a boiled chicken on each side, and small heads of brocoli, with a few asparagus and French beans to fill the spaces. Serve any of the above sauces.—Always ham, bacon or tongue, and some sort of green vegetable, with fowl and turkey; chine with the latter. Garnish with slices of lemon.
Ducks.
Choose fine fat ones. Some persons salt them slightly, for two days, others boil them without. Smother them with onions, or serve onion sauce.
Turkey.
Let it hang four days, and take care not to blacken it in singeing. It is usual to fill the crop of a turkey with forcemeat (see forcemeats), or with a stuffing of bread-crumbs, suet shred fine, a little parsley, thyme, and lemon peel, chopped fine, nutmeg, pepper, and salt, the whole mixed together by an egg. In America it is the practice to stuff turkeys with oysters chopped and mixed with bread-crumbs. About 4 would be sufficient. A large turkey, with the crop filled, requires two hours slow boiling; not filled, half an hour less; and a small hen turkey an hour. Serve with oyster or celery sauce, and either chine, bacon or tongue. The forcemeat may be enriched by grated tongue or ham, chopped veal, an anchovy and a little bit of eschalot. (See to hash, also grill.)
Rabbits.
A full-sized one will boil in half an hour; an old one above an hour. Some use milk and water. Serve with onion sauce poured over; or a sauce made of melted butter, and the livers, previously boiled, and minced small, with a little parsley. Lay slices of lemon round the dish. Ham or Bacon.
Bacon
Should be well washed and scraped, and old bacon soaked in cold water. After coming slowly to a boil, let a piece of 4 lbs. simmer by the fire two hours, if young and fresh cured, less time. Some cooks put fat bacon into hot water, and lean into cold. Take off the rind and set it before the fire to dry up the oozing fat. Strew bread-raspings over.