 Section 48 of the Book of Household Management This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Carol Struppling. The Book of Household Management by Isabella Beaton. Recipes. Chapter 21, Part 5. Boiled Turkey. 986. Ingredients. Turkey. Force Meat. Number 417. Choosing and Trusting. Hen turkeys are preferable for boiling on account of their whiteness and tenderness, and one of moderate size should be selected as a large one is not suitable for this mode of cooking. They should not be dressed until they have been killed three or four days as they will neither look white nor will they be tender. Pluck the bird, carefully draw and singe it with a piece of white paper, wash it inside and out, and wipe it thoroughly dry with a cloth. Cut off the head and neck. Draw the strings or sinews of the thighs and cut off the legs at the first joint. Draw the legs into the body. Fill the breast with force meat made by recipe number 417. Run a skewer through the wing and the middle joint of the leg, quite into the leg and wing on the opposite side. Break the breast bone and make the bird look as round and as compact as possible. Illustration. Boiled Turkey. Mode. Put the turkey into sufficient hot water to cover it. Let it come to a boil then carefully remove all the scum. If this is attended to there is no occasion to boil the bird in a flowered cloth but it should be well covered with the water. Let it simmer very gently for about one and a half hour to one and three-quarter hour according to the size and serve with either white, celery, oyster, or mushroom sauce or parsley and butter a little of which should be poured over the turkey. Boiled ham, bacon, tongue, or pickled pork should always accompany this dish and when oyster sauce is served the turkey should be stuffed with oyster force meat. Time. A small turkey one and a half hour, a large one one and three-quarter hour. Average cost five shilling six pints to seven shilling six pints each but more expensive at Christmas on account of the great demand. Sufficient for seven or eight persons. Seasonable from December to February. The turkey. The turkey for which fine bird we are indebted to America is certainly one of the most glorious presents made by the new world to the old. Some, indeed, assert that this bird was known to the ancients and that it was served at the wedding feast of Charlemagne. This opinion, however, has been controverted by first-rate authorities who declare that the French name of the bird, Dindin, proves its origin, that the form of the bird is altogether foreign, and that it is found in America alone in a wild state. There is but little doubt from the information which has been gained at considerable trouble that it appeared generally in Europe about the end of the seventeenth century, that it was first imported into France by Jesuits who had sent out missionaries to the west, and that from France it spread over Europe. To this day in many localities in France a turkey is called a Jesuit. On the farms of North America, where turkeys are very common, they are raised either from eggs which have been found or from young ones caught in the woods, they thus preserve almost entirely their original plumage. The turkey only became gradually acclimated, both on the continent and in England. In the middle of the eighteenth century scarcely ten out of twenty young turkeys lived. Now, generally speaking, fifteen out of the same number arrived at maturity. Croquettes of turkey, cold meat cookery, nine hundred eighty-seven. Ingredients, the remains of cold turkey. To every half pound of meat allow two ounces of ham or bacon, two shallots, one ounce of butter, one tablespoon full of flour, the yolks of two eggs, egg, and bread crumbs. Mode. The smaller pieces that will not do for a fricassee or hash answer very well for this dish. Mince the meat finely with ham or bacon in the above proportion. Make a gravy of the bones and trimmings well seasoning it. Mince the shallots, put them into a stupan with a butter, add the flour, mix well, then put in the mince in about one half pint of the gravy made from the bones. The proportion of the butter must be increased or diminished according to the quantity of mince. When just boiled, add the yolks of two eggs. Put the mixture out to cool and then shape it in a wine glass. Cover the croquettes with egg and bread crumbs and fry them a delicate brown. Put small pieces of parsley stems for stocks and serve with rolled bacon cut very thin. Time. Eight minutes to fry the croquettes. Seasonable from December to February. The wild turkey. In its wild state the turkey is gregarious going together in extensive flocks numbering as many as five hundred. These frequent the great swaps of America where they roost, but at sunrise leave these situations to repair to the dry woods in search of berries and acorns. They perch on the boughs of trees and by rising from branch to branch attain the height they desire. They usually mount to the highest tops apparently from an instinctive conception that the loftier they are the further they are out of danger. They fly awkwardly but run with great swiftness and about the month of March becomes so fat as not to be able to take a flight beyond three or four hundred yards and are then also easily run down by a horseman. Now however it rarely happens that wild turkeys are seen in the inhabited parts of America. It is only in the distant and more unfrequented parts that they are found in great numbers. Frickiseed turkey, cold meat cookery, 988. Ingredients. The remains of cold roast or boiled turkey, a strip of lemon peel, a bunch of savory herbs, one onion, pepper and salt to taste, one pint of water, four tablespoonfuls of cream, the yolk of an egg. Mowed. Cut some nice slices from the remains of a cold turkey and put the bones and trimmings into a stew pan with the lemon peel, herbs, onion, pepper, salt, add the water. Stew for an hour, strain the gravy and lay in the pieces of turkey. When warmed through add the cream and the yolk of an egg. Stir it well round and when getting thick take out the pieces, lay them on a hot dish and pour the sauce over. Garnish the fricassee with zippets of toasted bread. Celery or cucumbers cut into small pieces may be put into the sauce. If the former it must be boiled first. Time. One hour to make the gravy. Average cost. Exclusive of the cold turkey. Four pints. Seasonable from December to February. The turkey. This is one of the galinacious birds, the principal genera of which are pheasants, turkeys, peacocks, busters, pentatos, and grouse. They live mostly on the ground scraping the earth with their feet and feeding on seeds and grains, which previous to digestion are macerated in their crops. They usually associate in families consisting of one male and several females. Turkeys are particularly fond of the seeds of nettles while the seeds of the foxglove will poison them. The common turkey is a native of North America and in the reign of Henry VIII was introduced into England. According to Tussars, 500 points of good husbandry, it began about the year 1585 to form a dish at our rural Christmas feast. Quote, beef, mutton, and pork shred pies of the best. Pig, veal, goose, and capon, and turkey well-dressed. Cheese, apples, and nuts, jolly carols to hear, and then in the country is counted good cheer. End quote. The turkey is one of the most difficult birds to rear, and its flesh is much esteemed. The disposition of the turkey. Among themselves, turkeys are extremely furious whilst amongst other animals they are usually both weak and cowardly. The domestic cock frequently makes him keep at a distance whilst they will rarely attack him but in a united body when the cock is rather crushed by their weight than defeated by their prowess. The disposition of the female is in general much more gentle than that of the male. When leading forth her young to collect their food, though so large and apparently so powerful a bird, she gives them very slight protection from the attacks of any rapacious animal which may appear against them. She rather warns them of their danger than offers to defend them, yet she is extremely affectionate to her young. Hashed turkey, 989. Ingredients. The remains of cold roast turkey, one onion, pepper and salt to taste, rather more than one pint of water, one carrot, one turnip, one blade of mace, a bunch of savory herbs, one tablespoon full of mushroom ketchup, one tablespoon full of port wine, thickening of butter and flour. Mode. Cut the turkey into neat joints, the best pieces reserved for the hash. The inferior joints and trimmings put into a stew pan with an onion cut in slices, pepper and salt, a carrot, turnip, mace, herbs, and water in the above proportion. Simmer these for an hour, then strain the gravy, thicken it with butter and flour, flavor with ketchup and port wine, and lay in the pieces of turkey to warm through. If there is any stuffing left, put that in also, as it is so much improves the flavor of the gravy. When it boils, serve and garnish the dish with sippates of toasted bread. Time. One hour to make the gravy. Seasonable from December to February. Hunting turkeys. Formerly in Canada, hunting turkeys was one of the principal diversions of the natives of that country. When they discovered the retreat of the birds, which was generally near a field of nettles, or where grain of any kind was plentiful, they would send a well-trained dog into the midst of the flock. The turkeys no sooner perceived their enemy than they would run off at full speed and with such swiftness that they would leave the dog far behind. He, however, would