1443—Pullets and Capons for Relevés

Pullets and capons for relevés and entrées are poached or No. 250, Poëlings; sometimes, but more rarely, they are braised.

The birds to be treated by poaching are trussed with the claws folded back and inserted into the belly; their fillets and legs are rubbed with lemon, so as to keep them white, and they are then covered with thin slices of larding bacon.

The ingredients for chicken poaching stock were given under No. 249, Poachings. The bird is known to be cooked when the blood which issues from a prick on the leg is white or faintly pink.

These fowls are sometimes larded or studded. When this is to be done, dip the legs and belly of a trussed and lemon-rubbed fowl into boiling white stock; this will be found to sufficiently harden the flesh to allow of its being treated in the required way. The products used for studding and larding are, according to circumstances, ham or tongue, truffles or mushrooms, and sometimes, the red part of a carrot for the larding. Only truffles, ham and tongue are used for studding.

No. 250, Poëlings fowls are trussed as above; they are covered with slices of bacon in order that the fillets may be protected during the first stages of the cooking; then they are cooked in butter on No. 250, Poëlings-aromatics, under cover and in a deep, thick saucepan. When the piece is almost cooked, just moisten it a little, either with rich poultry-stock, with the cooking-liquor of truffles or mushrooms, with Madeira, red or white wine, &c. This moistening serves in the basting of the fowl and must therefore be renewed if it reduces too quickly. After having been cleared of all grease, it is always added to the sauce which accompanies the piece of poultry.

Braised fowls are always treated after the manner described under No. 248, Braising of White Meats; they are not rubbed with lemon, but they are covered with slices of bacon. The latter should only cover the breast, but be thick, notwithstanding; for they protect the belly, which, without them, would shrivel by the time the legs cooked.

The covering of bacon is essential to all pieces of poultry, whether these be poached, No. 250, Poëlings, braised or roasted.