Wartime Wednesdays: Roast Chicken
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Poultry & Game
Poultry includes all the domesticated birds that are used for food---chicken and fowl, turkeys, squabs and pigeons, geese and ducks. Game includes wild birds---ducks, geese, partridges, reed birds, quail, plover, etc, and animals suitable for food which are pursued and taken in field or forest, as the deer, moose and rabbit.
The flesh of game, except that of the partridge and quail, is dark in color and has a fine strong flavor. The flesh of wild birds, except that of wild ducks and geese, contains less fat that the flesh of poultry.
---The Victory Binding of the American Woman's Cook Book, Wartime Edition; published 1943
Roast chicken...such a basic dish, I know. But this one...well, it smelled so good I had that momentary regret regarding my vegetarianism!
The recipe wants stuffing. Matt doesn't like stuffing. It's not a good idea to cook it inside the bird, anyway.
So, chicken skin is to be covered in some sort of fat. I just happen to keep a Tupperware container of bacon drippings...so, warmed that up, spooned over. Some salt & pepper, into the oven, 350, about 45 minutes. Take it out, flip it, add some kind of 'body fat'! Two strips of bacon, then. A bit of basting, in for another 45 minutes.
What came out smelled divine; brown, crispy skin, tender & juicy meat inside. Almost no effort, and look what you get.
This month, we're sleeping in a little late, but the party won't suffer...we're having Brunch!
RSVP by Friday, 20 March
4 Thoughts for food:
Oh that looks so fantastic! I didn't get anything made for this week but next week, I'll be back in the blue book.
Doesn't it?? And you would not believe how good it smelled. I made sure to save the pan drippings; with all the bacon & chicken flavor, I have to do something with it, although I don't yet know what!
Your copy is blue? Mine's a sort of fatigues-green.
Hello! I love your wartime Wednesdays. I have just started a blog that cooks WWI and WWII foods. I'd love it if you'd check it out.
http://victorykitchen.blogspot.com
Where did you find your 1940s cookbook?
Hey there WWC! Like what you have so far...but as someone married to an (former) academic, I could spot you a mile away...not that it's a bad thing!
This particular volume was gited to me by my FIL; it has belonged to his mother.
I have many others; again, some from my FIL, & others I've found at used book stores or online. There's some real treasures out there.
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