follow in their wake, and as they could not, for a great length of time, continue at their speed, they were at last forced to seek shelter in the trees. There they would sit, spent with fatigue till the hunters would approach and with long poles knock them down one after the other. Roast turkey. Nine hundred ninety. Ingredients. Turkey. Force meat number four hundred seventeen. Choosing and trusting. Choose cock turkeys by their short spurs and black legs, in which case they are young. If the spurs are long, and the legs pale and rough, they are old. If the bird has been long killed, the eyes will appear sunk, and the feet very dry, but if fresh the contra will be the case. Middling-sized fleshy turkeys are by many persons considered superior to those of an immense growth, as they are, generally speaking, much more tender. They should never be dressed the same day they are killed, but in cold weather should hang at least eight days. If the weather is mild, four or five days will be found sufficient. Carefully pluck the bird, singe it with white paper, and wipe it thoroughly with a cloth. Dry it, preserve the liver and gizzard, and be particular not to break the gall bag, as no washing will remove the bitter taste it imparts where it once touches. Wash it inside well, and wipe it thoroughly dry with a cloth. The outside merely requires nicely wiping, as we have just stated. Cut off the neck close to the back, but leave enough of the crop skin to turn over. Break the leg bone close below the knee. Draw out the strings from the thighs, and flatten the breastbone to make it look plump. Have ready a force-meat made by recipe number 417. Fill the breast with this, and if a trussing needle is used, sew the neck over to the back. If a needle is not at hand, a skewer will answer the purpose. Run a skewer through the pinion and thigh into the body, to the pinion and thigh on the other side, and press the legs as much as possible between the breast and the side bones, and put the liver under one pinion and the gizzard under the other. Pass a string across the back of the bird, catch it over the points of the skewer, tie it in the center of the back, and be particular that the turkey is very firmly trust. This may be more easily accomplished with a needle and twine than with skewers. illustration roast turkey mode fasten a sheet of buttered paper onto the breast of the bird put it down to a bright fire at some little distance at first afterwards draw it nearer and keep it well basted the whole of the time it is cooking about one quarter hour before serving remove the paper dredge the turkey lightly with flour and put a piece of butter into the basting ladle as the butter melts base the bird with it when of a nice brown and well frothed serve with a terrine of good brown gravy and one of bread sauce fried sausages are a favorite addition to roast turkey they make a pretty garnish besides adding very much to the flavor when these are not at hand a few forced meat balls should be placed around the dish as a garnish turkey may also be stuffed with sausage meat and a chestnut forced meat with the same sauce is by many persons much esteemed as an accompaniment to this favorite dish see colored plate a one time small turkey one and a half hour moderate sized one about 10 pounds two hours large turkey two and a half hours or longer average cost from 10 shillings to 12 shillings but expensive at christmas on account of the great demand sufficient a moderate sized turkey for seven or eight persons seasonable from december to february english turkeys these are reared in great numbers in suffix norfolk and several other counties once they were want to be driven to the london market in flocks of several hundreds the improvements in our modes of traveling now however enable them to be brought by railway their drivers used to manage them with great facility by means of a bit of red rag tied to the end of a long stick which from the antipathy these birds have to that color effectually answered the purpose of a scourge there are three varieties of the turkey in this country the black the white and the speckled or copper colored the black approaches nearest to the original stock and is esteemed the best its flesh is white and tender delicate nourishing and of excellent flavor it greatly deteriorates with age however and is then good for little but stewing roast turkey polts 991 ingredients turkey polt butter choosing and trusting choose a plump bird and trust it in the following manner after it has been carefully plucked drawn and singed skin the neck and fasten the head under the wing turn the legs at the first joint and bring the feet close to the thighs as a woodcock should be trust and do not stuff it mode put it down to a bright fire keep it well basted and at first place a piece of paper on the breast to prevent it's taking too much color about 10 minutes before serving dredge it lightly with flour and baste well when nicely froth send it to the table immediately with a little gravy in the dish and some in a terrain if at hand a few watercresses may be placed round the turkey as a garnish or it may be larded time about one hour average cost seven shillings to eight shillings each sufficient for six or seven persons seasonable in full season from june to october the future of the turkey human ingenuity subjects almost every material to the purposes of ornament or use and the feathers of turkeys have been found adapted for more ends than one the american indians convert them into elegant clothing and by twisting the inner ribs into a strong double string with hemp or the inner bark of the mulberry tree work it like matting this fabric has a very rich and glossy appearance and is as fine as silk shag the natives of louisiana used to make fans of the tail and four of that appendage joined together was formally constructed into a parasol by the french to bone a turkey or foul without opening it miss acton's recipe 992 after the foul has been drawn and singed wipe it inside and out with a clean cloth but do not wash it take off the head cut through the skin all around the first joint of the legs and pull them from the foul to draw out the large tendons raise the flesh first from the lower part of the backbone and a little also from the end of the breastbone if necessary work the knife gradually to the socket of the thigh with a point of the knife detach the joint from it take the end of the bone firmly in the fingers and cut the flesh clean from it down to the next joint round which passed the point of the knife carefully and when the skin is loosened from it in every part cut around the next bone keeping the edge of the knife close to it until the whole of the leg is done remove the bones of the other leg in the same manner then detach the flesh from the back and breastbone sufficiently to enable you to reach the upper joints of the wings proceed with these as with the legs but be especially careful not to pierce the skin of the second joint it is usual to leave the pinions unboned in order to give more easily its natural form to the foul when it is dressed the merry thought and neck bones may now easily be cut away the back and side bones taken out without being divided and the breastbone separated carefully from the flesh which as the work progresses must be turned back from the bones upon the foul until it is completely inside out after the one remaining bone is removed draw the wings and legs back to their proper form and turn the foul right side outwards 993 a turkey is boned exactly in the same manner but as it requires a very large proportion of force meat to fill it entirely the legs and wings are sometimes drawn into the body to diminish the expense of this if very securely trust and sewn the bird may be either boiled or stewed in rich gravy as well as roasted after being boned and forced but it must be most gently cooled or it may burst another mode of boning a turkey or foul miss acton's recipe 994 cut through the skin down the center of the back and raise the flesh carefully on either side with a point of a sharp knife until the sockets of the wings and thighs are reached till a little practice has been gained it will perhaps be better to bone these joints before proceeding further but after they are once detached from it the whole of the body may easily be separated from the flesh and taken out entire only the neck bones and Mary thought will then remain to be removed the bird thus prepared may either be restored to its original form by filling the legs and wings with force meat and the body with the livers of two or three fowls mixed with alternate layers of parboiled tongue freed from the rind fine sausage meat or veal force meat or thin slices of the nicest bacon or ought else of good flavor which will give a marbled appearance to the foul when it is carved and then be sewn up and trust as usual or the legs and wings may be drawn inside the body and the bird being first flattened on a table may be covered with sausage meat and the various other ingredients we have named so place that it shall be of equal thickness in every part then tightly rolled bound firmly together with a fillet of broad tape wrapped in a thin pudding cloth closely tied at both ends and dressed as follows put it into a brazing pan stew pan or a thick iron saucepan bright in the inside and fitted as nearly as may be to its size add all the chicken bones a bunch of sweet herbs two carrots two bay leaves a large blade of mace 24 white peppercorns and any trimmings or bones of undressed veal which may be at hand cover the hole with good veal