If game is to be tender it must be young. Age is easily determined when the game is fully feathered or furred which is one good reason for buying it this way. Generally speaking, look for plumpness, pale coloured feet and soft, downy plumage in birds, and soft pliable ears in rabbits and hares. Venison … Read more
Carving chicken First remove the stuffing. Insert the blade of the carving knife between the leg and the body and cut through. Sever the thigh from the drumstick. Repeat with the other leg. Carve off the wings, taking some of the breast meat too. Carve the breast in long downward slices and divide between the … Read more
Buy a plump, young turkey bird. Look for a pliable breast bone. When you buy a fresh duck or goose, choose one with yellow feet and bill. Poultry, with or without a stuffing, is often trussed. This is not necessary for most small birds and roasting chickens, but it helps keep a turkey in … Read more
Fresh or frozen, poultry of excellent quality is available all the year round from butchers and supermarkets. Poultry is defined as a bird bred for the table: chicken, boiling fowl, duck, goose and turkey come into this category. So does guinea fowl, which used to be a game bird. As with meat, decide in advance … Read more
This is simple if you have a good carving knife, a two-pronged fork and a steel for sharpening the knife. The same principles apply for roast or boiled cuts. The meat will keep hot for about ten minutes once it has been removed from the oven or from the boiling liquor. Put it to rest … Read more
OVEN ROASTING Only tender joints are suitable for oven roasting. Beef may be served underdone, but make sure veal, lamb and pork are cooked thoroughly. There is no agreement about the best heat; the temperatures given here are for slow roasting, an increasingly popular method. Pre-set the oven to 180°C (350°F) Gas Mark 4. Put … Read more
Without a refrigerator Fresh meat must be kept as cool as possible, preferably in a meat safe which allows circulation of air. Always use meat that was bought minced and cooked meats on the day of purchase. In a refrigerator Keep raw and cooked meat separate and loosely wrapped in foil or film at 2°-6°C … Read more
Offal are the parts left after the slaughtered animal has been dressed: the liver and kidneys are most popular but all are highly nutritious. Calf’s liver The most expensive liver, with a mild flavour. Lamb’s liver The most popular liver, excellent for grilling or frying. Pig’s liver Stronger in flavour than lamb’s liver but softer … Read more
For centuries, pork has been ‘cured’ with salt to preserve it. As bacon, gammon and ham, it is still very popular in Britain. Grilled or fried, served roasted, braised or boiled, cuts of bacon combine good flavour and food value with cheapness. There is little waste and the cooking water after boiling makes excellent stock. … Read more
Most lamb is slaughtered at about six months; mutton comes from sheep at least 18 months old. British lamb is available between March and November and is most plentiful between August and November. New Zealand lamb is at its best between December and June. What to look for Young lamb is firm, fine-grained, and pale … Read more
A new laid egg from your own hens. What a joy this brings to the novice in poultry keeping. You get all this pleasure and excitement added to the very considerable profit that a few chickens will bring you, if you turn over a few square yards of your back garden to intensive poultry keeping. … Read more