Cheap Gravy for a Roast Fowl

Ingredients

• 1 neck of fowl
• 1/2 pint water
• to taste salt
• to taste pepper
• optional spice or herbs
• gravy from the dripping-pan
• good butter
• flour

Instructions

1. Cut the neck of the fowl into small pieces.
2. Place the neck in a pot with half a pint of water and seasonings of your choice—spice, herbs, salt, and pepper.
3. Stew the neck very gently for an hour or more, taking care not to reduce the liquid too much.
4. Roast the fowl, basting it with good butter and flouring it well when first laid to the fire.
5. When the fowl is just ready for table, take the gravy from the dripping-pan and drain off the fat from it as closely as possible.
6. Strain the liquor from the neck and mix it smoothly into the gravy from the dripping-pan.
7. Pass the combined gravy again through the strainer.
8. Heat the gravy and add salt, pepper, or cayenne if needed.
9. Serve the gravy extremely hot.