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Roast Turkey (Prepare and stuff)

Prepare and stuff as in preceding recipe, and lard as described in general directions; place in oven not quite as hot as for roasting meats (if the fire is very hot, lay a piece of brown paper, well greased, over the fowl, to prevent scorching); put a table-spoon of butter in bits on the breast; it will melt and run into the drippingpan, and is used to baste the fowl as roasting progresses; baste often (once in ten minutes), watching the turkey as it begins to brown, very carefully, and turning it occasionally to expose all parts alike to the heat; it should be moist and tender, not in the least scorched, blistered or shriveled, till it is a golden brown all over. For the first two-thirds of the time required for cooking (the rule is twenty minutes to the pound and twenty minutes longer) the basting should keep the surface moistened so that it will not crisp at all; meantime the oven should be kept as close as possible. In basting use the door that opens to the left, so that the right hand may be used conveniently through a small opening; and a long gauntlet glove is a good thing to protect the hand and arm during the operation. In turning the pan, do it as quickly as possible; season with two tea-spoons salt when half done. In the last third of the time allowed for cooking, withdraw the pan partly from the oven (resting the end on a block of wood or a plain stool of the proper height kept for the purpose), and dredge the breast, upper portion and sides thoroughly, by sifting flour over the fowl from a fine sifter, return pan to oven, and let remain until the flour is well browned, then baste freely with drippings from the pan, and flour again, repeating the flouring and browning, and allowing the crust to grow crisper each time; there will probably be time to repeat the process three or four times before finishing. Take care not to wash off the flour by basting; give it time to brown on thoroughly, and do not take out of oven until all the flour of last dredging is thoroughly browned. If it is necessary to turn the turkey in the 1pan, use a towel, and never stick it with a fork, to allow the juice to escape. In roasting a large turkey, a liberal allowance of butter for cooking, including gravy for serving in two successive days, is one tea-cupful, but less may be used, according to taste or necessity for economy. When done the entire surface will be a rich, frothy, brown crust, which breaks off in shells in carving, and makes the most savory of morsels. Dish the turkey.

To make the gravy, boil the heart, liver, gizzard and neck in two quarts of water for two hours, then take them up, chop gizzard, heart and liver, put them back again, thicken with one table-spoon of flour wet with cold water; season with salt and pepper; after the turkey has been taken up, pour into dripping-pan, set on the top of the stove, and boil five minutes, stirring constantly, scraping the sides of the pan until free from the rich, savory particles that adhere. Serve in a gravy-boat.