broth add salt if needed and stew it very softly from an hour and a quarter to an hour and a half let it cool in the liquor in which it was stewed and after it is lifted out boil down the gravy to a jelly and strain it let it become cold clear off the fat and serve it cut into large dice or roughed and laid around the foul which is to be served cold if restored to its form instead of being rolled it must be stewed gently for an hour and may then be sent to table hot covered with mushroom or any other good sauce that may be preferred or it may be left until the following day and served garnished with the jelly which should be firm and very clear and well flavored the liquor in which a calf's foot has been boiled down added to the broth will give it the necessary degree of consistency to bone fouls for fricacies curries and pies 995 first carve them entirely into joints then remove the bones beginning with the legs and wings at the head of the largest bone hold this with the fingers and work the knife as directed in the recipe above the remainder of the birds is too easily done to require any instruction to dress wheat ears 996 ingredients wheat ears fresh butter mode after the birds are picked gutted and cleaned trust them like larks put them down to a quick fire and baste them well with fresh butter when done which will be in about 20 minutes dish them on fried bread crumbs and garnish the dish with slices of lemon time 20 minutes seasonable from July to October the wheat ear the wheat ear is an annual visitor of England it arrives about the middle of March and leaves in September the females come about a fortnight before the males and continue to arrive till the middle of May they are in season from July to October and are taken in large numbers on the south downs in the neighborhood of Eastbourne Brighton and other parts of Sussex they are taken by means of snares and nets and numbers of them are eaten on the spot by the inhabitants the larger ones are sent to London and potted where they are by many as much esteemed as the Ortolans of the continent Mr. Pennant assigns as the reason of their abounding on the downs about Eastbourne the existence of a species of fly which forms their favorite food and which feeds on the wild time on the adjacent hills illustration the guinea pig 997 the guinea pig this common hutch companion of the rabbit although originally a native of Brazil propagates freely in England and other European countries were it not that they suffer cruelly from cats and numerous other enemies and that it is the habit of the males to devour their own offspring their numbers would soon become overwhelming rats however it is said carefully avoid them and for this reason they are frequently bred by rabbit fanciers by way of protection for their young stock against those troublesome vermin the lower tier of a rabbit hutch is esteemed excellent quarters by the guinea pig here as he runs loose he will devour the waste food of his more admired companion home naturalists assert that the guinea pig will breed at two months old the litter varying from four to twelve at a time it is varied in color white fawn and black and a mixture of the three colors forming a tortoise shell which is the more generally admired hue occasionally the white ones have red eyes like those of the ferret and the white rabbit their flesh although eatable is decidedly unfit for food they have been tasted however we presume by some enthusiast eager to advance the cause of science or by some eccentric epicure in search of a new pleasure for his palate unless it has been that they deter rats from intruding within the rabbit hutch they are as useless as they are harmless the usual ornament of an animal's hindquarters is denied them and were it not for this fact and also for their difference in color the sheik's period location quote a rat without a tail in quote would designate them very properly illustration the signet 998 the signet the signet or the young swan was formerly much esteemed but it has quote fallen from its high estate in quote and is now rarely seen upon the table we are not sure that it is not still fattened and norage for the corporation of that place persons who have property on the river there take the young birds and send them to someone who is employed by the corporation to be fed and for this trouble he is paid or was want to be paid about half a guinea a bird it is as a future bird of elegance and grace that the young swan is mostly admired when it has become old enough to grace the waters then it is that all admire her when she with quote arched neck between her white wings mantling proudly rose her state with or a feet in quote poultry carving roast duck illustration roast duck 999 no dishes require so much knowledge and skill in their carving as do game and poultry for it is necessary to be well acquainted with the anatomy of the bird and animal in order to place the knife at exactly the proper point a tough foul and an old goose are sad triers of a carver's powers and temper and indeed sometimes of the good humor of those in the neighborhood of the carver for a sudden tilt of the dish may eventually in the placing a quantity of the gravy in the lap of the right or left hand supporter of the host we will endeavor to assist those who are unacquainted with the quote gentle art of carving in quote and also those who are but slightly acquainted with it by simply describing the rules to follow and referring to the distinctly marked illustrations of each dish which will further help to bring light to the minds of the uninitiated if the bird be a young duckling it may be carved like a foul by first taking off the leg and the wing on either side as described at number 1000 but in cases where the duckling is very small it will be as well not to separate the leg from the wing as they will not then form too large a portion for a single serving after the legs and wings are disposed of the remainder of the duck will be also carved in the same manner as a foul and not much difficulty will be experienced as ducklings are tender and the joints are easily broken by a little gentle forcing or penetrated by the knife in cases where the duck is a large bird the better plan to pursue is then to carve it like a goose that is by cutting pieces from the breast and the direction indicated by the lines marked from one to two commencing to carve the slices close to the wing and then proceeding upwards from that to the breastbone if more should be wanted then can be obtained from both sides of the breast then the legs and wings must be attacked in the same way as is described in connection with carving a foul it may be here remarked that as the legs of a duck are placed far more backward than those of a foul their position causing the waddling motion of the bird the thigh bones will be found considerably nearer towards the backbone than in a chicken this is the only difference worth mentioning the carver should ask each guest if a portion of stuffing would be agreeable and in order to get at this a cut should be made below the breast as shown by the line from three to four at the part called the quote apron in quote and the spoon inserted as described in the recipe it is an excellent plan when a couple of ducks are served to have one with and the other without stuffing as to the prime parts of a duck it has been said that quote the wing of a flyer and the leg of a swimmer quote are several the best portions some persons are fond of the feet of the duck and in trusting these should never be taken off the leg wing and neck bone are here shown so that it will be easy to see the shape they should be when cut off illustration leg wing and neck bone of duck boiled foul illustration boiled foul illustration leg wing and neck bone of foul 1000 this will not be found a very difficult member of the poultry family to carve unless as may happen a very old farmyard occupant useless for aglain purposes has by some unlucky miss chance been introduced into the kitchen as a quote fine young chicken in quote skill however and the application of a small amount of strength combined with a fine keeping of the temper will even get over that difficulty fixing the fork firmly in the breast let the knife be sharply passed along the line shown from one to two then cut downwards from that line to figure three and the wing it will be found can be easily withdrawn the shape of the wing should be like the accompanying engraving let the fork be placed inside the leg which should be gently forced away from the body of the foul and the joint being thus discovered the carver can readily cut through it and the leg can be served when the leg is displaced it should be of the same shape as that shown in the annex woodcut the legs and wings on either side having been taken off the carver should draw his knife through the flesh in the direction of the line four to five by this means the knife can be slipped underneath the marathot which being lifted up and pressed backward will immediately come off the collar or neck bones are the next to consider these lie on each side of the marathot close under the upper part of the wings and in order to free these from the foul they must also be raised by the knife at their broad end and turn from the body towards the breast bone until the shorter piece of the bone as shown in the cut breaks off there will now be left only the breast with the ribs the breast can be without difficulty disengaged from the ribs by cutting through the ladder which will offer little impediment the side bones are now to be taken off and to do this the lower end of