The other day we've been chatting with Sen, an owner of the best coffee shop in north Seattle 'Seattle Sunshine Coffee' (killer macchiatos, guys!) and the conversation gradually led to discussing favorite Thanksgiving treats. Well, with Thanksgiving being only a month away it's high time we started talking about holiday food here as well.
In our family, no one is big on roasted turkey. We’re just not fans of “white meat” overall, and turkey with its huge breast is mostly white meat. So, whenever we celebrate Thanksgiving at home, we prefer to roast some other kind of poultry: Cornish game hens, duck or, best of all, goose. When it comes to dark meat, nothing can beat goose!
If not, keep on reading.
In Seattle, we buy goose at either Central Market or Metropolitan Market. Look for it in a frozen meats section. It is considerably more expensive than a turkey – around $80-100 a birdie – but it’s worth every cent!
Before roasting, I highly recommend brining your goose overnight in a salt water solution. Besides seasoning it evenly all through, it makes a goose more succulent when roasted. Brining also works great for turkey, duck and even large chickens.
Now, to the recipe itself. You will need:
- 10 lb/4.5 kg goose (enough for 5-6 people)
- Brine: about 2.5 gallons of water, about 2-2.5 cups salt (¾-1 cup per gallon), 1-2 bay leaves, black pepper
- Filling (optional): 2-3 minced garlic cloves; fresh herbs: several sprigs of thyme, sage, rosemary. 1-2 quartered citrus, like lemons, Meyer lemons or oranges. Or a couple of cored and quartered fruits like apples or quince. Or a handful of whole tart plums.
First of all, remember the weight indicated on the label (take a picture!) – you will need it to calculate the cooking time. Slowly thaw the goose in the refrigerator. It may take up to two days, so start 3 days in advance (you will need another day for brining).
After you have removed the goose from the package, check inside the cavity. There you may find a small packet with goose giblets and neck. Set them aside them for the gravy. Also, remove any fat pads from the cavity or around the neck.
Mix the ingredients for the brine. Place the goose in a bucket and cover with brine. For even marinating, the goose should be completely submerged in the brine. Make more brine if it’s not covered to the top. Refrigerate for about 24 hours.
Remove the goose from the brine about 1-1.5 hours before cooking and wipe all over with paper towels including the cavity. Bring to room temperature. You may want to cut off the tips of the wings and reserve them for gravy. They stick out and burn easily when roasted, so no need to keep them on.
Now, just like duck, goose is a pretty lean bird, but has tons of under skin fat. To achieve crispy skin, you will need to render as much of it as possible (and use it for roasting/sautéing potatoes). For this, prick the skin all over multiple times with a point of sharp knife or a toothpick, or a needle. Make sure to prick the skin only, trying to leave the meat under it intact.
Wipe the goose all over again with paper towels and place on a rack (I use a cooling rack) under a fan for about half an hour. The circulating air will let the skin dry even further and make it crispier when cooked.
Meanwhile start preheating the oven to 440F.
Line a deep baking dish with foil (this is only to avoid washing it later, so you can as well skip this step) and insert a rack on top. V-rack would be the best choice since the goose will be fixed on all sides. You can spray/brush it with oil as an extra precaution. The rendered fat will prevent the goose from sticking anyway, but control freaks like me would always take it over the top. What can you do? Double shrug.
You may rub the goose skin all over with more salt, black pepper and add some spices (ground sage would be nice), but it’s not necessary. Smear the cavity with minced garlic and fill it with herbs and citrus/fruit, if you want. Fill it quite loosely so it will cook through without letting the goose meat to overcook.
Lately, I’ve only been using quartered lemons or oranges, though you can also take quince, apples or plums. For herbs, I pick fresh thyme and sage. Small whole sprigs will work just fine.
Place the duck on the rack breast side up and put in the oven. Cook for 10 min at 440F, then reduce to 375F and cook for 12 min per lb (or 25 min per kg) for medium doneness. If you like your goose more cooked, cook about 14 min per lb (or 30 min per kg).
While the goose is cooking, make a quick stock. Simmer goose neck, wing tips and heart in 2.5 cups water with a bay leaf, salt and whole black peppercorns for about an hour or so. Strain.
When the goose is done, remove it from the oven and let rest about 20-30 min before carving. Meanwhile, you have time to make a gravy.
Goose gravy:
- 3 Tbsp goose rendered fat
- 2 goose livers (optional, if included with a goose)
- ½ medium onion, chopped
- ½ small carrot, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Tbsp flour
- A splash of dry white vermouth
- About 1.5-2 cups goose broth made with goose neck, heart and gizzard (if included with a goose) or chicken broth
- 2-3 large sage leaves
- 3-4 small thyme sprigs (plus 1 for decoration)
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
In a pot, heat the rendered fat and add the livers. Cook until well browned, but not overcooked. Remove from the pan, sprinkle with salt and black pepper and eat right away. A cook needs a treat once in a while and these make an amazing treat! You can also chop them and add later to the gravy.
To the pot, add onions and carrots and sauté until they become softer and lightly browned. Stir in garlic and flour and cook, stirring, for another half minute. While keeping stirring, slowly add vermouth and goose broth. Add sage and thyme and cook for about 5 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper.
Remove and discard the herbs (you may leave 1-2 sage leaves), pour the gravy into a blender and puree until smooth. Stir in some fresh thyme leaves and transfer the gravy to a gravy boat.
Carve the goose and serve with the gravy. Last Thanksgiving, I served it with braised cabbage and mashed potatoes. If you don’t like mashed potatoes, you can roast some instead together with the goose. Half or quarter Yukon gold, red, black, baby Dutch potatoes or any combination thereof and toss them with salt, red chili flakes and some herbs. Add some Brussels sprouts if you want. Arrange in the baking dish under (or around) the rack and then place the goose on top. The potatoes will cook in the fat rendered from the goose.
Don’t discard the rendered fat after cooking. Strain it, pour in jars/containers and keep frozen for later use. Also, don’t throw away the carcass after carving. It will make a great goose stock which can be used for a variety of soups, including my favorite onion soup.
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