If the chicken has not been drawn, it should be attended to at once.
After singeing off the hairs and down by holding the fowl over a flame and turning it so as to let the flame
pass near every part of the surface, pull out the pinfeathers with a knife.
Cut off the head, and, making an incision on the under part of the throat, take out the crop and the windpipe.
To remove the legs, cut through the skin all the way around, a little below the leg joint, without cutting the tendons;
then place the cut part against the edge of a table or board and pressing down, break the bones and with your
right hand pull off the feet, pulling out the tendons at the same time.
If the bird is old, the tendons will have to be drawn out one by one.
To take out the entrails, make an incision below the breastbone; thrust in your hand and, loosening the membranes,
draw out all the entrails together. Be very careful not to break the gall bladder
Carefully take out the lungs and the kidney, which lie in the hollow of the backbone and cut out the oil bag from the tail.
Separate the heart, the liver and the gizzard from the rest of the entrails.
They are the giblets and should be cleaned and cooked separately for gravy or dressing.
To prepare the gizzard cut half around the outer coat without puncturing the inner one, pull off the outer coat,
and throw away the bag inside.
The heart should be separated from the veins and arteries at its top and should be squeezed to press out any clot of blood.
The liver, after being separated from the gallbladder, should have any greenish parts cut away.
For roasting the chicken should be stuffed and trussed; for stew or fricasee it should be cut up. Editors Note - This is a very good little primer for those who have never dressed a chicken before.