Chapter M: G. M

Spring Chickens.

Spring chickens may be either broiled or fried. They are especially liked fried in the southern way. Cut the chickens in pieces as for fricasseeing, have the frying pan very hot, put a quarter cup of butter in; when smoking, add chicken, cover and let fry until a golden brown on one side, then turn and fry on other. It usually takes two fryings to cook a pair of chickens, as a spider boils only one chicken. When the chicken is all fried lay the pieces on brown paper to absorb any fat. Add a tablespoonful of flour to the drippings in pan, add a cup of cream and stir the mixture until it boils, then add a tablespoonful of chopped parsley. Remove the chicken from the brown paper cover and arrange the pieces evenly on the dish and strain the sauce over them. Serve at once.

K. T. R.

Chicken Fricassee, With Peas.

Select a dry-picked young fowl, cut into joints, remove the skin, rinse in warm water, dip into cold water, drain, and dredge with flour. Put them in a warm saucepan and cover with hot water; add salt and pepper, a sprig of parsley and a piece of lemon peel, simmer two hours and remove chicken. Beat up the yolk of one egg with a gill of cream, add it to the warm sauce and whisk thoroughly. Arrange the chicken on a dish, pour the sauce over it, add as a border a quantity of hot, fresh or canned peas, and serve.

E. G. R.

Remarks on Entrees.

Entrees are the middle dishes of the feast, and not the principal course, as many suppose. They are a series of dainty side dishes in the preparation of which the cook demonstrates the extent of her capabilities. Should they be prepared in a careless manner, they cloy the palate and prevent that much-abused organ from appreciating the more important dishes of the feast. They should not only be nicely prepared, but much care and ingenuity should be shown in the arraying of them on the platter. To prepare palate-pleasing entrees one must study to please the eye quite as much as the palate.

Creamed Chicken.

1 chicken of 4½ pounds or two of 6 pounds, 4 sweet breads, 1 can mushrooms. Boil chicken and sweet breads; when cold cut up as for salad. Add mushrooms (if large cut in 4 pieces.) In a saucepan put a quart of cream, in another 4 large tablespoonsful butter, 5 even ones of flour, stir until melted. Then pour on hot cream, stirring until it thickens. Flavor with small half grated onion and a very little nutmeg, season highly with black and red pepper. Mix all together, put in a baking dish, cover with bread crumbs and pieces of butter. Bake twenty minutes.

Mrs. H. W. Perkins.

Cream Chicken.

One cold boiled chicken, cut in small pieces. Two sweet breads, boiled and cut in small pieces; one can of mushrooms, drain all the water off and cut up; 1 pint of cream, 1 pint of milk, yolks of 2 eggs, 3 tablespoonsful of flour, ½ pound of butter, flour and eggs mix together. Heat cream and butter together and mix with eggs and flour. Cook for fifteen minutes till all a cream, pour over the other ingredients while hot. Grate bread crumbs on top and brown in oven.

Frances H. Potter.

Chicken and Curry.

1 boiled chicken, cut up; heat in a sauce pan 1½ tablespoonful of butter, 1 tablespoonful flour, thin with chicken broth; put in cup 2 teaspoonsful curry powder, mix with little broth, add to sauce, put in chicken, heat. Have ready a dish of boiled rice. Serve chicken on platter, with rice around it.

Mrs. John Gregg.

Pressed Chicken.

Take one or two chickens, boil in a small quantity of water with a little salt, and when thoroughly done, take all the meat from the bones, removing the skin and keeping the light meat separate from the dark; chop and season to taste with salt and pepper. If a meat presser is at hand, take it, or any other mould such as a crock or pan will do; put in a layer of light and a layer of dark meat till all is used, add the liquor it was boiled in, which should be about 1 teacupful, and put on a heavy weight; when cold cut in slices. Many chop all the meat together, add 1 pounded cracker to the liquor it was boiled in and mix all thoroughly before putting in the mold. Either way is nice. Boned turkey can be prepared in the same way, slicing instead of chopping.

M. E. S.

Buckeye.

Make recipe for pressed chicken and use enough chicken in addition to make a strong broth to mix with it. The broth should be boiled down so that it will jelly after they are mixed, to set away together. Press white even sized, bottled mushrooms into the top, in shape of letters desired. Set away with top turned down (so that the letters are in the bottom when set away). Put weight on top of mould when set away.