the back should be turned from the carver who should press the point of the knife through the top of the backbone near the center bringing it down towards the end of the back completely through the bone if the knife is now turned in the opposite direction the joint will be easily separated from the vertebra the backbone being now uppermost the fork should be pressed firmly down on it whilst at the same time the knife should be employed in raising up the lower small end of the foul towards the fork and thus the back will be dislocated about its middle the wings breast and marathot are esteemed the prime parts of a foul and are usually served to the ladies of the company to whom legs except as a matter of paramount necessity should not be given Byron gave it as one reason why he did not like dining with ladies that they always had the wings of the fouls which he himself preferred we heard a gentleman who when he might have had a wing declare his partiality for a leg saying that he had been obliged to eat legs for so long a time that he had at last come to like them better than the other more prized parts if the foul is capin like very large slices may be carved from its breast in the same manner as from a turkey roast foul illustration roast foul one thousand one generally speaking it is not necessary so completely to cut up a foul as we have described in the preceding paragraphs unless indeed a large family party is assembled and there are a number of quote little mouths in quote to be filled or some other such circumstances prevail a roast foul is carved in the same manner as a boiled foul number one thousand by cutting along the line from one to two and then round the leg between it and the wing the markings and detached pieces as shown in the engravings under the heading of quote boiled foul in quote supersede the necessity of our lengthily again describing the operation it may be added that the liver being considered a delicacy should be divided and one half served with each wing in the case of a foul being shifted it will be proper to give each guest a portion unless it be not agreeable to someone of the party roast goose illustration leg wing and neckbone of goose one thousand two it would not be fair to say that this dish bodes a great deal of happiness to an inexperienced carver especially if there is a large party to serve and the slices off the breast should not suffice to satisfy the desires and cravings of many wholesome appetites produced may be by the various sports in vogue at michael miss and christmas the beginning of the task however is not in any way difficult evenly cut slices not too thick or too thin should be carved from the breast in the direction of the line from two to three after the first slice has been cut a hole should be made with a knife in the part called the apron passing it round the line as indicated by the figures one one one here the stuffing is located and some of this should be served on each plate unless it is discovered that it is not agreeable to the taste of some one guest if the carver manages cleverly he will be able to cut a very large number of fine slices off the breast and the more so if he commits his close down by the wing and carves upwards towards the ridge of the breastbone as many slices as can be taken from the breast being carved the wing should be cut off and the same process as described in carving boiled fowl is made use of in this instance only more dexterity and greater force will most probably be required the shape of the leg when disengaged from the body of the goose should be like that shown in the accompanying engraving it will be necessary perhaps in taking off the leg to turn the goose on its side and then pressing down the small end of the leg the knife should be passed under it from the top quite down to the joint the leg being now turned back by the fork the knife must cut through the joint loosening the thigh bone from its socket the Mary thought which in a goose is not so large as might be expected is disengaged in the same way as that of a fowl by passing the knife under it and pressing it backwards towards the neck the neck bones of which we give a cut are freed by the same process as are those of a fowl and the same may be said of all the other parts of this bird the breast of a goose is the part most esteemed all parts however are good and full of juicy flavor pigeon illustration pigeon 1003 a very straightforward plan is adopted in carving a pigeon the knife is carried sharply in the direction of the line as shown from one to two entirely through the bird cutting it into two precisely equal and similar parts if it is necessary to make three pieces of it a small wing should be cut off with a leg on either side thus serving two guests and by this means there will be sufficient meat left on the breast to send to the third guest rabbits illustration boiled rabbit 1004 in carving a boiled rabbit let the knife be drawn on each side of the backbone the whole length of the rabbit as shown by the dotted line three to four thus the rabbit will be in three parts now let the back be divided into two equal parts in the direction of the line from one to two then let the leg be taken off as shown by the line five to six and the shoulder as shown by the line seven to eight this in our opinion is the best plan to carve a rabbit although there are other modes which are preferred by some illustration roast rabbit a roast rabbit is rather differently trust from one that is meant to be boiled but the carving is nearly similar as will be seen by the cut the back should be divided into as many pieces as it will give and the legs and shoulders can then be disengaged in the same manner as those of the boiled animal roast turkey illustration roast turkey 1005 a noble dish is a turkey roast or boiled a christmas dinner with the middle classes of this empire would scarcely be a christmas dinner without its turkey and we can hardly imagine an object of greater envy than is presented by a respected portly paterfamilious carving at the season devoted to good cheer and genial charity his own fat turkey and carving it well the only art consists as in the carving of a goose in getting from the breast as many fine slices as possible and all must have remarked the very great difference in the large number of people whom a good carver will find slices for and the comparatively few that a bad carver will succeed in serving as we have stated in both the carving of a duck and goose the carver should commence cutting slices close to the wing from two to three and then proceed upwards towards the ridge of the breastbone this is not the usual plan but in practice will be found the best the breast is the only part which is looked on as fine in a turkey the legs being very seldom cut off and eaten at table they are usually removed to the kitchen where they are taken off as here marked to appear only in a form which seems to have a special attraction at a bachelor's supper table we mean deviled served in this way they are especially liked and relished a boiled turkey is carved in the same manner as when roasted illustration end of section 48 recording by carol stripling section 49 of the book of household management this is a libra box recording all libra box recordings are in the public domain for more information or to find out how to volunteer visit libra box org the book of household management by isabella beaten chapter 22 general observations on game 1006 the common law of england has a maxim that goods in which no person can claim any property belong by his or her prerogative to the king or queen accordingly those animals those fair a nature a which come under the denomination of game are in our laws styled his or her majesties and made therefore as a matter of course be granted by the sovereign to another in consequence of which another may prescribe to possess the same within a certain precinct or lordship from this circumstance arose the right of lords of manners or others to the game within their respective liberties and to protect these species of animals the game laws were originated and still remain in force there are innumerable acts of parliament inflicting penalties on persons who may illegally kill game and some of them are very severe but they cannot be said to answer their end nor can it be expected that they ever will whilst there are so many persons of great wealth who have not otherwise the means of procuring game except by purchase and who will have it these must necessarily encourage poaching which to a very large extent must continue to render all game laws nuggetory as to their intended effects upon the rustic population one thousand and seven the object of these laws however is not wholly confined to the restraining of the illegal sportsmen even qualified or privileged persons must not kill game at all seasons during the day the hours allowed for sporting are from one hour before sunrise till one hour after sunset whilst the time of killing certain species is also restricted to certain seasons for example the season for buster shooting is from december 1st to march 1st for grouse or red grouse from august 12th to december 10th heath foul or black game from august 20th to december 20th partridges from september 1st to february 12th pheasants from october 1st to february 1st wiggins wild ducks wild geese wild fowls at any time but in june july august and september hares may be killed at any time of the year under certain restrictions defined by an act of parliament of the 10th of george the third one thousand and eight the exercise or diversion of pursuing