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Wild Turkey

A historical recipe from Housekeeping in Old Virginia, by Marion Cabell Tyree (1878).

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A historical recipe

Housekeeping in Old Virginia, by Marion Cabell Tyree (1878). Project Gutenberg eBook #42450.

From an old book: a historical recipe, not current advice. Its methods, additives and storage may be unsafe by today's standards.

United States

Known as an American recipe, with similar versions prepared across other nations.

Ingredients 1 ingredient

  1. a pint of stock

Cook safely

Keep children and pets away from the hob and the oven, and keep oven gloves and a lid within reach.

  • Oven and hot trays. Use dry oven gloves for trays and dishes: a hot tray looks just like a cold one. Open the oven door away from your face and let the first rush of heat out.
  • Boiling water and steam. Turn pan handles inward, away from the edge of the hob. Lift lids away from you, and pour hot water away from your body: steam burns too.
  • Sharp knives. Cut on a board that doesn't slip (a damp cloth under it helps), and curl the fingers of the hand that holds the food.

Method

  1. If the turkey is old, after it is dressed wash it inside thoroughly with soda and water.
  2. Rinse it and plunge it into a pot of boiling water for five minutes.
  3. Make a stuffing of bits of pork, beef, or any other cold meat, plenty of chopped celery, stewed giblets, hard-boiled eggs, pounded cracker, pepper, and salt, and a heaping spoonful of butter.
  4. Work this well and fill the turkey.
  5. With another large spoonful of butter grease the bird, and then sprinkle salt and pepper over it.
  6. Lay in a pan, with a pint of stock or broth in which any kind of meat has been boiled.
  7. Place in a hot oven.
  8. When it begins to brown, dredge with flour and baste, turning often, so that each part may be equally browned.
  9. Put a buttered sheet of paper over the breast, to prevent dryness.
  10. When thoroughly done, lay on a dish, brown some crackers, pound and sift over it, and serve with celery or oyster sauce.--Mrs.
  11. T.

Plating

Cookware for this recipe

  • Large pot
  • Chef's knife
  • Cutting board
  • Sieve
  • Pastry brush
Source Public domain in the USA
Credit

From Housekeeping in Old Virginia, by Marion Cabell Tyree (1878). Digitised by Project Gutenberg, eBook #42450 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/42450). Public domain in the USA; its status may differ elsewhere.

What was changed: As printed, from the book's text; Project Gutenberg's header and licence removed. Ingredient lines were read out of the text by a program. A historical recipe, not current advice.