Wild Goose Recipes

ROAST GOOSE

Steps:

• If goose is frozen, place it in the refrigerator overnight to thaw. Remove goose from the refrigerator, and let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Rinse goose inside and out with cold running water, and pat it dry with paper towels. Trim as much of the excess fat as possible from the opening of the cavity. Remove the first and second joints of the wings, and set them aside for use in making the stock.
• With the point of a sharp knife, prick the entire surface of the goose skin, being careful not to cut into the flesh. Fold the neck flap under the body of the goose, and pin the flap down with a wooden toothpick. Generously sprinkle the cavity with salt and pepper, and insert 2 carrot halves, 2 celery-stalk halves, garlic, thyme, and sage. Using a piece of kitchen twine, tie the legs together. Generously sprinkle the outside of the goose with salt and pepper, and place it, breast-side up on a wire rack set in a large roasting pan.
• Roast goose in the oven until it turns a golden brown, about 1 hour. With a baster, remove as much fat as possible from the roasting pan every 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325 degrees, and roast until the goose is very well browned all over and an instant-read thermometer inserted into a breast, not touching a bone, registers 180 degrees, about 1 hour after reducing the temperature.
• Meanwhile, prepare goose stock, which will be used when making the gravy and the dressing. Trim and discard any excess fat from the wing tips, neck, and giblets, and place them in a small stockpot. Add 4 carrot halves, 4 celery-stalk halves, both onion halves, parsley, bay leaf, peppercorns, and enough water to cover the bones and vegetables by 1 inch (about 2 1/2 quarts water). Place the stockpot over high heat, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, and simmer stock, skimming the scum as it forms, for 2 hours. Strain stock through a cheesecloth-lined strainer. Remove and discard the fat floating on the surface of the stock, and set the stockpot aside.
• Remove goose from the oven, and transfer it to a cutting board that has a well. Let the goose stand 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare the gravy. Pour off all the fat from the roasting pan, and place the pan over high heat. Pour in wine, and cook, stirring up any brown bits with a wooden spoon until the cooking liquid is reduced by three-quarters. Add 2 cups goose stock, and cook, stirring until the liquid is again reduced by three-quarters. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in butter, and cook until slightly thickened. Pass the gravy through a cheesecloth-lined strainer into a gravy boat, and serve with the goose.

ROAST GOOSE

Steps:

• Place the honey, vinegar, and water in a pot large enough to hold the goose, submerged. Bring the liquid to the boil and add the raw goose to the pot. Return to the boil, reduce the heat and cook the goose at a strong simmer for 20 minutes to render some of the grease as well as begin to tenderize the normally chewy bird. Remove the goose from the liquid and allow to cool at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes, or until cool enough to handle.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prick the goose skin all around the carcass. Season the cavity with half of the salt and pepper, add the herbs, onion and garlic. Truss the legs and season the outside of the goose with the remaining salt and pepper and the olive oil.
• Preheat a heavy roasting pan for 10 minutes. Place the goose, breast side down, on a rack in the roasting pan and roast in the oven, skimming the fat and reserving it for another use, for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Turn the goose breast side up and roast, basting it with pan juices and skimming the fat, for 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours more, or until the juices run clear when the fleshy part of the thigh is pricked with a fork and a meat thermometer inserted in the fleshy part of the thigh registers 165 degrees.
• Transfer the goose to a platter, remove the trussing string, and keep the goose warm, covered loosely with foil. Skim off all but 1/4 cup of fat from the pan juices, add the flour, and cook the roux over moderately low heat, stirring, until it has browned slightly. Add the stock in a stream, whisking, and simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and strain the gravy into a heated sauceboat.

WILD GOOSE

Steps:

• Soak plucked and cleaned goose overnight in well salted water.
• Rinse and dry, then stuff with 2 onions and 2 apples, both quartered.
• Place breast side up in open roaster pan and cover with 2 strips thick bacon.
• Brown in 475 degree oven until bacon is crisp.
• Take all fat from pan and discard.
• Remove bacon.
• Add to the pan 1 onion, quartered, 1 carrot, quartered, 1 cut up stalk of celery, 1 bay leaf, 2 or 3 sprigs of parsley, 1/2 teaspoon thyme, 2 cans consomme with 2 cans water, and 1 cup of dry red wine.
• Cover the pan and roast at 375 degrees for 2 to 2-1/2 hours, basting often.
• Goose should be done so that meat will readily pull off carcass.
• Remove goose from roaster and place on warm platter.
• Remove and discard stuffing.
• Strain the gravy and thicken with 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water.
• Correct seasoning if necessary.
• Serve with wild rice.

ROASTED WILD GOOSE OR DUCK

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Rinse and pat goose dry. Place cold butter in a large bowl and add cranberries, raisins, orange, onion, apple, sage, tarragon, basil, garlic, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Mix well using your hands until you have a large ball of butter and fruit.
• Stuff the ball of butter into the body cavity of the goose. Close cavity and tie drumsticks together with kitchen twine. Sew cavity shut to protect flavor and moisture, if desired.
• Place 2 large layers of foil on a work surface. Make a bed of bacon slices in the center of the foil by placing 4 or 5 slices side by side. Lay goose on top, breast-side up. Cover breast and legs with remaining bacon. Bring foil up and fold, sealing in the bird, leaving small space around the bird for air circulation. Place foil-covered bird into a roasting pan.
• Roast in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, 3 to 4 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the largest part of the thigh should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C).
• Remove from the oven, leave the bird breast-side down, and let rest for 15 minutes. Turn the bird breast-side up and let rest for 10 minutes. Open foil pouch very carefully, as there will be a lot of steam. Remove and discard all stuffing and transfer bird to a serving platter. Slice, carve, and serve, or serve whole and carve at the table.

SLOW-COOKED GOOSE

Steps:

• In a large shallow dish, combine the soy sauce, oil, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder. Add goose; turn to coat. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight., Drain goose, discarding marinade. Place flour in another large shallow dish; add goose in batches and turn to coat. In a large skillet over medium heat, brown goose in butter on all sides. , Transfer to a 3-qt. slow cooker. Add the soup, water and soup mix. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or until meat is tender. Serve with potatoes, noodles or rice.