18 BULLETIN" 467, TJ. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



COOKING. 



The purpose of cooking poultry is the same as with any other mate- 

 rial, namely, to produce chemical and physical changes which improve 

 the flavor and texture and to destroy any microorganisms which may 

 be present. The heat of cooking softens the fibers and connective 

 tissues which form the greater part of poultry flesh, and thus gives 

 the digestive juices a better chance to act upon them. On the other 

 hand, the protein (nitrogenous substance found in the lean of meat) 

 is hardened by the strong heat, much as white of egg, which it 

 resembles in chemical composition, hardens in boiling. Protein thus 

 hardened or coagulated may be somewhat less readily though not 

 less thoroughly digested than slightly cooked or raw protein; for most 

 persons, however, this disadvantage in the cooked meat is more than 

 offset by what custom makes them consider its more attractive taste 

 and appearance. The fats, too, are affected by the heat; being 

 melted out from the flesh to some extent, they make it appear more 

 juicy. 



Boiling, stewing, roasting, broiling, and frying are the methods of 

 cooking ordinarily used with poultry, as with other meats. 



In boiling and stewing the heat reaches the flesh through the water 

 in which it is placed, and the chief difference between the two lies in 

 the amount of heat applied at one time. The choice to be made 

 between them should depend on whether the flesh only is to be used 

 or also the water in which it is cooked. If the flesh only, the bird 

 should be boiled ; that is, plunged into water which is already at or near 

 the boiling point and allowed to stay at that temperature for from 10 to 

 20 minutes. This exposure to the greater heat will cause the protein 

 near the surface to harden and form a sort of coating which the juices 

 of the interior can not so readily pass. Later the pot should be set in 

 a cooler place and the meat be left in water slightly below the boiling 

 point until the desired changes have taken place in its inner parts. 

 When, on the other hand, the water also is to be used, the bird should 

 be stewed; that is, put into water while it is still below the boiling 

 point and kept there until thoroughly cooked, since at a moderate 

 temperature no impervious coating of coagulated protein will form, 

 and part of the juices, etc., will escape from the meat into the water. 



In roasting and broiling poultry the heat reaches the meat through 

 the air instead of through water. The dry heat causes the protein 

 near the surface to harden, thus partially preventing the escape of 

 the juices; it also causes the meat to brown on the surface, and thus 

 produces a new and appetizing flavor. If recourse is had to basting, or 

 pouring the escaped juices over the hot meat, a coating is formed over 

 the surface, which aids in keeping in the remainder of the juices and 

 increases the "browned" flavor. The larger the fowl, the longer the 



