Geese are tricky to cook. The dense
breast muscles can dry out quickly, so if you rush the cooking process, you’ll
get a tough bird with nobody wanting seconds. Instead, cook the bird longer and
keep the meat moist—you’ll get a meal often confused with roast beef (really!).
Geese are tricky to cook. The dense
breast muscles can dry out quickly, so if you rush the cooking process, you’ll
get a tough bird with nobody wanting seconds. Instead, cook the bird longer and
keep the meat moist—you’ll get a meal often confused with roast beef (really!).
When prepping the bird, don’t remove
the large fat deposits in the cavity. Fat maintains moisture and adds flavour.
Wild rice is a perfect match for goose; it also maintains moisture and can be
seasoned like regular stuffing.
Barley used for malting beer gives this
recipe a distinct flavour, and the same grains used to fatten a goose produces
a uniquely Canadian essence to your bird. Birds harvested in late October and
early November are prime, with few pinfeathers and large fat deposits.
Author:
Brad Fenson
Ingredients
1 large Canada goose, plucked and drawn
(entrails removed)
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup wild rice
¼ cup butter
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
6 sprigs fresh thyme leaves, discard
stems
2 sprigs fresh sage (about 6 leaves)
Directions
Cook the wild rice according to package
directions, using the chicken broth for your liquid. Add water as needed during
cooking.
In a large frying pan over medium heat,
melt the butter and cook the onion, celery, and mushrooms. Add the cooked wild
rice and thyme, stirring together.
Wash and rinse the goose, patting dry
with paper towel. Place sage in the bird. Stuff the cavity with the wild rice
mixture. You may need to pack it with the back of a spoon.
Place the goose in a large roasting
pan, and cover tightly with foil. Place the lid on the roasting pan, and place
it in the preheated oven. Cook for three hours, remove lid and foil, and brown
the breast skin under the broiler for 5 to 10 minutes (watch carefully, so it
doesn’t burn).
Remove the goose from the oven and let
it restfor 20 minutes. Remove the stuffing from the bird’s cavity into a bowl.
Slice the goose, and serve with a
drizzle of pan drippings.
