oven. Take
up, break the blanket carefully on top, lift out the meat, and pour the
gravy from the envelop into a small sauce pan, add to it either hot
claret, or a spoonful of tart jelly, along with tabasco or Worcester
sauce, boil up, and serve in a boat. Tomato or walnut catsup may be used
for flavoring. Indeed one sometimes finds opportunity a close second to
inspiration.

_The Preparation of Poultry and Game_: Pick carefully, draw and singe
every manner of poultry and feathered game, wash clean, quickly, in cold
water, never hot, drain, then wipe as dry as possible with a soft,
thick, damp cloth--it takes up moisture cleaner than a dry one. Keep
very cold and away from smells until ready to cook. Tilt roasting fowls,
so they may drain, if liquid gathers. Before stuffing rub over the
whole inside lightly with soft butter or bacon fat, pepper it scantly,
and rub on a very little salt. Grease and season the outside after
stuffing is done,--never before it. If game is shot-torn, soak for ten
minutes in weak salt water after plucking, rinse in cold salt water,
wipe dry and drain.

Furred game, as rabbits, squirrels, possums, ought to be drawn before it
is cold, if you would have the finest flavor. This is especially
necessary with possums--which should be bought alive, and fattened for
several weeks in a clean cage, feeding them on bread, milk, apples,
potatoes, cabbage leaves, and grass. This makes them tender and much
more delicate in flavor. Kill by dislocating the neck with a quick,
upward jerk, then cut the throat and hang to bleed. Roll after dampening
fur well in very hot embers--then scrape the same as a pig, draw, and
hang to cool. Divide the skin of rabbits and squirrels around the
middle, and pull off each half, the same as a kid glove. Thus no hairs
stick on the clean flesh. Draw very quickly, wipe lightly with a damp
cloth, and hang where it is cool and airy for at least an hour.

_Roast Turkey_: Make a stuffing of stale bread. Cut the crusts from a
small loaf, grate the crumb, brown crusts crisp, crush, sift and mix
well with the gratings. Shred finely through it four ounces fresh suet,
and a lump of butter the size of an egg. Add a tiny heart of celery cut
small, half a tart apple also cut fine, two dozen fat raisins, seeded,
halved, and soaked for twelve hours in whiskey to cover, salt, pepper,
and paprika to taste. Mix well, stuff the turkey but not too tight. Put
a handful in the crop space, and fast