Bone a fowl without opening the back, and restore it to its original form by filling the vacant spaces in the legs and wings with forcemeat; put a roll of it also into the body, and a large sausage freed from the skin on either side; tie it very securely at both ends, truss it with fine skewers, and roast it for a full hour, keeping it basted plentifully with butter. When appearance is not regarded, the pinions may be taken off, and the legs and wings drawn inside the fowl, which will then require a much smaller proportion of forcemeat:—that directed for veal will answer quite well in a general way, but for a dinner of ceremony, No. 17 or 18 of the same Chapter, should be used in preference. The fowl must be tied securely to the spit, not put upon it. Boned chickens are excellent when entirely filled with well-made mushroom forcemeat, or very delicate and nicely seasoned sausage-meat, and either roasted or stewed. Brown gravy, or mushroom sauce should then be sent to table with them.
BOILED FOWLS.
Fowl for boiling.
White-legged poultry should always be selected for boiling as it is of better colour when dressed than any other. Truss the fowls firmly and neatly, with the legs drawn into the bodies, and the wings twisted over the backs; let them be well covered with water, which should be hot, but not boiling when they are put in. A full-sized fowl will require about three quarters of an hour from the time of its beginning to simmer; but young chickens not more than from twenty to twenty-five minutes: they should be very gently boiled, and the scum should be removed with great care as it gathers on the surface of the water. Either of the following sauces may be sent to table with them: parsley and butter, béchamel, English white sauce, oyster, celery, or white-mushroom sauce. The fowls are often dished with small tufts of delicately boiled cauliflower placed round them; or with young vegetable marrow scarcely larger than an egg, merely pared and halved after it is dressed: white sauce must be served with both of these. The livers and gizzards are not, at the present day, ever served in the wings of boiled fowls. The livers may be simmered for four or five minutes, then pressed to a smooth paste with a wooden spoon, and mixed very gradually with the sauce, which should not boil after they are added.
Full-sized fowl, 3/4 hour: young chickens, 20 to 25 minutes.
Obs.—Rather less than half a gallon of cold added to an equal quantity of boiling water, will bring it to the proper degree of heat for putting in the fowls, or the same directions may be observed for them as those given for a boiled turkey. For richer modes of boiling poultry, see Blanc and Poêlée, Chapter [IX].
TO BROIL A CHICKEN OR FOWL.
Either of these, when merely split and broiled, is very dry and unsavoury eating; but will be greatly improved if first boiled gently from five to ten minutes and left to become cold, then divided, dipped into egg and well seasoned bread-crumbs, plentifully sprinkled with clarified butter, dipped again into the crumbs, and broiled over a clear and gentle fire from half to three quarters of an hour. It should be served very hot, with mushroom-sauce or with a little good plain gravy, which may be thickened and flavoured with a teaspoonful of mushroom-powder mixed with half as much flour and a little butter; or with some Espagnole. It should be opened at the back, and evenly divided quite through; the legs should be trussed like those of a boiled fowl; the breast-bone, or hat of the back may be removed at pleasure, and both sides of the bird should be made as flat as they can be that the fire may penetrate every part equally: the inside should be first laid towards it. The neck, feet and gizzard may be boiled down with a small quantity of onion and carrot, previously browned in a morsel of butter to make the gravy; and the liver, after having been simmered with them for five or six minutes, may be used to thicken it after it is strained. A teaspoonful of lemon-juice, some cayenne, and minced parsley should be added to it, and a little arrow-root, or flour and butter.
1/2 to 3/4 hour.