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Boiling and Pressing the Galantine

The largest and plumpest turkeys are naturally chosen for boning, especially by those who think boning difficult, but such turkeys are nearly always old and disappointment will be the result if they have not time enough allowed for boiling. Five hours is little enough allowed for boiling. Five hours is little enough for a large turkey stuffed as above, though two hours will be enough for a young one.

They have a nice letter press in the office and there is a clothes press in the housekeeper's room and another in the laundry, and a cider press in the milk house, that is only used once a year, but I don't think you have in the kitchen a press at all for galantines or pressed beef or pigs' heads or head cheese, a press with assorted moulds and shapes and a metal tray to catch the overflow.

Let the boned turkey when done remain in the liquor it was boiled in till cool enough to be handled, then place it between two large platters with a fifty pound stone or sack of flour on the top.

But if it is to be incased in jelly and decorated press it into a deep mould or pan of some sort.

The long and narrow sinks of the steam chest with their flaring sides, are suitable and make a handsome galantine, but common pans may answer if you have not special moulds. It is only the poor workman that finds fault with his tools. Many of the pretty but useless articles of the French menu may be as well dispensed with but boned turkey is (to be) an American national dish, more than the hunting beef or spiced round to the Old English squire, or than the boar's head to the Saxon thane or Norman earl; substantial, always welcome and when good highly appreciated, and therefore worthy of effort.