Let’s NOT Talk Turkey
Is this the year to try something new?
And there’s more! Here are some recipes that didn’t make it into the magazine…
Brining Your Goose
You don’t have to, but it’s much tastier.
Water (2/3 gallon)
Kosher salt (1 C. per gallon)
Cider (1/3 gallon)
Honey, ½ C. per gallon
Herbs de Provence
Brine the goose before roasting. Brining will protect the meat from drying during roasting. Before you start, you’ll need room in your fridge, a bucket to completely immerse the bird, and time—about 12–24 hours.
The ingredients are based on making a gallon of solution. Season with herbs. Then add the bird, making sure the bird is covered. Keep it under brine for 12–24 hours.
Your Own Goose Liver Paté
This can be made any time, but it’s a special treat to serve your homemade paté as an appetizer before the goose dinner.
1 goose liver, about 5 oz.
3 oz. goose fat
4 Tb. chopped shallots, scallion or onion
½ tsp. herbs de Provence
2 cloves garlic
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
3 tsp. cognac
French bread
Clean and slice the goose liver.
Melt goose fat in skillet for 4-5 min. Add chopped onion, stirring occasionally.
Then add liver, herbs, garlic, salt and pepper.
Add the cognac and blend to desired consistency (smooth or more country paté tecture).
Cool at least 1½ hours.
Serve on slices of toasted French bread.
Roast Pheasant with Apples and Wild Rice Stuffing
The typical Ring-Necked Pheasant weighs 3–3½ pounds and will feed two people.
For the pheasant:
3-31/2 lb. pheasant
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
4 slices bacon
For the stuffing:
2 Tb. butter
1 apple, sliced about ¼ inch
1/2 C. sautéed mushrooms
1/2 C. sautéed onions
1/2 C. carrots, diced or thinly sliced
2 C. cooked wild rice
Before you roast your bird, clean, salt and pepper the inside.
Sauté apples, mushrooms, onions and carrots in butter until they have color but are not too soft. Add the cooked wild rice.
Let the mixture cool a bit, then stuff the bird or bake the stuffing separately. Sew up and truss the bird to save as much moisture as possible when roasting.
You’ll need to “bard” your bird, which means wrapping it in fat, i.e. bacon. Place the bird in a roasting pan and place bacon strips—about four will do—over its breast.
Roast at 350° to 375° F. for about 60 to 70 minutes. Baste often, about every 20 minutes.
Remove bacon strips about 15 minutes before you’re done roasting.
Remove the trussing strings and scoop out the stuffing onto the plates.
Split the bird into halves by removing the backbone and cutting along the breastbone.
Serves two.
Roast Goose Stuffing
Stuffing is a must. This recipe makes about 8 cups. For more (since geese are smaller than turkeys), put it in a separate covered casserole in the same oven.
4 C. wild rice, cooked
2 C. sausage, cooked
½ C. onion, sautéed
1 C. dried apricots
½ C. pistachios
Stuff the goose with the ingredients, sew or skewer the cavity, and tie the legs together
Carving Your Goose
Let the goose rest for half an hour after removing it from the oven. Then cut the wings at the body, severing at the second joint. Do the same with legs and thigh, removing each as one piece. Separate the breast by slicing along the breastbone, carving along the ribs, so it comes off whole. Set the breasts with skin facing up and slice into 1/3 inch medallions. Arrange on a plate. Voila!