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dotting pieces generously with fat or drizzling with cooking oil or melted fat. Put
into a very hot oven—about 475°—for about 15 minutes—turning pieces and
cooking to a golden color. Then sharply reduce heat (keep oven door open a few
minutes), bringing temperature down to 325°-350°. Cover pan closely and cook
chicken for a further 35 to 60 minutes, according to size of bird . . . uncover pan for
final 10 minutes, to restore crispness to the coating.

TO BROIL CHICKEN

Only the very youngest birds are broiled—they reach the market from the
8-weeks’ stage onward. (Treat squab like chicken, but shorten cooking time.)

Birds should be split in half, and the backbone and neck removed—keep them
for your stock-pot. Wash pieces well, and pat dry with paper towel or soft cloth.

Pre-heat the broiler, if electric or gas. (Have bed of very hot, red charcoal,
wood or coal ready, if one of them supplies your fuel.)

If you have no actual broiling pan and rack, set a wire rack into a shallow pan
and use it under broiler. (A hinged wire broiler is well-liked for use over a bed
of coals.) Brush heated rack with fat.

Arrange birds, skin side down, on rack, and brush with soft fat; season.

Slip pan under the hot broiling unit, on a grid so placed that the chicken will
be about 4 inches below the source of the heat. (If you are broiling over charcoal
or a bed of coal or wood embers, see the section on broiling of meats,.in Lesson 13.)

When the surface of bird is well browned—usually 12 to 15 minutes—turn each
piece. Brush the skin side, now, with soft fat and season with salt and pepper.
Broil until well done and richly browned—if browning too much before meat is
done, turn again once or twice to keep cooking even, brushing with fat each time.

Total broiling time—about 45 to 60 minutes; the last ten minutes cooking may
be done farther from broiler, or with the switch turned right off, in an electric oven,
if birds are brown enough; meat should be tender and show no pink trace when cut.

TO STEW POULTRY

A bird which is a year or more old, is no longer tender enough for roasting; it
requires to be cooked by moist heat, to make it “tender as chicken.”

Birds may be cooked whole or divided first into serving-size pieces.

Put bird into suitable pot and add boiling water just to cover. Add salt as
required—3 or 4 teaspoons for one ‘‘chicken;’’ I like also to add a few whole pepper-
corns (or some ground pepper)—a few stalks, with their leaves, of celery—a few
sprigs of parsley—an onion or two and a carrot, both halved.

Cover and simmer gently until tender—from 21% to 4 hours.

Pigeons beyond the “‘squab” age, may be cooked this way and finished in various
interesting dishes.

Turkey, a little too old for roasting, will produce a wonderfully delicate dish
if gently stewed until tender (you would probably use your preserving kettle—and

_ of course longer time would have to be allowed, according to age and size of bird).

PRESSURE COOKING—This is of course a perfect way to cook poultry to tender-
ness—follow directions given for time, etc., in the instruction-book that accompanies
your cooker.

Many DISHES FROM STEWED FowL——Gorgeous chicken pies—chicken or turkey
a la king—creamed chicken—curried chicken-on-noodles—chicken shortcakes—
jellied poultry—sandwich fillings—salads . . . to the making of good things from a
fowl stewed to full-flavored tenderness, there is indeed no end!

LESSON 14 112