Cooking Your Goose

[Salmonsmoker]

It's goose season - a good time to post a favorite goose recipe.

First, some tips for improving flavor:

1. Fieldress your goose as soon as possible after shooting it.

2. Wipe out the body cavity with a damp cloth before cooking (don't use running water).

3. Goose meat tends to dry out when roasting, so keep the skin on the bird to preserve the natural juices.

4. As with most game, goose meat is best if not over cooked.

5. Goose meat has a unique flavor that works well with sweet or pungent spices and/or fruits - a way to use this quallity is to stuff the goose with a fruit dressing and serve a sweet pungent sauce on the side.


Try the following for Apricot-Stuffed Goose:

Needed:

1 goose

Stuffing:

3 Cups cornbread stuffing mix
1/2 t sage
1/2 t rosemary
1/4 t thyme
1 Cup dired apricots (chopped)
1 T melted butter
2 eggs
1/2 Cup milk


Sauce:

1 Cup Apricot Preserves
1/4 Cup Burgundy Wine.


To prepare:

Mix stuffing ingredients well - insuring an even consistancy, then stuff loosely into bird and truss or tie the legs together.

Put bird into a roasting pan.

Mix the sauce and spread 3 to 4 T over the bird - coating all parts of the exposed skin.

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees then roast the bird about 30 minutes per pound - baisting (with the juices from the bottom of the pan) every half hour.

To test for doneness - prick the thigh joint with a fork. The jucie should be clear. When done, remove from oven, cover with metal foil and let stand for 15 minutes for the meat to firm up.

While meat is standing, heat the sauce to a liquid.

Slice meat, serve (with sauce on the side for dipping) and enjoy.

ss

[Salmonsmoker]

Bringing this current to answer e-mail request.

[fishtechJohn]

Thanks Salmonsmoker. Sounds like a nice recipe, however I had the bird thawed about 5 days ago and cooked it on Friday. Didn't have the faintest idea. I used a cooking bag, rinsed the bird (inside and out), seasoned outside with seasoned salt and dill. Preheated to 340 and cooked for 1 hour 40 min. It was pretty good. :)

[Ebowhunter]

ttt

[Hunter333]

Spent so much time trying to shoot the darn things that I never checked into how to cook them. I now have 4 breast and some legs, skinned, and in the freezer. Ws told to marinate them in Teriaky then toss on the grill...... Seems that I have a thing or 100 to learn about goose preparation.....

[Salmonsmoker]

Hunter333,

Marinated and grilled will work for the breast meat - however, you need to keep the meat well oiled (I prefer Oilve Oil) during the grilling to keep it from drying out.

Oil one side of the breast. Place it on the grill, then oil the top side. After 5 minutes (depending on how hot your grill is) turn the meat over, and reoil the top side. Continue this process until done.

As for the legs, they will be tougher and dryer. My preference is to boil the meat off the bone and use in a soup, caserole, or other dish.

Salmonsmoker.

[boltaction]

Salmonsmoker, Hi. I enjoy very much hunting ducks and geese but find the flavor of the meat somewhat less than tasty. I can't justify hunting them if I can't eat them. The way my wife cooked them was to put them in the oven, we didn't have a clue as to cooking them or preparing them to be cooked. Any sugestions would be appreciated. I read your tips for improving flavor and will give them a try. Should the bird be marinated at all before cooking? Thanks

[William H Bonney]

Hey Boltaction, check out my " Pan Fried Mallard",,sounds like we got a lot in commom! lol

[Salmonsmoker]

Boltaction,

I brought some Duck recipies forward from times past. Generally, duck meat flavor is improved when it is cook rare and in a fruit sauce. When cooked thusly, it is excellent.

[boltaction]

Thanks for the advise. I'll give it a try. I hope I will like the taste because man I sure love hunting them birds, nothing else like it.