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A Fowl.—A boiled fowl's legs are bent inwards, and tucked into the belly; but before it is served, the skewers are to be removed. Lay the fowl on your plate, and place the joints, as you cut, on the dish. Take the wing off in the direction of a, to b, only dividing the joint with your knife; and then with your fork lift up the pinion, and draw the wings towards the legs, and the muscles will separate in a more complete form than if cut. Slip the knife between the leg and body, and cut to the bone; then with the fork turn the leg back, and the joint will give way, if the bird is not old. When the four quarters are thus removed, take off the merrythought from a, and the neck-bones; these last by putting in the knife at c, and pressing it under the long broad part of the bone in the line c, b; then lift it up, and break it off from the part that sticks to the breast. The next thing is to divide the breast from the carcase, by cutting through the tender ribs close to the breast, quite down to the tail. Then lay the back upwards, put your knife into the bone half-way from the neck to the rump, and on raising the lower end it will separate readily. Turn the rump from you, and very neatly take off the two sidesmen, and the whole will be done. As each part is taken off, it should he turned neatly on the dish; and care should be taken that what is left goes properly from table. The breast and wings are thought the best parts; but the legs are most juicy in young fowls. After all, more advantage will be gained by observing those who carve well, and a little practice, than by any written directions whatever.

A Pheasant.—The bird in the annexed engraving is as trussed for the spit, with its head under one of its wings. When the skewers are drawn out, and the bird served, the following is the way to carve it: Fix your fork in the centre of the breast; slice it down in the line a, b; take off the leg on one side of the dotted line b, d; then cut off the wing on the same side in the line c, d. Separate the leg and wing on the other side, and then cut off the slices of breast you divided before. Be careful how you take off the wings, for if you should cut too near the neck, as at g, you will hit on the neck-bone, from which the wing must be separated. Cut off the merrythought in the line f, g, by passing the knife under it towards the neck. Cut the other parts as in a fowl. The

breast, wings, and merrythought, are the most esteemed; but the leg has a higher flavour.

Turkey.—Roasted or boiled, a turkey is trussed and sent up to table like a fowl, and cut up in every respect like a pheasant. The best parts are the white ones, the breast, wings, and neck-bones. Merrythought it has none; the neck is taken away, and the hollow part under the breast stuffed with forced meat, which is to be cut in thin slices in the direction from the rump to the neck, and a slice given with each piece of turkey. It is customary not to cut up more than the breast of this bird; and, if any more be wanted, to help with one of the wings.

Partridge. The partridge is here represented as just taken from the spit; but before it is served up the skewers must be withdrawn. It is cut up in the same way as a fowl. The wings must be cut off in the line a, b, and the merrythought in the line c, d. The prime parts of a partridge are the wings, breast, and merrythought; but the bird being small, the two latter are not often divided. The wing is considered as the best, and the tip of it esteemed the most delicate morsel of the whole.

Pigeons. Cut them in half, either from top to bottom or across. The lower part is generally thought the best; but the fairest way is to cut from the neck to a, rather than from e to b, by a, which is the most fashionable. The figure represents the back of the pigeon; and the direction of the knife is in the line c, b, by a, if done the last way.

Duck or Mallard.—First raise the pinions and legs, but do not cut them off; then raise the merrythought from the breast, and lace it down both sides with your knife.

Woodcock, Plover, Snipe, or Curlew.—The legs and wings must be raised in the manner of a fowl, opening the head for the brains.

Crane. After the legs are unfolded, cut off the wings; take them up, and sauce them with powdered ginger, vinegar, salt, and mustard.

Hare. The best way of cutting it up is, to put the point of the knife under the shoulder at a, and so cut all the way down to the rump, on one side of the back-bone, in the line a, b. Do the same on the other side, so that the whole hare will

be divided into three parts. Cut the back into four, which with the legs is the part most esteemed. The shoulder must be cut off in a circular line, as c, d, e: lay the pieces neatly on the dish as you cut them; and then help the company, giving some pudding and gravy to every person. This way can only be practised when the hare is young: if old, don't divide it down, which will require a strong arm; but put the knife between the leg and back, and give it a little turn inwards at the joint; which you must endeavour to hit, and not to break by force. When both legs are taken off, there is a fine collop on each side of the back; then divide the back into as many pieces as you please, and take off the shoulders, which are by -many preferred, and are called the sportsman's pieces. When every one is helped, cut off the head; put your knife between the upper and lower jaw, and divide them, which will enable you to lay the upper flat on your plate; then put the point of the knife into the centre, and cut the head into two. and brains may be then helped to those who choose them.

The ears

Carve Rabbits as directed the latter way for hare; cutting the back into two pieces, which with the legs are the prime.

DIRECTIONS FOR TRUSSING.

THOUGH the London poulterers truss every thing before they send it home, yet it is absolutely necessary that every cook should know how to perform this business properly, as it frequently happens that families take their cooks with them. into the country, where they are obliged to draw and truss all kinds of poultry and game themselves. Let them therefore be careful to attend to this general rule; take care that all the stubs are perfectly removed; and when they draw any kind of poultry or game, they must be very particular not to break the gall, because it will give the bird a bitter and disagreeable flavour, which neither washing nor wiping will be able to

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