The Festive Fowl

fine feathered friends for a fabulous holiday groaning board

Long Before trenchermen ever talked turkey, they talked peacock. Until the emergence of the hearty American classic gobbler, the effete peacock was the prime chef-d'oeuvre of the holiday festive board. Nowadays the peacock is reserved largely for historical movies, but even the lordly turkey has to struggle to keep his place of honor in the face of the challenges laid down by guinea hen, goose, capon, duck, partridge, pheasant and the other rich lures of the season Europeans fondly call "the Liberties of December." There's something in the climate of Christmas that makes the beasts give way to the birds. Rare steaks and mutton chops yield before the feast of roast goose, its russet skin crackling in the oven, the casserole of red cabbage fragrant with burgundy, mountainous whipped potatoes white as the angels, finished off by a moist plum pudding ablaze with cognac.

Each year more and more enlightened chefs are carving their meat from the smaller birds which almost always outshine their more cumbersome rivals. Giant tom turkeys of 30 pounds, in spite of all stratagems used in their roasting, are destined to be dry on the outside before they're done on the inside. A man who really knows how to cook his own goose will take a 10-pound gosling rather than the more imposing but older 18-pound gander. Also, there is the more savory, if slightly more venial reason that the smaller fowl means a shorter tour of guard duty at the fire and allows the chef that extra cup of holiday cheer. Hosts with adventurous palates who want to hold open (continued on page 243)Festive Fowl(continued from page 129) house to the turkey, that magnificent bird which wise old Ben Franklin wanted to be the national emblem of America, can always count on a rich mine of recipes from around the world. In France, for instance, the pride of many Parisian chefs for generations has been the dindonneau truffé, a young turkey filled with a sausage and truffle stuffing, with slices of truffle slipped between the outer skin and flesh. Left to stand for at least 24 hours before roasting, the turkey meat slowly absorbs the truffle's delightful aroma. In the Arab countries turkeys are stuffed with ground lamb, almonds and rice, a perfectly logical treatment for the Near East, and in its way, very delectable. On this continent it would be hard to find a more hallowed recipe than the Mexican turkey mole. It was created by Spanish nuns, and is a braised turkey cooked in a rich dark sauce containing at least three different kinds of hot peppers, sweet peppers and, most important of all, chocolate.

That the bird you serve look like a bird and not like some taxidermist special mounted on a dusty club wall is now fundamental. In England, a few centuries back, it look some years before the American turkey nudged the reigning peacock aside and mounted the gastronomic throne of royal dinners. Although the flesh and flavor of the peacock were suspiciously close to the leather boot Charlie Chaplin consumed in The Gold Rush, the deepest respect was paid to its ornamental value. Before the peacock was put on the fire, its skin and feathers were carefully removed in one piece. During roasting, its proud head was robed in a wet linen cloth moistened frequently to avoid damaging the bird's natural mien. At the proper time the cooked peacock was set on a large ornate platter, recovered with its original plumage, its gaudy tail spread wide. Before the bird was borne into the dining room, a cotton wad dipped into camphor or spirits was stuck into its beak and set aflame. The job of carving was given only to the doughtiest knight at the top of the guest list. With knife in hand, he loudly took a vow dedicating his valor to "God, the Holy Virgin, the Ladies and the Peacock." It didn't take too many years for English lords and ladies to discover that, visual aesthetics notwithstanding, a nude turkey was infinitely better than a dressed peacock. It's still good advice. Chefs today who've earned their wings know that a lavish flavor will be remembered with yearning long after a spectacle is forgotten.

Food skeptics who for so long had doubted the freezer and everything in it have slowly come to realize that what counts is the kind of frozen assets in the repository, and not the freezing process itself. All Rock Cornish game hens, for example, are now frozen. But the original bird bred in this country, the Idlewild, is still far and away the best, and its long cavalcade of imitators seems only to emphasize the succulence of the original fowl. If you're within delivery distance of a gourmet market, it's nice to know that, thanks to the freezer, such game birds as Norwegian ptarmigan or Scotch grouse are no farther away than the nearest phone. Holiday birds such as goose, capon and squab are found hanging high in many local markets. But for men really delving deeply into the poulterer's art, the best way to make sure you're bagging an elite bird is to first get an elite vendor.

