Fannie Farmer’s Boston Cooking School Cook Book was written in 1896 and was considered one of the most influential cooking tools of that era.
The cook book offered basic instructions on the steps necessary to prepare edible and nutritious meals — without deviating from the recipe and by paying particular attention to measurements.
This week’s recipes come from the 1896 book. It should be noted that in preparing the roast goose recipe, it might be necessary to disregard most of the directions for the farm-raised goose and simply buy a goose at the grocery store — then carry on with the recipe as printed.
• • •
Roast Goose With Potato Stuffing
2 cups hot mashed potatoes
1 1/4 cups soft stale bread crumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped fat salt pork
1 finely chopped onion
1/3 cup butter
1 egg
1 1/2 tsps. salt
1 tsp. sage
Add to potato, bread crumbs, butter, egg, salt and pepper then add pork and onion.
To prepare the goose, singe, remove pinfeathers. Wash and scrub a goose in hot soapsuds. Then draw (remove inside contents), wash in cold water and wipe.
Stuff, truss, sprinkle with salt and pepper and lay six thin strips of fat salt pork over breast. Place on rack in dripping pan, put in hot oven and bake two hours. Baste every 15 minutes with fat in pan.
Remove pork last half hour of cooking. When done, place on platter, cut string and remove skewers. Garnish with watercress and bright red cranberries. serve with apple sauce.
Note: “A goose, having short legs is trussed differently from chicken, fowl and turkey. After inserting skewers, wind string twice around one leg bone, then around other leg bone, having one inch space of string between legs. Draw legs with both ends of string, close to back, cross a string under back then fasten around skewers and tie in a knot,” Miss Farmer advises.
• • •
Apple Pie
4-5 sour apples
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. butter
1 tsp. lemon juice
few lemon rind gratings
Line pie plate with paste (pastry). Pare, core and cut the apples into eighths. Put row around plate one-half inch from edge and work towards centre until plate is covered. Then pile on remainder.
Mix sugar, nutmeg, salt, lemon juice and grated rind and sprinkle over apples. Dot over with butter. Wet edges of under crust, cover with upper crust and press edges together. Bake 40-45 minutes in moderate oven.
“A very good pie may be made without butter, lemon juice and grated rind. Cinnamon may be substituted for nutmeg. Evaporated apples may be used in place of fresh fruit. If used, they should be soaked overnight in cold water.”
Joyce Walter can be reached at [email protected]
