An old goose is as nearly good for nothing as it is possible for
anything which was once valuable, and is not now absolutely spoiled,
to be. The best use to put it to is to make it into a pie, in the
following manner. Put on the ancient early in the morning, in cold
water enough to cover it, unsalted, having cut it to pieces at every
joint. Warm it up gradually, and let it stew—not boil hard—for four or
five hours. Should the water need replenishing, let it be done from
the boiling kettle. Parboil a beef’s tongue (corned), cut into slices
nearly half an inch thick; also slice six hard-boiled eggs. Line a deep
pudding-dish with a good paste; lay in the pieces of goose, the giblets
chopped, the sliced tongue and egg, in consecutive layers; season with
pepper, salt, and bits of butter, and proceed in this order until the
dish is full. If the goose be large, cut the meat from the bones after
stewing, and leave out the latter entirely. Intersperse with strips
of paste, and fill up with the gravy in which the goose was stewed,
thickened with flour. Cover with a thick paste, and when it is done,
brush over the top with beaten white of egg.
In cold weather this pie will keep a week, and is very good.