539 KITCHEN AND COOKERY Orange jelly in cases of orange peel water very thoroughly, and rub it through a sieve ROAST GOOSE Required : A medium-sized goose. /■or the sitiffing : I'our large onions. Eight sage-leaves. Si.x ounces of breadcrumbs Two ounces of chopped beef suet or melted butter. Two eggs. Salt and pepper. Put the sage-leaves on a plate or tin in a very slow oven, and dry them ; then powder them by rub- bing through a small sieve or gravy- strainer. Peel and quarter the onions, put them on the fire in a pan of boiling water, let them boil for five minutes, then drain off the water and pour on some fresh boiling water. Let them cook until they are tender, then drain off the chop the onions finely. Now mix all together the onions, sage, suet, crumbs, and seasoning ; beat up the eggs, and add them. Have the bird very thoroughly singed, put the stuffing into the body of the bird at the tail end, folding the skin over the opening, and keeping it in place with a tiny skewer. Turn the flap of skin at the neck of the bird tidily under the body, and fasten that also in place with a skewer. Truss the bird neatly. Tie a piece of greased paper over the breast, and roast the bird either before a clear, bright fire or in a quick oven, keeping it well basted. About half an hour before the bird is cooked take off the paper, so that the breast may brown nicely. A medium-sized bird will take from one and three-quarters to two hours. Take out all skewers, put the bird on a hot dish, and hand with it some good gravy and apple sauce. THE GRAVY is made in just the same way as for turkcv. THE APPLE SAUCE Required : One pound of cooking apples. Castor sugar to taste. Boiling water. A small lump of butter, It is most important to keep this sauce a good colour, and, as a steel knife often discolours apples, if possible cut th?in with a silver one. Quarter and core the apples, then peel them, and put them at once into a basin of cold water ; this will help preserve the colour. Next lift the pieces of apple into an enamel- lined pan, add enough boihng water to just show among the pieces. Put the lid on the pan, and let the apples cook quickly, stirring them now and then with a silver fork ; on no account use an ordin- ary metal kitchen fork. Add the but- ter and sugar to taste. Stir over the fire until the sauce is quite hot and care- fully mashed. Serve it in a hot tureen. N.B. — If the sauce is at all lumpy, it may be necessary to but avoid this, if possible, for the sake of the colour. /. Uayelt Cheese straws THE CHRISTMAS TIME-TABLE Practical Hints on Serving the Christmas Dinner The menu is nothing specially elaborate, but it can be made simpler by omitting the soup or fish, the jelly — ^though it is specially given to provide a sweet that even the most delicate of the guests may not be afraid to eat — and, if desired, the savoury, although the latter course is extremely popular. Again, should familv custom demand the roast beef of Old" England, have a joint of it instead of the more economical fillet of beef. WHAT TO PREPARE BEFOREHAND There is so much to do on Christmas Day itself that every- thing possible must be prepared in advance, and the following time- table should be a help : TWO DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS DAY Order all in- gredients for the dinner, except the t melts, to be delivered. Prepare stock for soup. Make A. vuyett the custaid for it
