Recipe Manuscript

To Boyle A Goose

Name: To Boyle A Goose
Prep time: PTPT2H15M
Cook time: PTPT30M
Yield: 8
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 1 whole salted/pickled goose (4–5 kg) or fresh goose brined overnight; 30 g salt (for soaking); 8 lamb tongues (approx. 800 g; substitute: veal tongue or beef tongue cut smaller); 4 veal sweetbreads (approx. 400 g); 1 liter strong beef or chicken broth; 500 ml fresh oysters (or 500 g shucked oysters with liquor); 8 small larks (substitute: 8 quail legs, or omit); 100 ml brown gravy (from roast beef or chicken); 100 ml claret wine (or dry red wine); 1 clove garlic, peeled; Small bunch fresh herbs (e.g., parsley, thyme, marjoram); 115 g unsalted butter; 1 medium cauliflower (about 600 g)

1700

From the treasured pages of Receipts in cookery and medicine 1700

Unknown Author

Renaissance (1400 - 1700)European Advanced Dinner Lunch

Original Recipe • 1700

Original Manuscript(circa Renaissance, 1400 - 1700)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

To Boyle A Goose

"Take A Goose that has beene powderd & lay it an hower & halfe in watter and salt then take 8 sheeps toungs & 4 sweet breds boyle them tender cut them in peeces into a quart of stronge broth put in a pint of fresh oysters jason larks a little gravye a little clarett wine a clove of garlick a handfull of sweet herbs with a quarter of a pound of butterr boyle all these together halfe an hower so dish up your goose with a colifflear underneath it power all upon it so serve it up hott."

Note on the Original Text

Recipes of this era were written with little specificity, assuming a skilled cook would know how to adjust times, quantities, and methods by feel and experience. 'To boyle' often meant to simmer gently, not the rolling boil we think of today. Spellings are sometimes archaic ('boyle' for 'boil', 'powderd' for 'powdered'), and there is scant punctuation or structure—directions are given in a single flowing sentence. Ingredients such as 'larks' reflect seasonal and regional availability; modern cooks must adapt where necessary.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Receipts in cookery and medicine 1700 - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Receipts in cookery and medicine 1700 (1700)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Unknown

Era

1700

Publisher

Unknown

Background

Step into the kitchen of the early 18th century, where this charming culinary manuscript tempts tastebuds with recipes and secrets from a bygone era. A delicious journey for both the curious cook and the history lover.

Kindly made available by

Folger Shakespeare Library

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This intriguing recipe comes from an English household manuscript dated around 1700, a time when festive and elaborate dishes were prized at upper-class tables. Salting, or 'powdering', was a common method to preserve meats before the advent of refrigeration, hence the need to soak the goose before cooking. The lavish use of offal, such as lamb tongues and sweetbreads, along with oysters and wild birds (larks), highlights the extravagant tastes and access to ingredients of the wealthy in early 18th-century England. The addition of claret and fresh herbs signals a continental, particularly French, influence on English cookery at the time.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

In the early 1700s, this dish would have been prepared in a well-equipped kitchen with a large open hearth. Utensils would include heavy iron pots and cauldrons for boiling, a ladle for the broth, and large knives for butchering and carving the goose and other meats. A strainer or skimmer might be used for removing scum from the broth, while the dish was served on large platters or trencher plates, often with silver or pewter serving spoons for the sauce.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

2 hrs 15 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Servings

We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!

Ingredients

1 whole salted/pickled goose (9–11 lbs) or fresh goose brined overnight
1 oz salt (for soaking)
8 lamb tongues (approx. 1.75 lbs; substitute: veal tongue or beef tongue cut smaller)
4 veal sweetbreads (approx. 14 oz)
4 cups strong beef or chicken broth
2 cups fresh oysters (or 1 lb shucked oysters with liquor)
8 small larks (substitute: 8 quail legs, or omit)
1/2 cup brown gravy (from roast beef or chicken)
1/2 cup claret wine (or dry red wine)
1 clove garlic, peeled
Small bunch fresh herbs (e.g., parsley, thyme, marjoram)
4 oz unsalted butter
1 medium cauliflower (about 1.5 lbs)

Instructions

Start by taking a whole salted goose (about 9–11 lbs), and soak it in water with a generous handful of salt for 1.5 hours to draw out excess salt.
Meanwhile, prepare 8 lamb tongues (about 1.75 lbs) and 4 veal sweetbreads (roughly 14 oz); simmer these gently until tender, then cut into bite-sized pieces.
In a large pot, heat 4 cups rich beef or chicken stock, and add the sliced tongues and sweetbreads, 2 cups fresh oysters (with liquid), and a small handful (about 8) of larks (or substitute with small quail legs or omit).
Add a ladle (about 1/2 cup) of a good brown gravy, 1/2 cup claret wine (or a dry red wine), 1 peeled clove of garlic, a small bunch of mixed fresh herbs (such as parsley, thyme, and marjoram), and 1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter.
Simmer everything together for 30 minutes.
To serve, steam or boil a cauliflower, place it on a large serving dish, set the soaked goose over the cauliflower, and pour the rich oyster and sweetbread sauce over everything.
Serve immediately, piping hot.

Estimated Calories

850 per serving

Cooking Estimates

It takes about 30 minutes to cook everything together, after prepping the goose, tongues, and sweetbreads. Prep takes longer because you need to soak the goose, simmer the meats, and prepare vegetables. Each serving has around 850 calories if served to 8 people.

As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.

We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.