POULTRY.
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then holding the bird by the legs, dip the breast
into boiling water and in the same cold water as
this sets and slightly hardens the flesh. Now lard it
nicely with strips of fat bacon and smoked ham
alternately, and place the bird in the braising pan
on a bed of vegetables and the bacon. Moisten with
a little strong stock, cover down with a buttered
paper and the pan lid, and set it on the fire to cook,
with heat top and bottom, for three-quarters
of an hour. Now dish the bird with a
salamander or a rich tomato sauce. For
this take half a pint of good rich stock,
melted butter made with some white stock instead
of water, bring it just not to the boil, then stir into
it a liaison made by beating up the yolks of two
eggs in about half a gill of good white stock or cream,
with a squeeze of lemon juice, stir this all into the
sauce over the fire, without allowing it to boil, or it
will curdle; then add in, as you lift it off the fire, a
spoonful of thick cream, or a small piece of butter,
and use.
Poulet en Casserole.—For this you need an old and
large bird. Truss it as for boiling, and place it in
an earthenware fireproof casserole, with an ounce or
two of clarified dripping, two shallots, a good
bouquet (thyme, parsley, bay leaf, green onions, and
lemon peel), and a dozen or so of peppercorns; fry
this till the fowl is a delicate brown, turning it fre-
quently and basting it well to prevent its burning;
now pour off the fat, add rather more than a gill of
good stock, cover the pot and let it all simmer at the