Tips on roasting goose?

[Toadflax]

Having never cooked or eaten goose before, and being put off by the £60-£70 price tag whenever we looked at Christmas time, I spotted half a dozen wild geese in the Oxford market a couple of weeks ago at £12.50 each (for a 6lb dressed weight), and one of them is now sitting in my freezer.

I had been told by one of the illustrious members on this forum that the way to roast a goose is to put a brick in the cavity, cook it, then throw away the goose and eat the brick, as that is the best part. I hope this isn't going to be the case.

So...does anyone have any tips on roasting wild goose, as we're going to have it this weekend?

Thanks in advance.



Geoff

 

[FGYT]

should work for wild as well but Jaime alwasy seems to roast things nicely

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iD2OW1S_R3U


ATB

Duncan

 

[Adze]

If it's as fatty as 'cultivated' goose (I've never seen geese be anything but wild, or at least pretty tee'd off about something) then roasting it on a rack would be wise.

Plenty of citrus and bread in your stuffing too - go easy on the forcemeat, it won't be required - I'm far from a chef though, or even a cook come to that, so you might get conflicting advice.

Cheers,

 

[Bushwhacker]

You can get away with hanging it for a day or two to soften it up a bit.

 

[Toddy]

I think this is really one of those, " How do you like your meat ?" questions.
My husband likes his cooked. Not pink, not squeaky, not tough or chewy, but cooked.
Basically cook it anyway you like, don't let it dry out and don't consider it cooked until you can slide a skewer into it and the juices that come out are clear.

The last one I cooked for HWMNLT was set on an assortment of large chopped vegetables, potato, turnip, celeriac, parsnip and carrots, with a little water in the bottom of the roasting pan. The lid was put on and it was roasted for about 40 mins at just under 200oC. I opened it up, gave the veggies a good stir around and seasoned the goose with orange juice with some very finely shredded ginger (the peeled stuff that comes in jars of syrup, I just grated a chunk with the fine cheese grater) a good twist of the mixed sea salt, chilli and garlic grinder) and put it all back into the oven for another half hour or so.
The meat was just as he liked it, tasty and not greasy (wild goose isn't near so much as domestic ones can be) the veggies were slightly caramelized and he was a happy diner.
He doesn't like sauces or gravies though, so I wasn't bothered about making one, but the jus at the bottom of the ashet would have made a rich tasty gravy or the start of an excellent stew with leftovers.

I shredded up the left over duck a couple of days later and he had it with a stir fry and rice.

You do realise you're going to get swamped with recipes for duck
Everyone has at least one or two

atb,
M

 

[Oblio13]

If it's truly a wild goose, it's probably very lean and the meat will be dry and tough. They aren't fat like domestic geese at all. We usually make them into jerky. If we roast them, they need to be basted with butter or covered with strips of bacon.

 

[Broch]

I cooked one this Christmas - a 5Kg goose only just fed 6!

However, it was delicious stuffed with apple and black pudding (from the Celtic Cuisine Book).

Cheers,

Broch

 

[torc]

I thought this German guys technique was nice, cheesy sound track notwithstanding.
Part 1.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SnsteRKR14&feature=related
Part 2.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kG6NRd5vh_I&feature=related
Happy trails...torc.

 

[Jaysurfer]

I think this is really one of those, " How do you like your meat ?" questions.
My husband likes his cooked. Not pink, not squeaky, not tough or chewy, but cooked.
Basically cook it anyway you like, don't let it dry out and don't consider it cooked until you can slide a skewer into it and the juices that come out are clear.

The last one I cooked for HWMNLT was set on an assortment of large chopped vegetables, potato, turnip, celeriac, parsnip and carrots, with a little water in the bottom of the roasting pan. The lid was put on and it was roasted for about 40 mins at just under 200oC. I opened it up, gave the veggies a good stir around and seasoned the goose with orange juice with some very finely shredded ginger (the peeled stuff that comes in jars of syrup, I just grated a chunk with the fine cheese grater) a good twist of the mixed sea salt, chilli and garlic grinder) and put it all back into the oven for another half hour or so.
The meat was just as he liked it, tasty and not greasy (wild goose isn't near so much as domestic ones can be) the veggies were slightly caramelized and he was a happy diner.
He doesn't like sauces or gravies though, so I wasn't bothered about making one, but the jus at the bottom of the ashet would have made a rich tasty gravy or the start of an excellent stew with leftovers.

I shredded up the left over duck a couple of days later and he had it with a stir fry and rice.

You do realise you're going to get swamped with recipes for duck
Everyone has at least one or two

atb,
M

Mary you have just made me very very hungry!!!

