Honk! What’s that noise? It’s a Goose, migrating right into your belly just in time for the holiday season. Branta canadensis have the rather unfortunate distinction of being one of the most loathed and innocuously pestilent creatures on our green earth, but they’re also one of the tastiest. Whether it’s smoked, roasted, grilled, or glazed, you should consider the many possibilities of including a seasonal goose on your holiday menu.
Hold My Beer
Who knew a brewski could be the secret ingredient to basting your seasonal foul from the inside out? The beer can phenomenon burst onto the Texas barbecue scene around 1995 quickly becoming a popular albeit unconventional method of preparing poultry ever since. With just 2 59-millimeter cans of beer and spices to season, you too can enjoy the revelations of beer can foul.
Start by preheating the grill in your outdoor kitchen area to 177° C. Brush the goose with a beer of your choosing before seasoning with a mixture of dry mustard, garlic powder, dried onion, paprika, granulated garlic, cumin, and salt and pepper.
Place your goose on an upright grilling stand with a can of beer cracked open and inserted into the bird’s cavern. For purposes of accessibility, it helps to secure your stand onto a grill safe baking sheet as you deliver it into the preheated grill. Cover your bird with foil and roast until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reads 83° C.
Once your foul finishes, remove the foil and cook for five more minutes before removing from the heat and covering again to let the juices redistribute as it rests. Serve your foul outside as an autumn occasion, keeping any seasonal mess at bay with protective chair covers and matching outdoor furniture cover sets.
Spatchcock-a-Doodle-Do
Roasting a spatchcocked goose on your grill reinvents your traditional holiday foul by utilizing a cooking method dating back to Ireland in the 1700s. “Spatchcock” is suggested to have been shorthand nomenclature for the phrase “dispatch the cock” or “kill the bird.” However, spatchcocking actually refers to the simple process of preparing poultry so it can be flattened to cook quickly and evenly over a tempered flame.
When spatchcocking, place your goose meat, breast side down on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut away and discard the goose’s backbone before flipping the bird back over to flatten. If spatchcocking on your own proves to be too difficult, you can always have your local butcher do the job for you.
It’s crucial that your goose is tenderized by being brined for 24 hours before cooking. Your marinade can be something as simple as 4 tablespoons of black peppercorns gently crushed in a mortar, 8 peeled and bruised cloves of garlic, and 1 generous cup of olive oil.
When the time comes to get grilling on your bird, you’re going to want to take the festivities outside onto your deck or patio. When the grill is hot, lift your goose from its marinade and cook until the flesh is tender with crisp skin. This process should take about 90 minutes total, on high heat. The goose is done when joint juices are running clear. Use a meat thermometer to confirm that it’s done when it reads 83° C.
As you remove the goose from the grill, let it rest under a piece of tin foil to allow the juices to evenly redistribute within. Carve carefully, sprinkling with a healthy amount of sea salt and fresh herbs before serving outdoors on your personalized dining set cover.
On a Roulade
Let your culinary aspirations run wild by remixing your seasonal foul with a roulade. “Roulade” is derivative of the French word “rouler”, which means “to roll.” A simple roasted goose roulade features a number of quintessential autumn flavors, all rolled into the juicy meat of a butterflied goose breast. For this recipe you’ll need:
- 255 grams cup dried figs and ¾ cup dried cranberries
- 119 milliliters of pear liqueur
- ½ stick of unsalted butter
- 2 onions, diced
- 3 celery stalks
- 341 grams sweet and spicy pork sausage
- 21.25 grams of fresh rosemary leaves
- 42.5 grams toasted pine nuts
- 1020 grams prepackaged stuffing mix
- 1 carton of chicken stock
- 1 large egg
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3175 gram goose breast, deboned, butterflied, and halved
Start by removing the stems from your figs, giving them a rough chop before putting them in a medium saucepan along with the dried cranberries. Add the pear liqueur, along with 119 milliliters of water over medium heat, and bring to a boil before lowering the heat and letting simmer for 2 minutes.
Melt half a stick of butter in a large sauté pan over medium to high heat. Add finely chopped onion and celery and sauté for about 5 minutes or until soft. Crumble the sausage into small bits as you add it to the pan, stirring frequently for around 10 minutes or until brown. Add the figs and cranberries mixed with chopped rosemary and pine nuts, cooking 3 more minutes before removing from the heat.
Next, combine your pre-packaged stuffing with the sausage mixture in a large bowl along with the chicken stock. Add 1 egg for binding along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Spread the stuffing in a thick, ½ layer across your butterflied goose breast, skin side down. Roll the bird as you would with a burrito, being sure to tuck in any excess stuffing. Tie the roast firmly with kitchen twine before placing it in the oven at 163° C for 2 hours or until done.
Put Me In, Poach
Great food makes for great traditions. Poaching your holiday foul is no exception, inviting conversation into your kitchen as you prepare the big meal. Gather an assortment of fresh onion, rosemary, sage, and thyme, and lemons. You’ll also need a large stock pot to ensure your goose has enough room to come out moist and succulent.
Place a 19-liter stock pot on your stove, filling with 7.5 liters of spring water (you can use water from the tap, spring water just adds an extra hint of freshness). This should fit a goose breast ranging anywhere from 3.6 to 4.5 kilos. Adjust accordingly for smaller (or larger) holiday birds. Poaching and boiling are not synonymous, making the prep of the water key in ensuring your goose poaches properly. Start the water on high, bringing it to a near boil before reducing the temperature to medium as you place the goose into what may now resemble a jacuzzi.
Place your goose breast into the water using a heat-safe holder for proper lifting. Submerge the bird under the water about 1” before covering with a lid and poaching for around 1 ½ hours or until the internal temperature of the poultry reaches 83° C. Check on your bird bath every so often to make sure the water stays at a poaching temperature, making adjustments to the heat source accordingly.
Fry Away with Me
It may sound dramatic but indulging in a deep-fried goose can be a life-changing experience at the turn of the holidays. While there are a few precautionary measures to take, you shouldn’t have to worry about a thing as you embrace this long-favored holiday tradition.
Marinades and dry rubs infuse your goose with bold flavor as it takes a dip into the toil and trouble of frying oil. For this process, you’re going to want to move your cooking area into a spacious outdoor area, steering clear of your outdoor furniture cover set or chair covers and following necessary safety precautions to prevent any calls to emergency services.
Start by testing for the amount of oil you’ll need by placing your goose breast into a large stockpot, filling with cold water until there is about a 2.54-cm margin above it. Remove the goose, dump the water, thoroughly dry your pot, and fill with an oil that has a high smoking temperature such as peanut or vegetable oil, heating over a portable propane burner until 204° C. Never ever deep fry any part of a frozen goose.
Be sure to pat your goose dry with paper towels before securing it in a drain basket. Using a heavy-duty hook, lower the basket into the hot oil until completely submerged. Maintain an oil temperature of 177° C as your goose fries. Line a large platter with paper towels for your foul as it comes out of the oil. Let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving and serving with all the special fixings of holiday goose.
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