Minced Gander on Toast
Ingredients
Directions
The book gives no oven temperature. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps was added when the recipe was transcribed, as a starting point.
Prepare
Prepare the gander by stuffing it with onion stuffing or prunes and chestnuts.
Place the gander in a large pot with a moderate amount of water and cover it.
Cook
Simmer slowly in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 18 hours.
Add more water if needed.
Mince and serve
Once tender, mince the gander.
Serve the minced gander on toast with plenty of gravy.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Gander
- Long, slow moist cooking breaks down tough connective tissue, turning the meat tender enough to mince.
- Onion stuffing or prunes and chestnuts
- Flavours the bird from inside as it cooks slowly, adding aroma and a savoury or sweet note.
The step that matters
Keeping enough liquid during the long simmer. Over many hours the pot can run dry, and exposed meat can scorch or toughen. Slow, moist heat turns collagen into gelatin, which only works when the meat stays covered in liquid. Topping up the water keeps the cooking gentle and even.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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