Welcome to Celtnet's Hannah Glassse's Directions for Carving — This page gives you the entire contents of the Directions for Carving Chapter: 'NECESSARY DIRECTIONS, Whereby the reader may eaſily attain the uſeful ART of CARVING.' from Hannah Glasses's 1747 volume,
The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy. Each recipe is given here in its original form, with a link underneath to the modern redaction, should you wish to replicate it. This is the first time that Hannah Glasse's book has been made available in its entirety on the internet. Enjoy...
These pages have been written to be as close to the 1747 original as possible, within the limitations of HTML. As a result, the long-s symbol 'ſ' has been used in the text wherever it features in the original. Typically this is used where the s precedes a long letter such as an I, t or 1 or another long-s (to create a ligature), or where the S precedds a curved letter such as an 'a', 'e', 'o' or 's'. As a result, in the original work 'seasoned skirret soop' is typeset 'ſeaſoned ſkirret ſoop'.
You will encounter many unfamiliar culinary terms and usages in this work. Where the recipe has been redacted into modern form, these are either defined in the redaction or a link to a definition is given. However, may of the terms can also be found by browsing or searching the
glossary of cooking and food terms pages on this site.
The text presented here is derived directly from Hannah Glasse's book and redacted specifically for this website. Please do not copy or use the content of these pages without first gaining permission.
Hanna Glasse's Directions for Carving Chapter
NECESSARY DIRECTIONS,
Whereby the reader may eaſily attain the uſeful
ART of CARVING.
To cut up a turkey.
RAISE the leg, open the joint, but be ſure not to take of the leg ; lace down both ſides of the breaſt, and open the pinion of the breaſt, but do not take it off ; raiſe the merry-thought between the breaſt-bone and the top, raiſe the brawn, and turn it outward on both ſides, but be careful not to cut it off, nor break it ; divide the wing-pinions from the joint next the body, and ſtick each pinion where the brawn was turned out ; cut off the ſharp end of the pinion, and the middle-piece will fit the place exactly.
A buſtard, capon, or pheaſant, is cut up in the ſame manner.
To rear a gooſe.
CUT off both legs in the manner of ſhouders of lamb; take off the belly-piece cloſe to the extremity of the breaſt ; lace the gooſe down both ſides of the breaſt, about half an inch from the ſharp bone : divide the pinions and the fleſh firſt laced with your knife, which muſt be raiſed from the bone, and taken off with the pinion from the body ; then cut off the merry-thought, and cut another ſlice from the breaſt-bone, quite through ; laſtley, turn up the carcaſe, cutting it aſunder, the back above the loin-bones.
To unbrace a mallard or duck.
FIRST, raiſe the pinions and legs but cut them not off ; then raiſe the merrythought from the breaſt, and lace it down both ſides with your knife.
To unlace a coney.
THE back muſt be turned downward, and the apron divided from the belly ; this done, ſlip in your knife between the kidneys, looſening the fleſh on each ſide ; then turn the belly, cut the back croſs-ways between the wings, draw your knife down both ſides of the back bone, dividing the ſides and leg from the back. Obſerve not to pull the leg too violently from the bone, when you poen the ſide, but with great exactneſs lay open the ſides from the ſcut to the ſhoulder ; and then put the legs together.
To wing a partridge or quail.
AFTER having raiſed the legs and wings, uſe ſalt and powdered ginger for ſauce.
To allay a pheaſant or teal.
THIS differs in nothing from the foregoing, but that you muſt uſe ſalt only for ſauce.
To diſmember a hern.
CUT off he legs, lace the breaſt down each ſide, and open the breaſt-pinion, without cutting it off ; raiſe the merry-thought between the breaſt-bone and the top of it : then raiſe the brawn, turning it outward on both ſides ; but break it not, nor cut it off ; ſever the wing-pinion from the joint neareſt the body, ſticking the pinions in the place where the brawn was, remember to cut off he ſharp end of the pinion, and ſupply the place with the middle-piece.
In this manner ſome people cut up a capon or pheaſant, and likewiſe a bittern, uſing no ſauce but ſalt.
To thigh a woodcock.
THE legs and wings muſt be raiſed in the manner of a fowl, only open the head for the brains. And ſo you thigh curlews, plover, or ſnipe, uſing no ſauce but ſalt.
To diſplay a crane.
AFTER his legs are unfolded, cut off the wings ; take them up, and ſauce them with powdered ginger, vinegar, ſalt, and muſtard.
To lift a ſwan.
SLIT it fairly down the middle of the breaſt, clean through the back, from the neck to the rump ; divide it in two parts, neither breaking or tearing the fleſh ; then lay the halves in a charger, the ſlit ſides downwards ; throw ſalt upon it, and ſet it up again on the table. The ſauce muſt be chaldron, ſerved up in ſaucers.
Back to the contents of Hannah Glasse's 1774 book
The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy
