144 



THE BOOK OF POULTRY. 



hole on each side apparently designed by Nature 

 for the express purpose, which can readily be 

 seen in any denuded carcase of a fowl. Thence 

 the twine is taken over the end of the drum- 

 stick, through the body again, just over or 

 embracing the flat part of the back end of the 

 breast-bone, and over the other drumstick to be 

 tied. The fowl is then finished, as in Fig. 69. 



Fig. 69. — Trussed for Roasting. 



For boiling the fowl is treated differently. 

 It is beheaded, drawn, and merrythought and 

 sinews removed, as before. The fingers are 

 then introduced through the vent, and the 

 skin loosened or separated from the flesh at 

 the side of the breast, and all round the thighs 

 and drumsticks, down to the hocks. A cross- 

 cut is now made down to the bone, at the 

 back of each drumstick an inch above the 

 hock, and another across the front of the shank 

 an inch and a half below, dividing the sinews. 

 Each foot in turn is then taken, with the bird 

 on its back, and the doubled shank wrenched 

 or twisted inside the drumstick, so as to lie 

 rather under the latter instead of above, in 

 which process the joint is heard to crack. 

 The shanks are then doubled in, when it will 

 be found that, by the aid of the cut made above 

 the hock, that joint can be pushed in and the 

 loose skin stretched and coaxed and drawn over 

 the whole, hiding the entire leg from view, 

 the projecting part of the shanks being finally 

 cut off. Female cooks generally prefer to cut 

 the feet off first, pushing in the doubled limb 

 afterwards. It is customary with some also to 

 crack the shoulder-blades, by a smart blow with 

 the back of the knife between the neck and 



shoulder of the wing on each side, which gives 

 a more rounded shape when the bird is tied 

 together ; but this is not necessary. In trussing, 

 the wing- and thigh-joints are secured and tied 

 the same as already described (Fig. 68). The 

 other tie securing the legs may also be made 

 in the same way, being in no way affected by 

 the fact that this joint is now hidden under the 

 skin, but there are several other methods. One 

 is to make a single tie round the entire stern of 

 the fowl : another to pass the needle through the 

 drumsticks and round the back end of the 

 breast through the body, and tie over the back. 

 For that shown in our illustration, the needle 

 with twine is taken through body and drum- 

 sticks as just mentioned, the twine then taken 

 and crossed round the knuckles, and pulled well 

 in, and the crossed twine tied over the back, 

 which is a very neat tie. Finally the tail-joint 

 is tucked down into the vent, and the bird is 



Fig. 70. — Trussed for Boiling. 



finished as in Fig. 70. While, however, a fowl 

 thus trussed looks nicest on the table when 

 covered with white sauce, some lady house- 

 keepers prefer for carving to dispense with push- 

 ing the leg under a skin apron, simply removing 

 the shank at the hock joint, and otherwise truss- 

 ing exactly as the roasting bird in Fig. 69. 



Poulterers who draw and truss many birds 

 usually sell the livers, which are used for 

 "game" pastes and savouries, at is. to 2s. 

 per lb. The necks and other giblets realise but 

 little over id. per lb. The intestines are prac- 

 tically valueless, and have sometimes to be 

 paid for to be taken away ; occasionally a small 

 fraction is realised for some local purpose. 



