Baked Gosling

Select a gosling - not very young, for the flesh is then flabby - and after it has hung for a day or so, pluck, singe and draw it; then put it in water with a little salt, and let it remain for several hours, to remove the strong taste. Wash and wipe the inside, and fill it with a stuffing made with finely-mashed potatoes, a little lump of butter, a pinch of salt or fresh pork chopped very fine, a minced onion and a small quantity each of chopped parsley, thyme and sage. Sew it up, truss and grease it all over with butter or lard. Put it on a trivet on a baking-dish with the giblets; pour into the dish one breakfast cupful of boiling water, and put it into a quick oven. Baste frequently, turning it round now and then so as to brown on both sides. When thoroughly cooked, put on a dish with gravy, and serve with onion sauce.

Braised Gosling

Pluck, draw and singe a gosling and stuff it with forcemeat made with pork slightly seasoned and mixed with a little parsley and breadcrumbs; sew it up, chop off the leg bones and pinions at the joints and truss it; put the fat from the gosling at the bottom of a saucepan with a few vegetables cut in slices, place the gosling on these and pour in a pint of broth with a little salt and reduce the liquor over a brisk fire; pour in half a bottle of wine and a little more broth to half the height of the bird; drop in a few cloves and peppercorns and a bunch of sweet herbs. Boil up and remove the pan to a moderate fire, cover the goose with buttered paper, baste often and put the lid on the pan. Place a few hot ashes on the top and braise for three hours. When done pour off the stock, skim off the fat, put the fat back with the goose into the pan, keeping it hot, and reduce the stock to half-glaze in another saucepan; add a little brown sauce to thicken it, reduce again, stir well, add a teacupful of Burgundy and keep it hot in the bain-marie. Untruss the goose, place it on a hot dish and garnish with cooked glazed chestnuts, arranged alternately in groups with small cooked sausages. Pour a little of the sauce over the goose, put a paper ruffle on each leg, and serve with the rest of the sauce in a boat.