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Classic
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page 81
the bill is of a dark colour, and the legs yellowish; if fresh, the vent will be
firm; but this part will look greenish if stale.
Pheasants.--The cock-bird is accounted best, except when the hen is with egg. If
young, he has short blunt or round spurs; but if old, they are long and sharp.
Directions for dressing Poultry and Game.
All poultry should be very carefully picked, every plug removed, and the hair
nicely singed with white paper.
The cook must be careful in drawing poultry of all sorts, not to break the
gall-bag, for no washing will take off the bitter where it has touched.
In dressing wild fowl, be careful to keep a clear brisk fire. Let them be done
of a fine yellow brown, but leave the gravy in: the fine flavour is lost if done
too much.
Tame fowls require more roasting, and are longer in heating through than others.
All sorts should be continually basted; that they may be served with a froth,
and appear of a fine colour.
A large fowl will take three quarters of an hour; a middling one half an hour;
and a very small one, or a chicken, twenty minutes. The fire must be very quick
and clear before any fowls are put down. A capon will take from half an hour to
thirty-five minutes; a goose an hour; wild ducks a quarter of an hour: pheasants
twenty minutes; a small turkey stuffed, an hour and a quarter; turkey-poults,
twenty minutes; grouse, a quarter of an hour: quails, ten minutes; and
partridges, from twenty to twenty-five minutes. A hare will take near an hour,
and the hind-part requires most heat.
Pigs and geese require a brisk fire, and quick turning. Hares and rabbits must
be well attended to: and the extremities brought to the quick part of the fire,
to be done equally with the backs.
POULTRY.
To boil Turkey.
Make a stuffing of bread, herbs, salt, pepper, nutmeg,
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