four-footed beasts of game is called hunting which to this day is followed in the field and the forest with gun and greyhound birds on the contrary are not hunted but shot in the air or taken with nets or other devices which is called fouling or they are pursued and taken by birds of prey which is called hawking a species of sport now fallen almost entirely into disfutude in england though in some parts showing signs of being revived one thousand and nine in pursuing four-footed beasts such as deer bores and hares properly termed hunting mankind were from the earliest ages engaged it was the rudest and most obvious manner of acquiring human support before the agricultural arts had in any degree advanced it is an employment however requiring both art and contrivance as well as a certain fearlessness of character combined with the power of considerable physical endurance without these success could not be very great but at best the occupation is usually accompanied with rude and turbulent habits and when combined with these it constitutes what is termed the savage state of man as culture advances and as the soil proportionably becomes devoted to the plow or to the sustenance of the tamer or more domesticated animals the range of the huntsmen is proportionably limited so that when a country has attained to a high state of cultivation hunting becomes little else than an amusement of the opulent in the case of fur-bearing animals however it is somewhat different for these continue to supply the wants of civilization with one of its most valuable materials of commerce one thousand and ten the themes which form the minstrelcy of the earliest ages either relate to the spoils of the chase or the dangers of the battlefield even the sacred writings introduce us to nimrod the first mighty hunter before the lord and tell us that ishmael in the solitudes of arabia became a skillful bowman and that david when yet young was not afraid to join in combat with the lion or the bear the greek mythology teams with hunting exploits hercules overthrows the nemean lion the aramanthian bore and the hydra of lerna diana descends to the earth and pursues the stag while escalapius nester theceus ulysses and achilles are all followers of the chase Aristotle sage as he was advises young men to apply themselves early to it and Plato finds in it something divine Horus exalts it as a preparative exercise for the path of glory and several of the heroes of Homer are its ardent votaries the romans followed the hunting customs of the Greeks and the ancient britains were hunters before Julius Caesar invaded their shores one thousand eleven although the ancient britains followed hunting however they did not confine themselves solely to its pursuit they bred cattle and tilled the ground and to some extent indicated the rudimentary state of a pastoral and agricultural life but in every social change the sports of the field maintained their place after the expulsion of the danes and during the brief restoration of the saxon monarchy these were still followed even edward the confessor who would join in no other secular amusements took the greatest delight says william of momsbury quote to follow a pack of swift hounds in pursuit of game and to cheer them with his voice close quote one thousand and twelve nor was edward the only english sovereign who delighted in the pleasures of the chase william the norman and his two sons who succeeded him were passionately fond of the sport and greatly circumscribed the liberties of their subjects in reference to the killing of game the privilege of hunting and the royal forests was confined to the king and his favorites and in order that these umbrages retreats might be more extensive whole villages were depopulated places of worship leveled with the ground and every means adopted that might give a sufficient amplitude of space in accordance with the royal pleasure for the beasts of the chase king john was likewise especially attached to the sports of the field whilst edward the third was so enamored of the exercise that even during his absence at the wars in france he took with him 60 couples of stag hounds and as many hare hounds and every day amused himself either with hunting or hawking great and wisdom as the scotch salomon james the first conceded himself to be he was addicted to the amusements of hunting hawking and shooting yay it is even asserted that his precious time was divided between hunting the bottle and his standish to the first he gave his fair weather to the second his dull and to the third his cloudy from his days down to the present the sports of the field have continued to hold their high reputation not only for the promotion of health but for helping to form that manliness of character which enters so largely into the composition of the sons of the british soil that it largely helps to do this there can be no doubt the late duke of grafting when hunting was on one occasion thrown into a ditch a young curate engaged in the same chase cried out lie still my lord leapt over him and pursued his sport such an apparent want of feeling might be expected to have been resented by the duke but not so on his being helped up by his attendant he said that man shall have the first good living that falls to my disposal had he stopped to have given me his sympathy i never would have given him anything such was the manly sentiment of the duke who delighted in the exemplification of the spirit similarly ardent as his own in the sport and above the baseness of an assumed sorrow one thousand thirteen the hunting has in many instances been carried to an excess is well known and the match given by the prince ester hazy regent of hungary on the signing of the treaty of peace with france is not the least extraordinary upon record on that occasion there were killed a hundred and sixty deer a hundred wild boars three hundred hairs and eighty foxes that was the achievement of one day enormous however as this slaughter may appear it is greatly inferior to that made by the contemporary king of naples on a hunting expedition that sovereign had a larger extent of ground at his command and a longer period for the exercise of his talents consequently his sport if it can be so called was proportionably greater it was pursued during his journey to vienna in austria bohemia and moravia when he killed five bears one thousand eight hundred and twenty boars nineteen hundred and fifty deer one thousand one hundred and forty five doves one thousand six hundred twenty five roe bucks eleven thousand one hundred and twenty one rabbits thirteen wolves seventeen badgers sixteen thousand three hundred and fifty four hairs and three hundred and fifty four foxes in birds during the same expedition he killed fifteen thousand three hundred and fifty pheasants and twelve thousand three hundred and thirty five partridges such an amount of destruction can hardly be called sport it resembles more the indiscriminate slaughter of a battlefield where the scientific engines of civilized warfare are brought to bear upon defenseless savages one thousand fourteen deer and hares may be esteemed as the only four-footed animals now hunted in britain for the table and even those are not followed with the same ardor as they were want to be still there is no country in the world where the sport of hunting on horseback is carried to such an extent as in great britain and where the pleasures of the chase are so well understood and conducted on such purely scientific principles the fox of all the beasts of the field is now considered to afford the best sport for this it is infinitely superior to the stag for the real huntsman can only enjoy that chase when the deer is sought for and found like other game which are pursued with hounds in the case of finding an outlying fallow deer which is on harbored in this manner great sport is frequently obtained but this is now rarely to be met with in britain in reference to hare hunting it is much followed in many parts of this and the sister island but by the true fox hunter it is considered as a sport only fit to be pursued by women and old men although it is less dangerous and exciting than the fox chase however it has great charms for those who do not care for the hard riding which the other requires one thousand fifteen the art of taking or killing birds is called fouling and is either practiced as an amusement by persons of rank or property or for a livelihood by persons who use nets and other apparatus when practiced as an amusement it principally consists of killing them with a light firearm called a fouling piece and the sport is secured to those who pursue it by the game laws the other means by which birds are taken consist in imitating their voices or leading them by other artifices into situations where they become entrapped by nets bird lime or otherwise for taking large numbers of birds the pipe or call is the most common means employed and this is done during the months of september and october we will hear briefly give a description of the modus operandi pursued in this sport a thin wood is usually the spot chosen and under a tree at a little distance from the others a cabin is erected and there are only such branches left on the tree as are necessary for the placing of the bird lime and which are covered with it around the cabin are placed avenues with twisted perches also covered with bird lime having thus prepared all that is necessary the bird catcher places himself in the cabin and that sunrise and sunset imitates the cry of a small bird calling the others to its assistance supposing that the cry of