A green goose.
NEVER put any seasoning into it, unless desired. You must either put good gravy, or green-sauce in the dish, made thus: take a handful of sorrel, beat it in a mortar, and squeeze the juice out, add to it the juice of an orange or lemon, and a little sugar, heat it in a pipkin, and pour it into your dish; but the best way is to put gravy in the dish, and a green-sauce in a cup or boat. Or made thus: take half a pint of the juice of sorrel, a spoonful of white wine, a little grated nutmeg, a little grated bread; boil these a quarter of an hour softly, then strain it, and put it into the saucepan again, and sweeten it with a little sugar, give it a boil, and pour it into a dish or bason; some like a little piece of butter rolled in flour, and put into it.
To dry a goose.
GET a fat goose, take a handful of common salt, a quarter of an ounce of salt-petre, a quarter of a pound of coarse sugar, mix all together, and rub your goose very well: let it lie in this pickle a fortnight, turning and rubbing it every day, then roll it in bran, and hang it up in a chimney where wood-smoke is for a week. If you have not that conveniency, send it to the baker's the smoke of the oven will dry it; or you may hand it in your own chimney, not too near the fire, but make a fire under it, and lay horse-dung and saw-dust on it, and that will smother and smoke-dry it; when it is well dried keep it in a dry place, you may keep it two or three months or more; when you boil it put in a good deal of water, and be sure to skim it well.
Note, You may boil turnips, or cabbage boiled and stewed in butter or onion-sauce.
To dress a goose in ragoo.
FLAT the breast down with a cleaver, then press it down with your hand, skin it, dip it into scalding water, let it be cold, lard it with bacon, season it well with pepper, salt, and a little beaten mace, then flour it all over, take a pound of good beef-suet cut small, put it into a deep stew-pan, let it be melted, then put in your goose, let it be brown on both sides; when it is brown put in a pint of boiling water, an onion or two, a bundle of sweet-herbs, a bay-leaf, some whole pepper, and a few cloves; cover it close, and let it stew softly till it is tender. About half an hour will do it, if small; if a large on, threequarters
