Wild Goose, Roasted. — A good way to suspend
a large bird before the fire is described by Dillon
Wallace in his Lure of the Labrador Wild:
George built a big fire — much bigger than usual. At
the back he placed the largest green log he could find.
Just in front of the fire, and at each side, he fixed
a forked stake, and on these rested a cross-pole. From
the center of the pole he suspended a piece of stout
twine, which reached nearly to the ground, and tied the
lower end into a noose.
Then it was that the goose, nicely prepared for the
78 CAMP COOKERY.
cooking, was brought forth. Through it at the wings
George stuck a sharp wooden pin, leaving the ends to
protrude on each side. Through the legs he stuck a
similar pin in a similar fashion. This being done, he
slipped the noose at the end of the twine over the ends
of one of the pins. And lo and behold! the goose was
suspended before the fire.
It hung low — ^just high enough to permit the placing
of a dish under it to catch the gravy. Now and then
George gave it a twirl so that none of its sides might
have reason to complain at not receiving its share of
the heat. The lower end roasted first; seeing which,
George took the goose off, reversed it, and set it twirl-
ing again.
Time-tahle for Roasting Birds. — A goose or a
middling-sized turkey takes about two hours to
roast_, a large turkey three hours, a duck about
forty-five minutes, a pheasant twenty to thirty min-
utes, a woodcock or snipe fifteen to twenty min-
utes.
Wild Duch, Baked. — The bird should be dry-
picked, and the head left on. Put a little pepper
and salt inside the bird, but no other dressing.
Lay the duck on its back in the bake-pan. Put
no water in the pan. The oven must be hot, but
not hot enough to burn ; test with the hand. Baste
frequently with butter or bacon✪ Wild Duck, Baked. A canvasback
requires about thirty minutes ; other birds accord-
ing to size. When done, the duck should be
plump, and the flesh red, not blue.
This is the way to bring out the distinctive
flavor of a canvasback. Seasoning and stuffing de-
stroy all that. A canvasback should not be
washed either inside or outside, but wiped clean
with a dry cloth. Duck should be served with
currant jelly, if you have it. (See also page 55.)
Wild Duck, Stewed. — Clean well and divide
into convenient pieces (say, legs, wings, and four
parts of body). Place in pot with enough cold
GAME. 79
water to cover. Add salt, pepper, a pinch of
mixed herbs, and a dash of Worcestershire sauce.
Cut up fine some onions and potatoes (carrots, too,
if you can get them). Put a few of these in the
pot so they may dissolve and add body to the dish
(flour or corn starch may be substituted for thick-
ening). Stew slowly, skim and stir frequently.
In forty-five minutes add the rest of the carrots,
and in fifteen minutes more add the rest of the
onions and potatoes, also turnips, if you have any.
Stew until meat is done.
A plainer camp dish is to stew for an hour in
water that has previously been boiled for an hour
with pieces of salt pork. (See also page 59.)
Fish-eating Ducks. — The rank taste of these can
be neutralized, unless very strong, by baking with
an onion inside. Use plenty of pepper, inside and
out. ✪ Wild Duck, Stewed
Page 38 · 2 recipe records on this page
Presented as published in 1910. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Wild Goose, Roasted. — A good way to suspend a large bird before the fire is described by Dillon Wallace in his Lure of the Labrador Wild:
George built a big fire — much bigger than usual. At the back he placed the largest green log he could find. Just in front of the fire, and at each side, he fixed a forked stake, and on these rested a cross-pole. From the center of the pole he suspended a piece of stout twine, which reached nearly to the ground, and tied the lower end into a noose.
Then it was that the goose, nicely prepared for the
cooking, was brought forth. Through it at the wings George stuck a sharp wooden pin, leaving the ends to protrude on each side. Through the legs he stuck a similar pin in a similar fashion. This being done, he slipped the noose at the end of the twine over the ends of one of the pins. And lo and behold! the goose was suspended before the fire.
It hung low — just high enough to permit the placing of a dish under it to catch the gravy. Now and then George gave it a twirl so that none of its sides might have reason to complain at not receiving its share of the heat. The lower end roasted first; seeing which, George took the goose off, reversed it, and set it twirling again.
Time-table for Roasting Birds. — A goose or a middling-sized turkey takes about two hours to roast, a large turkey three hours, a duck about forty-five minutes, a pheasant twenty to thirty minutes, a woodcock or snipe fifteen to twenty minutes.
Wild Duck, Baked. — The bird should be dry-picked, and the head left on. Put a little pepper and salt inside the bird, but no other dressing. Lay the duck on its back in the bake-pan. Put no water in the pan. The oven must be hot, but not hot enough to burn ; test with the hand. Baste frequently with butter or bacon. A canvasback requires about thirty minutes ; other birds according to size. When done, the duck should be plump, and the flesh red, not blue.
This is the way to bring out the distinctive flavor of a canvasback. Seasoning and stuffing destroy all that. A canvasback should not be washed either inside or outside, but wiped clean with a dry cloth. Duck should be served with currant jelly, if you have it. (See also page 55.)
Wild Duck, Stewed. — Clean well and divide into convenient pieces (say, legs, wings, and four parts of body). Place in pot with enough cold
water to cover. Add salt, pepper, a pinch of mixed herbs, and a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Cut up fine some onions and potatoes (carrots, too, if you can get them). Put a few of these in the pot so they may dissolve and add body to the dish (flour or corn starch may be substituted for thickening). Stew slowly, skim and stir frequently. In forty-five minutes add the rest of the carrots, and in fifteen minutes more add the rest of the onions and potatoes, also turnips, if you have any. Stew until meat is done.
A plainer camp dish is to stew for an hour in water that has previously been boiled for an hour with pieces of salt pork. (See also page 59.)
Fish-eating Ducks. — The rank taste of these can be neutralized, unless very strong, by baking with an onion inside. Use plenty of pepper, inside and out.
Records on this page
Wild Duck, BakedWild Duck, Stewed