flipHoney-Roasted Goose with Dates and Figs
Honey-Roasted Goose with Dates and Figs
Why this dish? The frescoes of Theban banquets and the offering lists of Deir el-Bahari show fat geese and poultry among the prestige dishes. Under Hatshepsut's prosperous reign, royal tables and the feasts of Amun overflowed with poultry, fruits, and honey.
A golden goose, glazed with honey and stuffed with dates and figs, slow-roasted until the skin crackles. The dish of great days, where the sweetness of the fruits envelops the fatty flesh of the bird.
When the river rose and the granaries were full, I gave a banquet in honor of my father Amun. See this goose: my cooks fattened it on grain, then coated it with honey from the Delta hives before laying it on the embers. Inside, melted dates and figs, sweet as the reign I gave the Two Lands. Eat it with your fingers, lick the honey, and let the fat run — a pharaoh's feast is not taken with the point of a knife.
- •Fat goose — one (centerpiece)
- •Honey — abundant (glaze and sweetness)
- •Pitted dates — two handfuls (sweet stuffing)
- •Fresh or dried figs — a handful (stuffing)
- •Onions — a few (aromatic)
- •Coriander and cumin — to taste (spices)
- •Salt — to taste (seasoning)
Honey-Roasted Goose with Dates and Figs
A golden goose, glazed with honey and stuffed with dates and figs, slow-roasted until the skin crackles. The dish of great days, where the sweetness of the fruits envelops the fatty flesh of the bird.
Why this dish? The frescoes of Theban banquets and the offering lists of Deir el-Bahari show fat geese and poultry among the prestige dishes. Under Hatshepsut's prosperous reign, royal tables and the feasts of Amun overflowed with poultry, fruits, and honey.
When the river rose and the granaries were full, I gave a banquet in honor of my father Amun. See this goose: my cooks fattened it on grain, then coated it with honey from the Delta hives before laying it on the embers. Inside, melted dates and figs, sweet as the reign I gave the Two Lands. Eat it with your fingers, lick the honey, and let the fat run — a pharaoh's feast is not taken with the point of a knife.
Ingredients (period version)
- Fat goose — one (centerpiece)
- Honey — abundant (glaze and sweetness)
- Pitted dates — two handfuls (sweet stuffing)
- Fresh or dried figs — a handful (stuffing)
- Onions — a few (aromatic)
- Coriander and cumin — to taste (spices)
- Salt — to taste (seasoning)
Ingredients
- Duck legs and breasts (simpler than a whole goose) — 1.2 kg
- Honey — 4 tbsp
- Pitted Medjool dates — 12
- Dried figs — 8
- Onion — 1 large
- Ground coriander — 1 tsp
- Ground cumin — 1 tsp
- Salt — 1 tsp
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Rub the poultry with salt, cumin, and coriander.
- Arrange in a dish on a bed of sliced onions, dates, and halved figs.
- Roast for 1 hour 15 minutes, basting regularly with the rendered juices.
- Mix the honey with 2 tablespoons of cooking juices, brush the poultry, and return to the oven for 15 to 20 minutes to caramelize.
- Let rest for 10 minutes, serve with the melting fruits and juices.
How it was made : Geese and ducks were force-fed (scenes of force-feeding attested from the Old Kingdom) to obtain fatty flesh. Cooking was done on a spit over embers or in clay ovens; honey, the only sweetener, served both as a glaze and a surface preservative.
The contemporary twist : Sprinkle with fresh pomegranate seeds at serving for a ruby sparkle and a tangy note that cuts through the honey.
Hatshepsut · Charactorium