Ambrose Bierce once said realistically that "a bird in the hand is worth what it will bring." At the holiday board its mission is to bring pleasure. Don't overcook it. Don't let the brown skin become so deeply brown it chars. The breast meat, especially when a bird is roasted, needs protection against a fire too fierce or too prolonged. Aluminum foil is the easiest of all such protective devices. If the bird is covered in foil, a hot oven is needed. If the breast only is covered, or if the breast is covered with larding pork or salt pork, a slow oven is indicated. To brown the breast, remove the protective shield about 20 minutes before cooking is completed. To test the bird for doneness, untie it and move the drumstick. If it plays easily back and forth, that part of the bird is done. To test the breast meat, jab it rather deeply with a two-pronged kitchen fork. If the juice flows pink, it hasn't passed its meridian. If the juice flows clear in a gentle rivulet, the moment of truth has arrived. No matter how skillfully or speedily a carver works, the flesh of most birds cools quickly after it's sliced, so keep your gravy over a trivet flame, hot to the bubbling point. Spoon it over the sliced meat on the platter.

The old fiat about drinking red wine with red meats and white wine with fowl grinds to a halt when game birds, goose or duckling is brought to the table. Generally, the rich meat of these birds requires a more robust red like a deep burgundy to complement the evening's fare. Stick to the traditional turkey if you are a confirmed drinker of the chilled whites. A deeply flavored Meursault from Burgundy or a Pinot Blanc from California, totally different whites although both are made from the same Pinot grape, are good choices. Among the reds that complement turkey, we favor a selection among the light Bordeaux.

The following birds have been carefully chosen from Playboy's gilded cage:

[recipe_title]Roast Duckling with Apples, Marsala Gravy[/recipe_title]

(Serves four)

[recipe]1 five-pound duckling, thawed[/recipe]

[recipe]4 large, firm Delicious apples, peeled and cored[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup salad oil[/recipe]

[recipe]1 large onion, minced[/recipe]

[recipe]Juice of 1/2 lemon[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons sugar[/recipe]

[recipe]3 tablespoons apple brandy[/recipe]

[recipe]1 tablespoon finely minced leaf sage[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup bread crumbs[/recipe]

[recipe]8 slices stale French bread, 1/2 in. thick[/recipe]

[recipe]1 egg, beaten[/recipe]

[recipe]Salt, pepper[/recipe]

[recipe]1 packet instant chicken bouillon[/recipe]

[recipe]1 tablespoon butter[/recipe]

[recipe]1 tablespoon flour[/recipe]

[recipe]3 tablespoons marsala[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon cider vinegar[/recipe]

Remove neck, gizzard and liver from duck. Preheat oven at 350°. Cut apples into eighths from stem end to bottom, and place in a large saucepan with duckling liver, oil, onion, lemon juice, sugar, apple brandy, sage and parsley. Simmer slowly, covered, until apples are just tender, not mushy. Remove from fire and stir in bread crumbs. Cut bread into cubes approximately 1/2 in. thick. Place apple mixture and bread cubes in large mixing bowl. Combine egg with 2/3 cup water and add to bowl. Toss until bread has absorbed liquid. Cut duckling liver into small dice and return to bowl. Season generously with salt and pepper. Stuff duckling with apple mixture. Fasten vent with 2 or 3 small skewers. Sprinkle duckling with salt and pepper and place on wire rack in shallow roasting pan. Roast approximately 2 hours, or until done, removing fat from time to time to prevent smoking. Place neck and gizzard in small saucepan with 2 cups water. Add dash of salt and simmer slowly until liquid is reduced to 1 cup. Set aside for gravy. While duckling is roasting, drippings will accumulate in pan bottom. When drippings are light brown (do not let them turn black), add 1/2 cup water to pan. When duck is tender, remove from roasting pan. Remove fat, but let drippings remain. Strain stock from neck and gizzard into roasting pan, add chicken bouillon and place roasting pan over low top flame. Stir pan bottom to loosen drippings. Mix butter and flour to a smooth paste and add to roasting pan. Simmer, stirring constantly, until gravy is smooth. Add marsala and vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Pass gravy separately at table.

