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Poultry, Prepared for Cooking

Pluck off the feathers of poultry as soon as possible after the birds are killed. When they become cold it is difficult to draw out the quills without tearing the skin, and so spoiling the look of the birds. The down that remains after the feathers are removed is afterwards to be singed off with lighted paper. In the case of some birds, one must draw out the sinews of the leg: this is done by binding the joint close to the claw, and fastening the claw in a vice; pull the bird then strongly, and the sinews will give way. The next operation is to empty the crop. Cut a slit in the back of the neck, so as to open into the crop. Remove the contents through this slit. Open the vent, and clean out the entrails. Take care not to break the gallbladder; if it is not removed carefully its contents will give a bitterness to the flavour of the liver which washing will hardly remove. When the bird is drawn, separate the liver and gizzard from the rest of the entrails, and put them to be cleansed in cold water. Cut off the necks of fowls, ducks, or geese, close to the body. Before doing this, push up the skin that hangs loosely upon the neck above the part at which it is to be cut off. After cutting off the neck, draw the skin down, and wrap it over the end of the neck to hide it from view. Before fastening it down, pour cold water through the body of the fowl. Then break the two bones which lead to the pinions. Now truss the bird. For roasting fowls, trussing is accomplished by cutting off the first joint only of the legs, and by turning them down close to the sides towards the vent, and fastening them by a game-skewer passed from one to the other. Pass another slight skewer through the joint of one wing, into the body, and through to the opposite wing. Place the liver and gizzard, one under each wing. To truss fowls for boiling, cut off the whole of the leg, except the thigh, the end bones of which tuck into the apron. Set up the breast to look plump; place the wings with the liver and gizzard as if for roasting. Tie the whole in proper form with a slight string, which before serving is to be cut and removed. To truss a goose, cut off the legs, feet, and pinions. These, with the neck, head, liver, and gizzard, are what are called giblets. The head of a turkey is not cut off in trussing, but twisted round one of the wings.