ISO Goose Help

[crewsk]

I was given an all natural, free range goose today & I need guidance!! I have never cooked or eaten a goose before so I'm totally clueless as to what to do with it. It's frozen & I'd like to cook it for a special treat on Christmas Eve. How far in advance should I take it out of the freezer, how long do I cook it, & what goes well with goose (seasonings, side dishes, etc.)? Any advice, tips, & instructions will be greatly appriciated!!

 

[Constance]

I've never eaten goose, even though this is goose hunting territory around here. Everyone tells me that wild goose is greasy, dark and gamey. Hopefully, you have a tame goose on your hands.
Here are several recipes from Food Network that look good:

Food Network Search

 

[crewsk]

Thanks Constance! I'll check those out as soon as I get home. I have no idea whether it's tame or wild, I haven't really had time to look at the package real good yet.

 

[BreezyCooking]

I am the "Goose Queen" (boy does that sound weird - lol). My mom & I have been roasting geese for Xmas since I was a young sprout (& I'm 50 now, so that's a lot of geese).

The very very BEST way I've found to roast goose, a method I've been using for several years now, is from Julia Child's book The Way To Cook. While it involves several steps, none of them are beyond anyone's ability & you end up with a juicy, relatively greaseless, very tasty bird.

The recipe itself looks very long, but is easy. If you don't own this cookbook (& believe me it's worth every penny if you can find a copy - even a used one), check your library.

If you still can't find the recipe, I'll wrassle it up (lots of typing - lol!!). In fact, I think I did post the recipe here last Xmas when someone else asked about it. Maybe do a search here on goose?

As far as when to start defrosting the bird - my method is unconventional & unapproved (but I do it anyway - lol!!). Two days ahead of time I take the bird out of the freezer & stick it in the oven (to avoid cat & dog interest) during the day. At night I stick it back in the fridge (it's still cold & solid as a rock at this point). I do the same the next day, & when it goes back into the fridge that 2nd night, it's still icy cold, but not rock hard. It then stays in the fridge & is perfectly thawed by roasting time.

Again - unconventional, & - I know - tons of folks will say dangerous. But what can I say, I've been doing it this way for 30 years & it works for me.

 

[BreezyCooking]

Forgot about your request for side dishes.

Goose is a rich meat, so we keep it simple. I serve it with Butter-Braised Brussel Sprouts (trying saying that one 3 times fast - lol), Czech Bread Dumplings, Sauerkraut, & Port Wine Gravy. That's it.

 

[Robo410]

lots of goose experinece here.
1) dark meat only
2) large cavity for stuffing, not much meat
3) lots of fat (like duck)

thaw as you would a turkey slowly over several days in the fridge. wash etc dry season salt and pepper into roaster 350* or so.

THe fat must be drained and the skin needs to be pricked to help it get out of the bird.
Baste once with vodka (astringent) 1/2 way through
goes well with fruit stuffings (apple prune etc) or sweet savory sausage stuffing with chestnuts.

THe neck and giblets make a good broth for gravy
the fat should be saved (in the fridge or freezer) for cooking.

WIld goose or duck: almost no fat, tough, needs slow braising over aromatic vegetables with red wine....serve with wild rice...watch out for shot.

 

[BreezyCooking]

Oh - I never bother to stuff a goose (don't stuff turkeys anymore either). With geese & ducks in particular, I find that no matter what you do, the stuffing ends up too fatty/greasy.

Like I said before - go with Julia Child's recipe. I defy anyone here to feel they have a better way of roasting goose that Julia Child - LOL!!!!!

 

[CharlieD]

Okay, Breezy,now that you got us all interested, why don't you dig up the recipe, I tried to search for you and for goose, but nothing comes up, well lots and lots of pages. So maybe you could do a search and see what looks familiar, please.

 

[crewsk]

Thanks Breezy & Robo! I'll have to see what I can do about finding that book, it's one I've always wanted but can never seem to get.

 

[BreezyCooking]

CharlieD - I'll do a search. I really am pretty darn sure I posted the recipe around this time last year. But if not, it's definitely worth the time it will take me to type it out.

As far as finding Julia Child's The Way To Cook, our Border's bookstore here nearly always has a copy or two, but if I were you, I'd definitely try to find a used one at Alibris, or Abes, or Amazon, for 2nd hand copies. When it comes to cookbooks, to be honest, I really don't mind used copies. If I really like the book, it's going to get stained by me anyway!!!

 

[BreezyCooking]

Okay - I did a search too & couldn't find it here so I'll ferret out the book & have to post it tomorrow or over the weekend. I don't have a light at my computer, so can't really read/copy anything.

The recipe is definitely worth it, & can be used for duck as well. After trying it once, it's now the only way I ever use to roast goose for Xmas.

 

[Barbara L]

I have always wanted to try goose but haven't had the chance to yet.

When it comes to cookbooks, to be honest, I really don't mind used copies. If I really like the book, it's going to get stained by me anyway!!!

Some of my favorite cookbooks came from used book stores. I also check the library out now and then and copy any good recipes I find.

Barbara

 

[crewsk]

When it comes to cookbooks, to be honest, I really don't mind used copies. If I really like the book, it's going to get stained by me anyway!!!

Breezy, I completely agree!!


Barbara, I go to the library so much that they know me on a first name basis. I feel like Norm from Cheers when I go in there!!

 

[viking]

A Goose Recipe

Here is the goose recipe I have used every Christmas for the last 35 years.
The sour apple and thyme combination is German as far as I know.

Stuffed Wild Goose

One wild goose

Giblets from goose
4 cups bread crumbs
2 med. onions
2 apples, diced (not the sweet ones!)
1 tsp. thyme
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tbsp sugar
1 cup sherry

Cook giblets until tender; reserve liquid. Chop giblets and add to bread crumbs,apples, and seasonings.
Add liquid from giblets to moisten stuffing.
Place goose in roasting pan and roast for about 20 minutes per pound of goose at 350 degrees F.
Baste often.

Pour off fat.
Deglaze pan with sherry.
Add some salt and pepper to correct seasonings.
This makes 6-8 servings.

We serve it with boiled potatoes and boiled veggies as brocoli and carrots.

 

[Lorelei_F]

Is this the Julia Childs' recipe you mean? Steamed Roast Goose

I'm about to try it today, so will report back my results tomorrow.

 

[BreezyCooking]

The method is similar to the one in my Julia Child book, but the ingredients are not the same.

The recipe in Julia's The Way To Cook uses Port wine for the gravy instead of Madeira, & the goose is steam-roasted/braised in 2-3 cups of red or white wine (I use burgundy), along with stock if you wish (I just use the wine). Also, unless you decide to stuff the goose, no herbs are used to season the bird except for the lemon & salt. The carrot, onion, & celery remain the same.

Regardless of the differences, you can't go wrong with this recipe. The only thing I've discovered after making goose this way for a number of years now is that I have to allow for a longer uncovered oven-browning time than Julia advises. The first time I used this method & followed her instructions implicitly, the bird wasn't brown enough for me, yet was definitely "done". So now I cut back on the times for the initial stovetop "degreasing" & the oven-braising & just roast it uncovered for a little longer.