ROAST MUTTON.—­The best pieces for this purpose are those obtained from the shoulder, and saddle, loin, and haunches.  Wipe carefully, sear the cut surfaces, and proceed as directed for roasting beef.  Cook slowly without basting, and unless desired rare, allow twenty-five or thirty minutes to the pound.  A leg of mutton requires a longer time to roast than a shoulder.  When sufficiently roasted, remove from the pan and drain off all the grease.

STEWED MUTTON.—­Pieces from the neck and shoulder are most suitable for this purpose.  Prepare the meat, and stew as directed for beef, although less time is usually required.

STEWED MUTTON CHOP.—­Wipe, trim off the fat, and remove the bone from two or three pounds of chops.  Put into the inner dish of a double boiler with just enough hot water to cover; add a minced stalk of celery, a carrot, and a white turnip cut in dice; cover, and cook until the chops are tender.  Sliced potato may be added if liked, when the meat is nearly done.  Remove the grease and thicken the liquor with a little browned flour braided with thin cream.

STEWED MUTTON CHOP NO. 2.—­Prepare the chops as in the preceding.  Place a layer of meat in a deep baking dish, and then a layer of sliced potato, sprinkled with a little minced celery.  Add two or more layers of meat, alternating with layers of potatoes.  Cover with boiling water and bake closely covered in a very moderate oven two and a half hours.

VEAL AND LAMB.—­Both veal and lamb should be thoroughly cooked; otherwise they are not wholesome.  They may be prepared for the tale in the same way as beef or mutton, but will require longer time for cooking.

POULTRY AND GAME.

Poultry and game differ from other animal foods in the relative quantity of fat and the quality of their juices.  The fat of birds is laid up underneath the skin and in various internal parts of the body, while but a small proportion is mingled with the fibers or the juices of the flesh.  The flesh of the chicken, turkey, and guinea-fowl is more delicately flavored, more tender and easy to digest, than that of geese and ducks.  Chickens broiled require three hours for digestion; when boiled or roasted, four hours are needed.

The flesh of poultry is less stimulating than beef, and is thus considered better adapted for invalids.  The flesh of wild fowl contains less fat than that of poultry; it is also tender and easy of digestion.  Different birds and different parts of the same bird, vary considerably in color and taste.  The breed, food, and method of fattening, influence the quality of this class of foods.  Fowls poorly fed and allowed wide range are far from cleanly in their habits of eating; in fact, they are largely scavengers, and through the food they pick up, often become infested with internal parasites, and affected with tuberculosis and other diseases which are liable to be communicated to those who eat their flesh.