 

[bushcraftbob]

I ate a wild Canada that my dad shot last year, and it was extremely lean, and turned out quite tough and fairly dry (the actual flavour was delicious though). I think I roasted it for just under an hour if memory serves me correctly.

It also took ages to pluck, and I probably wouldnt bother doing another wild one.

 

[Toddy]

I think people get too precious about that whole bird on it's back kind of cooking/ presentation thing tbh.
If it's too much work plucking it, just skin it and then cook it so that it doesn't dry out or go stringy. Cut it into portions, stew gently, you can always lift them out at the end and fry them hot, or toast them under the grill if you want that roasted flavour to the meat, and all the flavour that's in the stew can have the bits of small meat from around the bones added to make a richer second meal too.

For folks on a diet, or trying to eat low fat, the stew/ grill method is a good way to prepare birds like duck or even chicken. A lot of the fat is in the skin on many of them. Cook it, but don't let it get shrivelled and hard and dry and most folk seem to enjoy it fine.

Toddy..........the resident veggie

 

[eraaij]

...It also took ages to pluck, and I probably wouldnt bother doing another wild one.

When plucking, just have a tub of hot water ready and dink it in occasionaly- old farmers trick. The feathers will come loose and rub roff with ease. Should work on all birds.

-Emile

 

[Adze]

Read something about this recently which just came back to 'haunt' me on reading about the tub of hot water - a short Google safari turns up this:

http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=6962-Waxing_chickens

Certainly sounds feasible - anyone ever tried it?

Cheers,

 

[mattburgess]

I've never cooked wild goose but I have cooked a goose twice now for Christmas…and it is delicious! The best part for me is the skin - I mean that in the way pork crackling is soooo good. The meat I would say is like duck or a duck/turkey/chicken combo…that's not meant to sound disgusting, it's delicious as well.

Cooking instructions vary as much as turkey cooking instructions! There’s loads online and I’d go with something off the BBC or something simple – no gimmicks. Do put on a wire/grill platform and do check the roasting tin regularly when cooking – I emptied my large roasting tin twice when cooking one this year. Rub fat into the skin before you put it in and baste hot fat over the bird as you cook. This makes the skin real crispy. Well worth plucking and keeping your skin on! Someone already mentioned it but leaft overs would be good for oriental recipes – think duck with ho sin sauce etc.

 

[Toadflax]

Well, it worked out fairly well.

Roasted wasn't as good as I'd hoped, the breast meat starting to get a bit dry and when I took the carcass apart the next day, saw that the legs weren't properly cooked through. And the skin was good, but didn't get really crispy like I've had on duck.

Next time I'd be inclined to go for a pot roast or similar to get a longer, slower, cooking.

However, the cold meat went into a goose and bacon pie, with carcass stock gravy, which was very good. I couldn't think where I'd got the idea of goose and bacon, until I went to feed the cats and the sachet of cat food was "goose and bacon"!


Geoff

 

[Adze]

until I went to feed the cats and the sachet of cat food was "goose and bacon"!

At least you know you're eating well... there's nothing so pampered as a pet cat in my experience.

Dogs have owners... cats have staff.

 

[Broch]

Read something about this recently which just came back to 'haunt' me on reading about the tub of hot water - a short Google safari turns up this:

http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=6962-Waxing_chickens

Certainly sounds feasible - anyone ever tried it?

Cheers,

This is the method we used on a turkey farm I worked on as a youngster. You have to be a bit careful not to tear the skin and make sure you get rid of all the wax before cooking!

Picking up on Toddy's point though, we often just skin and de-bone pheasant when there's lots around and simply cut off the breast meat of wood pigeon.

Cooked two wild mallard last weekend; stuffed with black pudding and chopped orange - a variation on the goose recipe; it was even better!

Cheers,

Broch

 

[Toddy]

Hadn't thought of using black pudding to stuff with

I've got six pheasant breasts in the freezer, and have been advised to slice them almost right through, stuff with haggis and wrap with bacon before roasting for not too long, in the oven.

Six of them though, HWMBLT will be scunnered of them if they're all done the same.
Ideas happily considered

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Broch]

Six of them though, HWMBLT will be scunnered of them if they're all done the same.
Ideas happily considered

cheers,
Toddy

I love pheasant breast as long as it's not hung too long (a few days for me at them most) and I think it's often ruined by roasting on the carcass.

Start with the simplest recipe - pan fried in butter, then work up to the more exotic. That way each meal gets richer! If you don't fancy just pan fried add blackurrent jam and port at the end and thicken into a sauce.

Game and sweet sauce/gravy go so well (IMHO).

Cheers,

Broch