the owl is imitated immediately different kinds of birds will flock together at the cry of their common enemy when at every instant they will be seen falling to the ground their wings being of no use to them for they're having come in contact with the bird lime the cries of those which are thus situated now attract others and thus our large numbers taken in a short space of time if owls were themselves desired to be taken it is only during the night that this can be done by counterfeiting the squeak of the mouse larks other birds and waterfowl are sometimes taken by nets but to describe fully the manner in which this is done would here occupy too much space one thousand sixteen feathered game have from time immemorial given gratification to the palette of man with the exception of birds of prey and some other species moses permitted his people to eat them and the egyptians made offerings to their priests of their most delicate birds the ancient greeks commenced their repists with little roasted birds and feathered game amongst the romans was served as the second course indeed several of the ancient gourmands of the imperial city were so fond of game that they brought themselves to ruin by eating flamingos and pheasants quote some modern nations the french among others says mature sorye formally ate the heron crane crow stork swan cormorant and bitter the first three especially were highly esteem and le levant cook of charles the seventh teaches us how to prepare these meager tough birds they long says that in spite of its revolting taste when unaccustomed to it the bittern is however among the delicious treats of the french this writer also asserts that a falcon or a vulture either roasted or boiled is excellent eating and that if one of these birds happened to kill itself in flying after game the falconer instantly cooked it lebo calls the heron a royal beyond close quote one thousand seventeen the heron was hunted by the hawk and the sport of hawking is usually placed at the head of those amusements that can only be practiced in the country this presidency is probably obtained from its being a pastime to generally followed by the nobility not in great britain only but likewise on the continent in former times persons of high rank rarely appeared in public without their dogs and their hawks the latter they carried with them when they journeyed from one country to another and sometimes even took them to battle with them and would not part with them when taken prisoners even to obtain their own liberty such birds were esteemed as the ensigns of nobility and no action was reckoned more dishonorable in a man of rank than that of giving up his hawk we have already alluded to the hunting propensities of our own edward the third and we may also allude to his being equally addicted to hawking according to frasar when this sovereign invaded france he took with him thirty falconers on horseback who had charge of his hawks and every day as his royal fancy inclined him he either hunted or went to the river for the purpose of hawking in the great and powerful the pursuit of game as a sport is allowable but in those who have to earn their bread by the sweat of their brow it is to be condemned in Burton's anatomy of melancholy we find a humorous story told by pogeus the florentine who reprobates this folly in such persons it is this a physician of malan that cured madman had a pit of water in his house in which he kept his patience some up to their knees some to the girdle some to the chin promoto insani as they were more or less affected one of them by chance that was well recovered stood in the door and seen a gallant pass by with a hawk on his fist well mounted with his spaniels after him would needs know to what use all this preparation served he made answer to kill certain foul the patient demanded again what his foul might be worth which he killed in a year he replied five or ten crowns and when he urged him further what his dog's horse and hawks stood him in he told him four hundred crowns with that the patient bad him be gone as he loved his life and welfare for if our master come and find the here he will put thee in the pit amongst the madmen up to the chin thus reproving the madness of such men as will spend themselves in those vain sports to the neglect of their business and necessary affairs one thousand eighteen as the inevitable result of social progress is at least to limit if not entirely to suppress such sports as we have here been treating of much of the romance of country life has passed away this is more especially the case with falconry which had its origin about the middle of the fourth century although lately some attempts have been rather successfully made to institute a revival of the gentle art of hawking julius fermicus who lived about that time is so far as we can find the first latin author who speaks of falconers and the art of teaching one species of birds to fly after and catch others the occupation of these functionaries has now however all but ceased new and nobler efforts characterize the aims of mankind in the development of their civilization and the sports of the field have to a large extent been superseded by other exercises it may be less helpful and invigorating but certainly more elegant intellectual and humanizing end of section 49 recording by Dennis Sayers and Modesto California for LibriVox fall 2007 section 50 of the book of household management this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org the book of household management by Isabella Beaton recipes chapter 23 part one roast black cock 1019 ingredients black cock butter toast mode let these birds hang for a few days or they will be tough and tasteless if not well kept pluck and draw them and wipe the insides and outsides with a damp cloth as washing spoils the flavor cut off the heads and trust them the same as a rose fowl cutting off the toes and scalding and peeling the feet trusting them with the head on as shown in the engraving is still practiced by many cooks but the former method is now considered the best put them down to a brisk fire well baste them with butter and serve with a piece of toast under and a good gravy and bread sauce after trusting some cooks cover the breast with vine leaves and slices of bacon and then roast them they should be served in the same manner and with the same accompaniments as with plainly roasted birds time 45 to 50 minutes average cost from five shillings to six shillings the brace but seldom bought sufficient two or three for a dish seasonable from the middle of august to the end of december the black cock heat cock more fowl or heat poke this bird sometimes weighs as much as four pounds and the hen about two it is at present confined to the more northern parts of britain culture and extending population having united in driving it into more desolate regions except perhaps in a few of the more wild and less frequented portions of england it may still be found in the new forest in hampshire dartmore and sedge more in devonshire and among the hills of somerset shire continuous to the latter it may also be found in staffordshire in north wales and again in the north of england but nowhere so plentiful as in some parts of the highlands of scotland the males are hardly distinguishable from the females until they are about half grown when the black feathers begin to appear first about the sides and breast their food consists of the tops of birch and heath except when the mountain berries are ripe at which period they eagerly and even voraciously picked the billberries and cranberries from the bushers large numbers of these birds are found in norway almost rivaling the turkey in point of size some of them have begun to be imported into london where they are vended in the shops but the flavor of their flesh is not equal to that of the scotch bird hashed wild duck 1020 ingredients the remains of cold gross wild duck one pint of good brown gravy two tablespoons of breadcrumbs one glass of claret salt cayenne and mixed spices to taste one tablespoon full of lemon or sable orange juice mode cut the remains of the duck into neat joints put them into a stew pan with all the above ingredients let them get gradually hot by the side of the fire and occasionally stir the contents when on the point of boiling serve and garnish the dish with snippets of toasted bread time about a quarter of an hour seasonable from november to february ragout of wild duck 1021 ingredients two wild ducks four shallots one pint of stock number 105 one glass of pork wine one ounce of butter a little flour the juice of half lemon cayenne and salt to taste mode ducks that have been dressed and left from the preceding day will answer for this dish cut them into joints reserve the legs wings and breasts until wanted put the trimmings into a stew pan with the shallots and stock and let them simmer for about half an hour and strain the gravy put the butter into a stew pan when melted dredge in a little flour and pour in the gravy made from the bones give it one boil and strain it again add the wine lemon juice and cayenne laying pieces of duck and let the whole gradually warm through but do not allow it to boil or the duck will be hard the gravy should not be too thick and should be very highly seasoned the squeeze of a civil orange is a great improvement to this dish time about half an hour to make the gravy a quarter of an hour for the duck gradually to warm through seasonable from november to february roast wild duck 1022 ingredients wild duck flour butter mode carefully pluck and draw them cut off the heads close to