Ingredients for the Known Ground reconstruction
Ingredient amounts shown for 8 servings.
Known Ground reconstruction
- 1young gosling, 8 to 10 pounds
- 2 tbspunsalted butter
- 2 cupsunsalted poultry stock
- 12 ozwide egg noodles
- 3 tbspunsalted butter, for noodles
- 3/4 cupsour cream, Horseradish cream
- 3 tbspprepared horseradish, Horseradish cream
- 1 tbsplemon juice, Horseradish cream
- 2 tspkosher salt
Known Ground reconstruction — not personally tested
Escoffier's historical formula specifies gosling directly.
Buttered egg noodles are selected from Escoffier’s two allowed garnishes. Prepared horseradish supplies a consistent home-kitchen cream sauce.
Instructions
1. Season and brown the gosling in butter. Add stock, cover, and braise at 325°F until the thickest meat reaches 165°F (74°C).
2. Cook the noodles and toss with butter. Mix sour cream, horseradish, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt without boiling.
3. Rest the gosling. Degrease and reduce its braising liquor.
4. Arrange buttered noodles around the carved bird, moisten them with reduced liquor, and serve horseradish cream separately.
Historical formula
Escoffier braises the gosling, surrounds it with buttered noodles or rice au gras, sprinkles the garnish with reduced braising liquor, and serves horseradish sauce with cream separately.
Source note
Source-preserving summary from Auguste Escoffier, *A Guide to Modern Cookery* (1907), a public-domain English edition. Source location: No. 1725, p. 532; 1903 p. 870.
Published after editorial review
Last revised 8/21/2026. Evidence and limitations should be interpreted as described in the article.
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