A green goose roasted plain and served with a little gravy is generally sent up for second courses; but if the larger ones are used they must be stuffed with sage and onions, but very few would choose such a thing for a roast second course, whilst green geese in their season are great favourites, truss them by cutting off the leg at the knuckle, and the wing at the first pinion, fixing them at the side with skewers to throw the breast up; a full-grown goose will take one hour to roast, but a green one not more than half an hour.
No. 953. Ducklings.
Make a very favourite roast in the London season, they must have good fillets, white and plump, and require to be a little more underdone than any other description of poultry; if too much done the fat catches and gives a rank flavour to the flesh, besides causing the fillets to eat dry, they are usually served plain roasted for a second course, but I have served them differently upon some occasions for the sake of variety, but it must be with a very thin sauce and one that invigorates the palate, although they never can be better than when served plain roasted, I shall here give one or two deviations; truss them by twisting the legs at the knuckles and resting the feet upon the thighs, cut the wing off at the first pinion, and run a skewer through the bird, fixing the pinion and legs with it, place them upon a spit and roast twenty minutes.
No. 954. Canetons au vin de Madère.
Roast them plain, but just before they are done shake a little potato-flour over them mixed with a little common flour, dress them on your dish, and have ready the following sauce: put three spoonfuls of chopped olives and one of chopped eschalots in a stewpan with two glasses of Madeira wine, reduce it a minute, then add half a pint of demi-glace (No. 9) with a little cayenne, sugar, and six spoonfuls of consommé, reduce it till it adheres lightly to the back of the spoon, then add the juice of half a lemon, sauce under and serve.
No. 955. Canetons au jus d’orange.
Roast two ducklings plain, and serve with a sauce au jus d’orange (No. 17) over.
No. 956. Canetons au jus d’eschalotte.
Roast as in the last and serve with a sauce au jus d’eschalotte (No. 16) under.