the necks leaving sufficient skin to turn over and do not cut off the feet some twist each leg at the knuckle and rest the claws on each side of the breast others trust them as shown in our illustration roast the birds before a quick fire and when they are first put down let them remain for five minutes without basting this will keep the gravy in afterwards baste plentifully with butter and a few minutes before serving dredge them lightly with flour baste well and send them to table nicely frothed and full of gravy if overdone the birds will lose their flavour serve with a good gravy in the dish or orange gravy number 488 and send to table with them a cut lemon to take off the fishy taste which wildfowl sometimes have baste them for a few minutes with hot water to which have been added an onion and a little salt then take away the pan and baste with butter see coloured plate g1 time when light undressed 20 to 25 minutes well done 25 to 35 minutes average cost four shillings to five shillings the couple sufficient two for a dish seasonable from november to february the wild duck the male of the wild duck is called a mallard and the young ones are called flappers the time to try to find a brood of these is about the month of july among the rushes of the deepest and most retired parts of sunbrook or stream where if the old bird is sprung it may be taken as a certainty that its brood is not far off when once found flappers are easily killed as they attain their full growth before their wings are fledged consequently the sport is more like hunting mortar rats than shooting birds when the flappers take wing they assume the name of wild ducks and about the month of august repaired to the corn fields where they remain until they are disturbed by the harvest people they then frequent the rivers pretty early in the evening and give excellent sport to those who are patience to wait for them in order to know a wild duck it is necessary only to look at the claws which should be black hashed game cold meat cookery 1023 ingredients the remains of cold game one onion stuck with three cloves a few whole peppers a strip of lemon peel salt to taste thickening of butter and flour one glass of port wine one tablespoon full of lemon full of lemon juice one tablespoon full of ketchup one pint of water or weak stock mode cut the remains of cold game into joints reserve the best pieces and the inferior ones and trimmings put into a stew pan with the onion pepper lemon peel salt and water or weak stock stew these for about an hour and strain the gravy thicken it with butter and flour add the wine lemon juice and ketchup lay in the pieces of game and let them gradually warm through by the side of the fire do not allow it to boil or the game will be hard when on the point of simmering serve and garnish the dish with syphots of toasted bread time all together one and a quarter of an hour seasonable from august to march note any kind of game may be hashed by the above recipe and flavor may be varied by adding flavored vinegars curry powder etc but we cannot recommend these latter ingredients as a dish of game should really have a gammy taste and if too many sources essences etc are added to the gravy they quite overpower and destroy the flavor the dish should possess grouse pie 1024 ingredients grouse cayenne salt and pepper to taste one pound of rump steak a half pint of well-seasoned broth puffed paste mode line the bottom of the pie dish with the rump steak cutting to neat pieces and should the grass be large cut them into joints but if small they may be laid in the pie hole season highly with salt cayenne and black pepper pour in the broth and cover with the puff paste brush the crust over with the yolk of an egg and bake from three-quarter to one hour if the grouse is cut into joints the backbones and primings will make the gravy by stewing them with an onion a little sherry a bunch of herbs and a blade of mace this should be poured in after the pie is baked time three-quarter to one hour average cost exclusive of the grouse which are sold and bought a shilling knife and seasonable from the 12th of august to the beginning of december roast grouse 1025 ingredients grouse butter a thick slice of toasted bread mode let the birds hang as long as possible pluck and draw them wipe but do not wash them inside and out and trust them without the head the same as for a roast fowl many persons still continue to trust them with the head under the wing but the former is now considered the most improved method put them down to a sharp clear fire keep them well basted the whole of the time they are cooking and serve them on a buttered toast soaked in the dripping pan with a little melted butter poured over them or with bread sauce and gravy sea colored plate l1 time half an hour if liked very thoroughly done 35 minutes average cost two shillings to two shillings six pence the brace but sold and bought sufficient two for a dish seasonable from the 12th of august to the beginning of december grouse these birds are divided into wood grouse black grouse red grouse and white grouse the wood grouse is further distinguished as the cock of the wood or kelp becausey and is as large as the turkey being about two feet nine inches in length and weighing from 12 to 15 pounds the female is considerably less than the male and in the color of their feathers differs widely from the other this beautiful species is found principally in lofty mountainous regions and is very rare in great britain but in the pine forests of russia sweden and other northern countries it is very common in these it has its habitat feeding on the cones of the trees and the fruits of various kinds of plants especially the berry of the jumper black grouse is also distinguished as black game or the black cock it is not larger than the common him and weighs only about four pounds the female is about one third less than the male and also differs considerably from him in point of color like the former they are found chiefly in high situations and are common in russia cyberia and other northern countries they are also found in the northern parts of great britain feeding in winter on the various berries and fruits belonging to mountainous countries and in summer frequently descending to the lower lands to feed upon corn the red grass ball cock or more cock weighs about 19 ounces and the female somewhat less in the wild heady tracks of the northern counties of england it is plentiful also in wales and the highlands of scotland misdependent considered it peculiar to britain those found in the mountainous parts of spain france and italy being only varieties of the same bird white grass white game or parmesan is nearly the same size as the red grass and is found in lofty situations where it supports itself in the severest weather it is to be met within most of the northern countries of europe and appears even in greenland in the hebrides or kidneys and highlands of scotland it is also found and sometimes they're really among the fowls of northumberland and cumberland in winter they fly in flocks and are so little familiar with the sight of man that they are easily shot and even snared they feed on the wild produce of the hills which sometimes imparts to their flesh a bitter but not unpalatable taste according to buffon it is dark coloured and somewhat flavoured like the hair grass salad sawyer's recipe 1026 ingredients eight eggs butter fresh salad one or two grouse for the sauce one teaspoon full of minced shallot one teaspoon full of powdered sugar the yolk of one egg one teaspoon full of minced parsley a quarter ounce of salt four tablespoons of oil two tablespoons of chilli vinegar one gill of cream mode boil the eggs hard show them throw them into cold water cut a thin slice of the bottom to facilitate the proper placing of them in the dish cut each one into four length wise and make a very thin flat border of butter about one inch from the edge of the dish the salad is to be served on fix the pieces of egg upright close to each other the yolk outside or the yolk and white alternately lay in the center a fresh salad of whatever is in season and having previously roasted the grouse rather underdone cut it into eight or ten pieces and prepare the sauce as follows put the shallots into a basin with the sugar the yolk of an egg the parsley and salt and mixing by degrees the oil and vinegar when these ingredients are well mixed put the sauce on ice or in a cool place when ready to serve with the cream rather thick which lightly mix with it then lay the inferior parts of the grouse on the salad sauce over so as to cover each piece then lay over the salad and the remainder of the grouse pour the rest of the sauce over and serve the eggs may be ornamented with a little dot of radishes or beetroot on the point and chovy and gherkin cut into small diamonds may be placed between or cut gherkins in slices and a border of them laid round tarragon or chervil leaves are also a pretty addition the remains of cold black game pheasant or partridge may be used in the above manner and will make a very delicate dish average cost two shillings six pence seasonable from the 12th of August to the beginning of December the Cape of Kelsey this bird was to be met with formerly both in Ireland and Scotland but is now extinct the male lives separate from the females except in the breeding season its manners and habits are very like those of black grouse except that it seems to be wholly confined to forests of pine on the tender shoots of which it feeds it is by no means uncommon in the woods of Norway whence we received it it