CUTTING AND CUBING MEATS

thinking that when divided according to the joints some portions will be hare Df meat. To do this, after cleaning, split the fowl in halves lengthwise. This •an be done l)y cutting down the middle of tlie back with a sharp kitclu-n knife, laying the fowl wide open and chojtping through the breast bone in- side. I.iiy a half on the board and sever the drnmsticusliy chopping through the joint. Chop through the hip joint, or a little on the meaty side of it, and slantwise, taking at that cnt the side bone and tail end, all sufticicntly cov- ered with meat, a little derived from the second joint, and tln'n cut olf the second joint by chopping straight acrosss the fowl, making three pieces of equal weight of that quarter. Cut off the two small joints of the wing. Chojj off the main joint shuitwise, so that it will have attached to it the piece of neck bone and a small portion of the breast. There will! remani nearly the entire breast, whiidi should be chop])ed straight across and nuide two pieces. Cut up the other half of the fowl in the same way. It is just the skillful carving of a whole cooked fowl in results; a proj)er method of cutting up gives each person at table a piece of meat of equally good appearance, and not to one meat and to next a dark-looking piece of bone, alreadv strippetl.

To Cut up a Turkey to Cook Whole. — After killing and singeing, plump it by plunging quickly three times into boiling water and then three times into cold, holding it 1)y the legs ; place on a meat-board, and with a sharp knife cut off the legs a little below the knee, to prevent the muscles from shriuK- ing away from the joint, and remove the oil-l)ag from the tail ; take out the crop, either by making a slit at the back of the neck or in frout(the latter is better) taking care that every thing pertaining to the crop or windpipe is removed, cut the neck-bone olf close to the bo(ly, leaving the skin a good length to be stuffed ; cut around vent, cut a slit three inches long from the tail upAvards, being careful to cut only through the skin, T)ut in the finger at the lireastand R.r.fiy for Plumping. detact all the intestines, taking care not to burst the

gall-bag (situated near the upper part of the breast-bone, and attached to the liver ; if broken, no washing can remove the bitter taint left on every spot it touches) ; put in the hand at the in- cision near the tail and draw out carefully all intestines ; split the gizzard and take out the inside and inni-r lining (throw liver, aeart, and gizzard into water, wash well, and lay aside to be cooked and used for the gravy); wash the fowl thoroughly^ in cold ,ater twice, (some wipe carefully with a wet cloth, and afterwards with a dry clolh to make jx-rfectlv clean, instead of washing), hang up to drain, then stuti', skewer, and place to roast as directed in Koast Turkey. A cliiiken is prepared in same way and trussed as illustrated.

To Bone Chicken and Tarkeii. — If chicken, choose a large one, at least one year old, pick, singe and wipe with wet towel, but do not draw. If you buvalready dressed, see that it is not frozen as freezing makes it tear easily anil also be particular every i)art is whole, as little breaks in skin will sjvoil theresidt. Cut olf legs about one and one half inches above joint, cut oil wings between last joint and body, cut off neck close to botly and take out the croj) without breaking the skin of the neck. Now ^yn-yi-r-prr, — — - -^^ =»- with a small, sharp knife make a smooth cut through ^"'^ ^^ ^^^^^ the skin and flesh, down the line of the backbone,

from the neck to the rump ; then begin at the neck to cut off the flesh and akin together from the carcass; work with the point of the knife, holding it

Fn.nt of Chicken.

CUTTING AND CURING MEATS. 1051

flat against the bone, and cutting all the flesh off attached to the skin ; first ("it from the neck to the joint where the wing is connected with the body, then unjoint that, and leave the bone of the wing in the flesh for the pres- ent, and continue to cut down the back and sides until the thigh joint is reached; unjoint that, leaving the bone in the leg, and cut toward the breast- Ixiue, being careful not to cut through the skin where it is stretched tight over the breast ; when the flesh of one side of the bird is loosened from the carcass in this way, turn it over and take off the other side. Great care must be taken not to cut through the carcass into the intestines, which may remain inclosed in it until it is entirely freed from the flesh and skin ; the most difficult part of the operation is cutting off the breast without breaking or tearing the skin ; if this accident happens the aperture must be sewed up before the l)ird is stuffed. When tke flesh is free from the carcass, lay it s^in down on the table, and distribute the flesh equally all over the skin, catting the thickest portions and laying them open like the leaves of a book, so as to cover the skin ; cut out the wing and thighbones, and turn the flesh and s' in inside, like the fingers of a glove reversed. Stuff" and roll in shape ;is directed for a Turkey (ialatine and after being boiled and pressed in a pan or mold, remove cloth, place it in a vessel, a size larger than that in which it was pressed but same shape, and lill the space with aspic jelly poured in nearly cold ; when set dip a m(jment in warm water, turn out and it is ready to be decorated. Although we have given many fillings in Poultry

