The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1875-06-07
A FAMOUS sTRAsBouRG DISH.


Here is how geese are cooked at stras-
bourg, as described by a visitor: Their
proprietor explains that they are all nine
months old, dhd have cost him, lean Us
they are, about two francs t6ity cents)
apiece; he then makes n sign to half a
dozen bara.armed girls, who speak no
French, and, amid considerable commo-
ton ard protest from the remaining
ninety.four, six geese are collRred and
marched away to q cellar half UNDER
ground, where wide and sloping stone
tables are arranged in tiers as for as the
eye can see. In the murky Light by some
twenty air.holes, ono can at first distin-
guish nothing; but by-and.bye it be-
comes apparent that hundreds Of geese
are already lying strapped on their backs
on the upper tiers, and gasping hysteric
things%pfobably words Of love and en-
couragement-to one another.
Our business being for the moment at
the lower tables, the six girls take each
her goose, lay it gently but firmly on the
stone, so that its tail Just projects over
the ledge, aud then tie downits wings,
body and legs tight with plated whip.
cord-the legs and wings being well
spread out, TO paralyze anything like
vigorous gymnastics. The birds neck
Is left free, and II seems that during the
first three days II makes n violent use OF
it; but toward the fourth day II arrives
at the CONSCIOUSNESS that by tho strug
Cling and cfoaking IL does nothing TO
amend its lot, aud from that time ii may
be trusted TO lie still for the next seven
weeks; that is, to the hour Of release
and killing.
Without pausing to see all the hundred
geese tied down, we may go at once TO
the upper tiers, where the birds that
have been lying for three, tiyeorsix weeks,
respectively, arc taking their case, and
whiting to be fed by half q dozen other
Alsatian girls laden with largo wooden
bowls. Each Of these is filled with q
thick, white paste, made Of pnrboiled
maize, chestnuts and buckWhGat, most
nourishing, and the mode Of administer
ing the dinner Is for the girl to catch the
goose by the neck, open It's bill with a
little squeeze, and then rap three or
four balls Of the paste down It's throat
with her middle finger. The goose,
having thus refreshed, resumes its slant
ing position and digests till the next
time Of feeding, which arrives about two
hours after, the meals being about six a
day.
But now we aro done with tho women;
for pensiye MANA connoisseur in the
obesity OF geese-breaks upon the scene,
climbs upon the topmost tier Of all, and
proceeds to examine the birds that may
be "ripe." He has an eye as iulicious
as that Of gardener inspecting gmelons;
and his Is the responsible task Of pro.
nouncing whnt birds would lio q nat.
ural death within twenty.four hours, II
not dispatched beforehand. II goose
dies q natural death, it is good for
nothing. 1t must DO rnstrapped aud
executed at the precise psychological
moment when nature is growing tired Of
supporting it; and the knack Of detoct-
ing that moment can only come Of long
| practice, and fetches the possessor wages
as large as those Of n diamond yaluer.
Our pensiye functionary has not been
minute on the table before he certifes
| four geese ready for the slaughter. All
four Of them have stomaehs otthe size
Of pumpkins, and from what one can
gather Of their broken remarks, it Is a
sincere relief to these when 0 couple OF
male acolytes climb up, loose their bombs,
and bear them out Of the cellar 10 pent-
house across the yard, full Of knives and
chopping.b blocks. A click with The chop
per In the neck Of each, rip with the
knife, and in less than five minutes after
their transfer, the carcasses Of the four
victims are lying in a heap, while their
liyers are being conveyed with oil respect
and care to,the trutiing.house. =.
The carcasses, shriyeled out OF all
knowledge, are sold for about eight
pence apiece to peasants, who make
soup out Of them; the livers are first
cleaned, then put TO scale, and our four
geese are declared grand birds, all Of
them, for their iyers weigh from two
md half to three pounds each.
The next step Is 10 take each liver
and lard It with truilles, in Tho proper
ton Of half pound Of truales 10 one
pound Of liver, and then TO convey 1t to
an ice.house, where it remains on a
marble slab for o week, that the truflle
perfume may thoroughly permeate 1t,
Atthe end Of n week each liver, being
removed, is cut into the size required
for the pot it Is TO fill, and introduced
into that pot between two thin myers OF
mince.meat, made Of the finest veal and
bacon fat, both truffied like the liver II
sell, and one inch depth Of tho whitish
lard is then spread over the whole, that
none Of the Bayor may escape in the
baking. The baking takes about five
hours, and absorbs all the energies Of
four Intelligent Frenchmen In white,
who relay each other TO see that the fire
never blazes too high Or sinks too low.
When the cooking Is over, nothing re-
mains but to pack the dainty either in
tin, or earth, or wood, according as II
may be required for home or foreign
consumption, and TO ship 1t to the four
points Of the compass.