is also found abundant in Russia, Siberia, Italy and in some portions of the Alps it was in 1760 last seen in Scotland in the woods of Strathglass recent attempts have been made to reintroduce it into that country but without success principally owing as we should imagine to the want of sufficient food suitable for its sustenance grouse under this general term are included several species of game birds called black red woodland and white grouse the black is larger than the red c number 1025 and is not so common and therefore held in higher estimation the red however is a bird of exquisite flavour and is a native of the mountainous districts of Scotland and the north of England it feeds on the tops of the heath and the berries that grow amongst them its colour is a rich chestnut striped with black the woodland or cock of the wood is the largest among the bird tribes which pass under the denomination of game it is smaller now than the turkey and was originally common in our mountains that it is now to be found only in the mountains of Scotland though it still abounds in the north of Europe Germany and in the Alps it is esteemed as delicious eating and its plumage is extremely beautiful the white grouse or parmesan is not a plentiful bird in Britain but it is still found in the islands and weighs about half a pound the London market is supplied by Norway and Scotland those from the former country being esteemed the best when young it is held in high estimation being considered as little different from common grouse roast hair 1027 ingredients hair force meat number 417 a little milk butter choosing and trusting choose a young hair which may be known by its smooth and sharp claws and by the cleft in the lip not being much spread to be eaten in perfection at must hang for some time and if properly taken care of it may be kept for several days it is better to hang without being porched but should it be previously emptied wipe the inside every day and sprinkle over it a little pepper and ginger to prevent the musty taste which long keeping in the damp occasions and which also affects the stuffing after it is skinned wash it well and soak for an hour in warm water to draw out the blood if old let it lie in vinegar for a short time but wash it well afterwards in several waters make a force meat by recipe number 417 wipe the hair dry fill the belly with it and sew it up bring the hind and four legs close to the body towards the head run a skewer through each fix the head between the shoulders by means of another skewer and be careful to leave the ears on pat a string around the body from skewer to skewer and tie it above the back mode the hair should be kept at a distance from the fire when it is first laid down or the outside will become dry and hard before the inside is done baste it well with milk for a short time and afterwards with butter and particular attention must be paid to the basting so as to preserve the meat on the back juicy and nutritive when it is almost roasted enough flour the hair and baste well with butter when nicely frothed dish it remove the skewers and send it to table with a little gravy in the dish and a terrine of the same red currant jelly must also not be forgotten as this is an indispensable accompaniment to roast hair for economy good beef dripping may be substituted for the milk and butter to baste with but the basting as we have before stated must be continued without intermission if the liver is good it may be parboiled minced and mixed with the stuffing but it should not be used unless quite fresh sea colored plate a one time a middling sized hair one and a quarter hour a large hair one and a half to two hours average cost four shillings to six shillings sufficient for five or six persons seasonable from september to the end of february the hair this little animal is found generally distributed over europe and indeed in most parts of the northern world its extreme timidity is the endowment which providence has bestowed upon it as a means of defense it is therefore attentive to every sound and is supplied with ears both long and tubular with which you can hear with great acuteness its eyes also are so constructed and placed so prominent in its head that it can see both before and behind it it lives entirely upon vegetables but its flesh is considered dry notwithstanding that it is deemed in many respects superior to that of the rabbit being more savory and of a much higher flavor its general time of feeding is in the evening but during the day if not disturbed it adheres closely to its form potted hair a luncheon or breakfast dish 1028 ingredients one hair a few slices of bacon a large bunch of savory herbs four cloves half teaspoon of whole old spice two carrots two onions salt and pepper to taste one pint of water two glasses of sherry mode skin empty and wash the hair cut it down the middle and put it into a stew pan with a few slices of bacon under and over it add the remaining ingredients and stew very gently until the hair is tender and the flesh will separate easily from the bones when done enough take it up remove the bones and pound the meat with the bacon in a mortar until reduced to a perfectly smooth paste should it not be sufficiently seasoned add a little cayenne salt and pounded mace but be careful that these are well mixed with the other ingredients press the meat into potting pots pour over clarified butter and keep in a dry place the liquor that the hair was stewed in should be saved for hashes soups etc etc time about two and a half hours to stew the hair seasonable from september to the end of february broiled hair a supper or luncheon dish 1029 ingredients the leg and shoulders of a roast hair cayenne and salt to taste a little butter mode cut the legs and shoulders of a roast hair season them highly with salt and cayenne and broil them over a very clear fire for five minutes dish them on a hot dish rub over them a little cold butter and send to table very quickly time five minutes seasonable from september to the end of february hashed hair 1030 ingredients the remains of cold roast hair one blade of pounded mace two or three allspice pepper and salt to taste one onion a bunch of savory herbs three tablespoon falls of port wine thickening of butter and flour two tablespoon falls of mushroom ketchup mode cut the cold hair into neat slices and put the head bones and trimmings into a stew pan with three quarter pint of water add the mace allspice seasoning onion and herbs and stew for nearly an hour and strain the gravy thicken it with butter and flour add the wine and ketchup and lay in the pieces of hair with any stuffing that may be left let the whole gradually heat by the side of the fire and when it has simmered for about five minutes serve and garnish the dish with zippots of toasted bread send red currant jelly to table with it time rather more than one hour average cost exclusive of the cold hair six months seasonable from september to the end of february jagged hair very good 1031 ingredients one hair one to one and a half pound of gravy beef half a pound of butter one onion one lemon six cloves pepper cayenne and salt to taste half a pint of port wine mode skin porch and wash the hair cut it into pieces dredge them with flour and fry in boiling butter have ready one to one and a half pint of gravy made from the above proportion of beef and thicken with a little flour put this into a jar add the pieces of fried hair and onion stuck with six cloves a lemon peeled and cut in half and a good seasoning of pepper cayenne and salt cover the jar down tightly put it up to the neck into a stew pan of boiling water and let it stew until the hair is quite tender taking care to keep the water boiling when nearly done pour in the wine and add a few force meat balls made by recipe number 417 these must be fried or baked in the oven for a few minutes before they are put to the gravy serve with red currant jelly time three and a half to four hours if the hair is very old allow four and a half hours average cost seven shillings sufficient for seven or eight persons seasonable from September to the end of February two a quicker and more economical way one thousand and thirty two ingredients one hair a bunch of sweet herbs two onions each stuck with three cloves six whole allspice half a teaspoon full of black pepper a strip of lemon peel sickening a butter and flour two tablespoon falls of mushroom ketchup a quart pint of port wine mode wash the hair nicely cut it up into joints not too large and flour and brown them as in the preceding recipe then put them into a stew pan with the herbs onions cloves allspice pepper and lemon peel cover with hot water and when it boils carefully remove all the scum and let it simmer gently till tender which will be in about one and three-quarter hour or longer should the hair be very old take out the pieces of hair thicken the gravy with flour and butter add the ketchup and port wine let it boil for about 10 minutes strain it through a sieve over the hair and serve a few fried force meat balls should be added at the moment of serving or instead of frying them they may be stewed in the gravy about 10 minutes before the hair is wanted for table do not omit to serve red currant jelly with it time altogether two hours average cost five shillings six pence sufficient for seven or eight persons seasonable from september to the end of february note should there be any left re-warm it the next day by putting the hair etc into a covered jar and placing this jar in a saucepan of boiling water this method prevents a great deal of waste end of section 50