Baked Goose with London Greens

A Mother’s Instructions to Her Son’s Wife — London, 1838

My dear daughter,

Now I shall tell you how to prepare a goose properly, because if you are going to spend good money upon such a bird, you must not ruin it through impatience.

A goose will feed a family well, and there is enough good fat upon it to flavor half the vegetables in your kitchen besides. But remember for our table, the bird must be properly slaughtered and prepared according to the customs of the household. See that this is done before you begin your cooking, and do not allow a careless poulterer to tell you that one bird is much the same as another.

For a good family supper of six to eight persons, you will require one dressed goose of about eight to ten pounds, two onions, three cooking apples, a handful of fresh parsley, sage, thyme, salt, black pepper, and a little garlic if your household favors it.

For the vegetables, have one good green cabbage, a quantity of fresh peas when they are in season, and either spinach or other young greens from the market. You will also require some potatoes if you wish to make the meal more substantial.

Keep aside a little flour and broth for the gravy and have a bottle of suitable red wine ready for the table.

Preparing the Goose

Take the goose from the cold pantry early enough that you are not putting an icy bird into the oven.

Examine it carefully and remove any loose feathers or remaining pinfeathers. Wipe it well inside and out with a clean cloth. Do not soak it unnecessarily.

Now look at the fat.

There will be plenty.

Prick the skin lightly all over the breast and legs with the point of a small knife, taking care not to pierce deeply into the flesh. This allows the fat to escape while the goose cooks.

Rub the inside of the bird with salt, pepper, chopped parsley, thyme, and a little sage.

Peel and quarter the apples and one onion. Put these loosely inside the goose.

Do not pack the bird tightly. The heat must be allowed to pass through the center.

Tie the legs together and tuck the wings close against the body.

And remember what I tell you now: never throw away good goose fat.

You may strain it afterward and keep it in a covered jar for cooking potatoes, cabbage, onions, or nearly anything else that needs improving.

Preparing the Roasting Pan

Slice the second onion and lay it in the bottom of a deep roasting pan.

Place the goose upon a rack if you have one, or upon several thick pieces of onion and potato to keep it slightly raised from the bottom.

Pour only a small amount of water or broth into the pan—perhaps half a cup.

The goose will provide more than enough liquid of its own.

Place the bird into a moderately hot oven. Sam Note - a modern cook would set it at approximately 350°F / 175°C.

Baking the Goose

Allow approximately two and a half to three hours for a goose of eight to ten pounds.

Every half-hour, carefully remove some of the fat that gathers in the roasting pan.

Do not leave the bird swimming in it.

Spoon a little of the hot fat over the skin as the goose roasts, but not so much that it cannot become brown and crisp.

Turn the pan once or twice during the cooking if your oven heats unevenly. Most ovens do, no matter what the manufacturer claims.

During the final half-hour, increase the heat slightly if the skin is not yet browned.

The goose is ready when the skin is richly golden, the legs move easily at their joints, and the juices from the thickest portion run clear.

Once it is done, remove the goose from the oven and allow it to rest somewhere warm for at least twenty minutes before carving.

If you cut into it immediately, all the good juices will run onto your board instead of remaining in the meat where they belong.

The Green Cabbage

Remove the outside leaves from the cabbage and cut away the heavy stalk.

Slice the cabbage into broad strips.

Put one or two spoonfuls of the goose fat into a heavy pot and add a little sliced onion.

Cook the onion until soft.

Add the cabbage with a little salt, pepper, and several spoonfuls of broth.

Cover the pot and cook gently for about twenty to thirty minutes, stirring occasionally.

The cabbage should become tender without losing all sense that it was once a vegetable.

A spoonful of wine vinegar may be added near the end if you like a sharper taste.

Fresh Peas

If peas are in season, shell them shortly before cooking.

Put them into a saucepan with only enough water to prevent them from scorching.

Add a pinch of salt and perhaps a sprig of mint.

Cook them gently until tender, usually no more than ten to fifteen minutes.

Drain them and toss them with a very small spoonful of goose fat.

Do not drown fresh peas in grease.

When something is already good, you need not prove your wealth by ruining it.

Spinach or Young Greens

Wash the spinach very carefully, for London markets will sell you half the field along with the leaves if you permit them.

Put the washed greens into a pot with only the water that remains upon the leaves.

Cover and cook until they collapse and become tender.

Drain them well.

Chop them lightly and return them to the pot with a little goose fat, salt, pepper, and perhaps a touch of grated nutmeg if you have some in the pantry.

Serve them immediately.

Greens become miserable when left waiting.

Potatoes, If You Have Sensible People Coming to Dinner

Parboil several potatoes for about ten minutes.

Drain them and place them around the goose during the final hour of cooking.

Turn them in the rendered goose fat several times.

They will become crisp outside and soft within, and I warn you now that people will fight over them more fiercely than they fight over the goose.

Prepare enough.

Making the Gravy

Once the goose has been removed from the roasting pan, pour most of the fat into a clean vessel and save it.

Leave behind the browned juices and perhaps two spoonfuls of fat.

Place the roasting pan over gentle heat and stir in one or two spoonfuls of flour.

Cook the flour briefly.

Slowly pour in approximately one pint of broth, stirring constantly and scraping the browned pieces from the bottom of the pan.

Add a small quantity of wine if you wish.

Allow the gravy to simmer until smooth and slightly thickened.

Taste it before adding salt.

The goose has already contributed plenty.

Serving the Supper

Put the whole goose upon a warmed serving platter.

Arrange roasted potatoes around it if you have made them, and garnish with a few sprigs of parsley.

Place the cabbage, peas, and spinach in separate serving dishes so everyone may take what they please.

Bring the gravy to the table in a warmed jug.

The goose should be carved beginning with the legs, then the breast meat sliced neatly from either side of the breastbone.

A goose is rich, so do not give enormous portions simply because someone asks for one.

They may always have more.

For wine, serve a moderate red claret or another light red wine that will not overpower the bird. A heavier wine is unnecessary for such a rich meal.

In a household keeping Jewish custom, the wine should naturally be one suitable for the family table.

Pour the wine before the goose is carved, but do not fill every glass to the brim. Wine is to accompany supper, not replace conversation.

Bring water to table as well.

And keep the bottle away from my son if he begins telling the same story twice.

Lastly, save the bones from the goose.

They may be simmered the following day with onion, carrot, herbs, and whatever greens remain to make an excellent broth.

A good household does not waste food simply because yesterday's supper was plentiful.

And save the goose fat.

I shall say this once more because I know young wives become distracted:

Save. The. Goose. Fat.

It may be the most useful thing that bird has given you.

— From your mother, London, 1838