To Boil a Turkey

Ingredients

• 1 delicate but plump hen-turkey of moderate size
• forcemeat No. 1 or 2 (Chapter VIII)
• plenty of warm water or boiling water
• cold water
• oyster sauce, celery sauce, or white sauce
• boiled tongue or small ham
• parsley and butter

Instructions

1. Select a delicate but plump hen-turkey of moderate size.
2. Free the skin most carefully from all stumps and draw the bird with great care not to break the gall bladder.
3. Singe the turkey with writing paper, take off the head and neck, and cut through the skin round the first joint of the legs.
4. Draw off the legs by fastening the feet to a strong hook and pulling the bird away from it.
5. Wash the turkey exceedingly clean and wipe dry.
6. Fill the breast with forcemeat No. 1 or 2, or with oyster, chestnut, or French forcemeat.
7. In trussing, draw the legs into the body, break the breast-bone, and give the turkey as round and plump an appearance as can be.
8. Put the turkey into plenty of warm water or into as much boiling water as will rise about an inch over it.
9. When it has quite boiled for ten minutes, cool it down by adding cold water, then take out a portion of it, leaving only as much as will keep the bird thoroughly covered.
10. Clear off the scum with great care as it rises to the surface.
11. Boil the bird very gently from an hour and a half to two hours and a quarter for a moderate-sized turkey, allowing longer time for a very large turkey, and avoid fast boiling which will cause the skin to break.
12. Serve with a large tureen of rich oyster sauce if oyster-forcemeat is used, or with celery sauce or good white sauce, accompanied by boiled tongue or small ham, or for plain family dinner, a delicate cheek of bacon with parsley and butter.