Another method of boning a turkey to truss in original shape is as fol- lows ; prepare as above without drawing, cut off legs in the joints, and tips of "^'ings, place on its breast and cut down the back through to the bone from the neck down to where there is but little flesh, where it is all skin and fat. Begin at neck, and run knife between flesh and bones until you come to wing. Then cut ligaments that hold bones together and tendons that hold flesh to bones. With thuml) and fore-finger, prens flesh from smooth bone. When you come to the joint, carefully separate ligaments and re- move bone. Do not try to take bone from next joint, as that is not in the way when carving, and" it gives a more natural shape to turkey. Now begin at wish-bone, and when that is free from the flesh, run knifebetween sides and flesh, always using fingers to press the meat from the smooth bones, as, for instance, the breast-lione and lower part of the sides. Work around edges the same as around wings, always using great care at joints not to cut skin. Drawing out the leg bones turns that part of the bird inside out. Turn turkey over, and proceed in the same manner with the other side, When all is detached, carefully draw skin from breast-bone ; then run the knife between the fat and bone at the rump, leaving the small bone in the ex- treme end, as it holds the skewers. Carefully remove the flesh from the skeleton, and turn it right side out again. Enb into it two tablespoons salt and a little pepper, and fill with dressing. !Sew up back and neck and then the vent. Truss the same as if not boned. By leaving the wings and legs unboned the natural form is more easily given to the turkey in trussing

1052 CUTTING AND CURING MEATS.

take tlie end of the large bone firmly in the fingers, and cut the fle^^h clean from it (!(j\\ n to the next joint, round w hich pass the point of the knife care- lidly, and wlien the skin is loosened from it in every part, cut round the next l>one, keeping the edge of tlie knife close to it, until the whole of the leg is <lone. Remove the bones of tlie other leg in same manner; then ta e wings and i>roceed with these as with the legs, but be especially careful not to jiierce the skin of the second joint; the rest of the pieces are very easily boned alter the directions given for boning au entire fowl.

Shrll F'Sh — The Oyffer is the most tT=rd of all slicll-fish and its prepar- ation for cooking is so simple that it is fully given in Shell-fish Department. 1 1 II rd-tihell Cribs are prepared for use the same as Lobsters. Soft-shell Crabs are alwaj's used alive and prepared for cooking as follows: Turn the crab on its back, lift up the apron, or pointe<l fiap which lies near the back of the shell, and either break off from it the tuft of fin-like portions attached to it, or remove it entireh' ; press first one side and then the other of the hack shell away from the body, and take out the tough fibrous organs called the "dcadmen" ; lay the crab on its back on the table, and with a small shar]) knife cutout a semi-circle from the head, inclmling the eyes and the sand bag ; then wash the crab in cold salted water, dry it on a clean towel, and it is ready to be cooked as wished.

Lobsters. — "When purchased alive, to remove the shell tie the claws to- gether and j)lunge head-first into boiling water, adding a gallon of latter, tablespoon s:ilt and some add teacup vinegar. Boil steadily for twenty or tlurty minutes or until the shell turns red. Too long boiling toughens it and destroys the fine delicate flavor of the meat, for small ones some only l)oil half as long. When done it is nice to let it drain face downward on a sieve. Take it from the boiling water, crxil a little, and then break ofi' claws and tail, remove and throw away the soft tins which lie under the legs, close to the hody of the lobster, separate tail from body, and shake out the tom- ally, and, also, the "coral," if there is any, upon a plate. Then by drawing hody from the shell with the thumb, and i)ressing the part near head against shell with first and second finger, you will free it from the stomach or "lady." Now split the lobster through the center and. with a fork, pick meat from joints. Cut under side of tail shell open and takeout meat without breaking. On the ui)per part of that end of this meat which joined the body is a small piece of llesh, which should be lilted; and a strip of meat attached to it should he tUMU'd back to the extreme end of tail This will uncover a little vein, running the entire length, which must be removed. Sometimes this vein is dark, and sometimes as light as the meat itself. It and the stomach anil head are the only parts not eata])le, Tlie piece that covered the vein shoulil he turned again iiito pUu-e. Hold claws on edge on a thick board, and stride hard with a hammer until shell cracks. Draw ajnirt, and take out meat. If you have the claws lying f

CUTTING AND CURING MEATS. 1053

smoothly together until the consistency of cream, and add the lobster cut in pieces. Let it get very hot, and serve in a border of plain boiled or curried lice. Or a Lobstfr Sauce is made when the solid flesh is used for salad, ID* pounding the soft part and shell together (in a mortar) very line, and putting in stewpan, covering with pint boiling water; then place it over the flre to simmer for ten minutes and pass the liquor through a hair sieve into a basin ; put three tablespoons butter into stewpan, into which rub (cold) a good table- spoon flour, add liquor from lobster, place upon the fire, stirring until the point of boiling ; season with a little cayenne, and add a piece of anchovy butter, the size of a walnut ; or, if any red spawn is in the lobster, mfx it with the butter, as in the last, and add it, with the juice of half a lemon, just be- fore serving. An anchovy pounded with the lobster shells would be an im- provement, and part of the fiesh of the lobster might be served in the sauce. To make the Anchovy Butter, you must have young anchovies, Take tliem out of the pickle and wash well. Take off the bones and head, and then pound them in a mortar with fresh butter, very fine ; rub this through a hair sieve. Put this butter when made, into a pot w-ell covered, to use when wanted ; observe however, that it soon becomes rank.

Terrapins or Water Turtles. — Put in hot, not boiling, water for from three to five minutes, take out. place in cold water five or ten minutes and remove underskin and pullofFthe horny parts from the feet; return to kettle with fresh hot water, slightly salted, and boil about an hour or till under shell cracks, time will depend upon size and age. Loosen shell carefully, some open at side, remove under shells, take out the two sand-hags, en- trails, and the gall, which lies above the largest lobe of the liver (be very careful not to break gall bag, or touch it with the knife in cutting) ; cut rest of terrapin in pieces, seasan and prepare as directed in shell-fish.

1054 cARViNr,.