A chicken’s feet are soft and smooth and the end of the breastbone is flexible. Poultry that is to be carried over from the season of plenty is carefully selected and specially fed and prepared. Only the choicest corn and milk fed poultry is worthy of the skill and science displayed in modern cold storage. Scientific methods of packing fresh poultry, and shipment in the refrigerator cars originated by the packers, assures the most select fresh poultry in season. The undrawn poultry is preferred to the drawn poultry in the market. To thaw frozen poultry, submerge it in a pan of cold water and leave in the water until thawed—about four hours for a four-pound hen. Cook as soon as thawed. To “draw,” it is only necessary to make an incision below the breastbone just large enough to insert the hand and remove the entire viscera at once. Separate the giblets, remove the gall bladder without breaking it, and clean the gizzard by cutting through the flesh and removing the inside sack intact; peel the fleshy part off the sack. Insert two fingers under the skin of the breast and draw out and discard crop and windpipe. Wash the inside of the bird by allowing clean cold water to run through it. Wipe inside and out. From this point the chicken is treated according to the method to be used in cooking. If it is to be “fried,” it is split in half lengthwise, if very young, or in smaller pieces if it is a fowl. For a roast, the chicken is left whole; for stewing, the fowl is entirely disjointed. REFERENCES U. S. Dept, of Ag. Bulletins. Circulars 61-64. “Studies of Poultry from the Farm to the Consumer.” “How to Kill and Market Poultry” by M. E. Pennington. “Poultry as Food.” WAYS OF SERVING CHICKEN (_also see pages 32 and 40_) -----------------------+---------------------------------------- CHICKEN | ACCOMPANIMENTS -----------------------+---------------------------------------- Roast | Mashed Potatoes—Creamed Onions Fricasseed | Steamed Potatoes, Parsnips Smothered | Corn Fritters, Peas Fried | Mashed Potatoes, Jelly Baked Stuffed | Glazed Sweet Potatoes Broiled | Shoe String Potatoes, Combination Salad Chicken à la King | Potato Chips, Tomato and Lettuce Salad Chicken Patties | Mashed Potatoes, Jelly Curried | Steamed Rice with Parsley Cold Sliced | Au Gratin Potatoes, Jelly Croquettes | Creamed Potatoes and Sweetbreads Chicken Hash | Steamed Rice, Jelly Chicken en Casserole | Carrots, Baked Onions and Potato Balls Chicken Pie | Potatoes—Stewed Tomatoes Chicken in Aspic Jelly | Potato Croquettes Creamed | Baked Potatoes—Sliced Cucumbers -----------------------+---------------------------------------- _Extend the meat flavor of left-over dishes with Armour’s Extract of Beef_