Camping and woodcraft - Scoutmastercg.com

GAME 317'tail should always be removed betore cooking.To cook a large bird in a hurry.— Slice off sev^eral fillets from the breast ; impale them, with slicesof pork, on a green switch; broil over the coals.Wild Goose, Roasted.— A good way to suspenda large bird before the fire is described by DillonWallace in his Lure of the Labrador Wild:**George built a big fire — much bigger than usual. Atthe back he placed the largest green log he could find. Justin front of the fire, and at each side, he fixed a forked stake,and on these rested a cross-pole. From the center of thepole he suspended a piece of stout twine, which reachednearly to the ground, and tied the lower end into a noose."Then it was that the goose, nicely prepared for thecooking, was brought forth. Through it at the wingsGeorge stuck a sharp wooden pin, leaving the ends toprotrude on each side. Through the legs he stuck a similarpin in a similar fashion. This being done, he slippedthe noose at the end of the twine over the ends of one ofthe pins. And lo and behold! the goose was suspendedbefore the fire."It hung low — just high enough to permit the placingof a dish under it to catch the gravy. Now and thenGeorge gave it a twirl so that none of its sides mighthave reason to complain at not receiving its share ofthe heat. The lower end roasted first; seeing which,George took the goose off, reversed it, and set it twirlingagain."Time-table for Roasting Birds.— A goose or amiddling-sized turkey takes about two hours toroast, a large turkey three hours, a duck aboutforty-five minutes, a pheasant twenty to thirty minutes,a woodcock or snipe fifteen to twenty minutes.M^ild Duck, Baked.— The bird should be drypicked,and the head left on. Put a little pepperand salt inside the bird, but no other dressing.Lay the duck on its back in the bake-pan. Putno water in the pan. The oven must be hot, butnot hot enough to burn ; test with the hand. Bastefrequently with butter or bacon. A canvasbackrequires about thirty minutes; other birds accordingto size. When done, the duck should be plump,and the flesh red, not blue.This is the way to bring out the distinctive flavor