[recipe_title]Roast Pheasant, Alsatian Style[/recipe_title]

(Serves four)

[recipe]2 baby pheasants, larded for roasting[/recipe]

[recipe]4 eggs[/recipe]

[recipe]4 large shallots or 2 scallions, white part, finely minced[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup light cream[/recipe]

[recipe]Flour[/recipe]

[recipe]Salt, pepper, paprika[/recipe]

[recipe]Salad oil[/recipe]

[recipe]12-oz. can chicken broth with rice[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons madeira or sherry[/recipe]

[recipe]2 teaspoons butter[/recipe]

[recipe]Brown gravy color[/recipe]

[recipe]Grated parmesan cheese[/recipe]

Preheat oven at 450°. Place pheasants breast side up in shallow roasting pan. Roast 35 to 45 minutes, or until tender. Turn birds during roasting to brown evenly. While pheasants are roasting, put eggs, shallots, cream, 1/4 cup flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt in blender. Blend until smooth, scraping flour from sides of blender if necessary to blend completely. In a small omelet pan or sauté pan pour just enough oil to cover pan bottom lightly. Place over medium flame. Add 1 tablespoon batter to pan and cook until light brown on one side. Often the small pancakes thus formed, called Eierkuchas, will curl. Maneuver with ladle or spoon to brown on both sides. Browning takes place in a few seconds. Continue cooking until all batter is used. Each Eierkucha should be folded in half. Place close together in shallow metal pan or casserole and set aside. Remove pheasants from roasting pan. Discard all fat. Pour chicken broth into electric blender. Add 1 tablespoon flour and madeira. Blend until smooth. Pour into roasting pan and place over moderate top flame. Scrape pan bottom to loosen drippings. Bring to a boil; reduce flame and simmer slowly, stirring constantly, until gravy is thickened and smooth. Remove from fire and stir in butter. Add brown gravy color if necessary. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour half the gravy over the Eierkuchas. Sprinkle lightly with parmesan cheese and paprika. Place under broiler flame briefly to brown. Arrange Eierkuchas around carved pheasant on platter and serve with balance of gravy.

[recipe_title]Broiled Baby Turkey, Chestnut Casserole[/recipe_title]

(Serves six)

[recipe]1 six-to-seven-pound young turkey[/recipe]

[recipe]3/4 cup salad oil[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 cup very dry sherry[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 cup honey[/recipe]

[recipe]3 tablespoons soy sauce[/recipe]

[recipe]1 lb. small silver onions[/recipe]

[recipe]3 pieces celery, 1/2 in. slices[/recipe]

[recipe]Butter[/recipe]

[recipe]l/2 lb. button mushrooms[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup flour[/recipe]

[recipe]2 cups hot milk[/recipe]

[recipe]11-oz. can whole chestnuts in water[/recipe]

[recipe]Salt, pepper, onion powder[/recipe]

[recipe]Parmesan cheese[/recipe]

[recipe]Paprika[/recipe]

[recipe]l/2 lemon[/recipe]

Have turkey split with breastbone removed so that turkey will be flat for broiling. Cut a deep slit about 1 in. long in each drumstick. Combine salad oil, sherry, honey and soy sauce. Mix well to blend honey with other ingredients. Pour over turkey in shallow pan. Marinate 5 to 6 hours or overnight, turning turkey occasionally to marinate both sides of bird. Peel and boil onions until tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. About 5 minutes before onions are done, add celery to same pot and continue cooking until vegetables are tender. Drain. Melt 1/4 cup butter in large saucepan. Add mushrooms and sauté until tender. Remove from flame and stir in flour, mixing well so that no lumps of flour are visible. Slowly stir in hot milk, mixing well. Return to a moderate flame. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add onions, celery and chestnuts, together with liquid in can. Season to taste with salt, pepper and onion powder. Turn mixture into casserole. Sprinkle generously with parmesan cheese. Sprinkle lightly with paprika. Store in refrigerator until needed. Preheat broiler flame. Broil turkey until medium brown on both sides. Brush with marinating liquid while broiling. Transfer turkey from broiler to roasting pan. Reduce heat to 350°. Place turkey and chestnut casserole in oven and bake until both are done, about 30 to 40 minutes. Baste turkey with marinade. Just before serving, sprinkle turkey with lemon juice and brush with butter.

A covey of fine feathered friends, indeed, to heighten any Christmas feast.