Cooking with Canada Geese

Someone asked me for a good recipe for Canada goose, so here it is. This is a recipe put together by my friend Dan Schleifer, who was one of three chefs cooking at a goose event that I put on with Slow Food Virginia last winter. This is not a simple recipe, but then of course the whole point of that event was in fact 'slow' food.

When cooking with wild goose in general, understand that this is nothing like chicken or other poultry. Canada geese are all red meat and that meat is more like lean roast beef than anything else. Keep the meat moist during cooking, and take advantage of the superb fat that lies just under the skin (not marbled within the meat). Too much heat or overcooking will dry out the goose and turn it into shoe leather. If you accidentally find you have done this, the meat can still be salvaged by smoking or slow-cooking it for a very long time.

Goose doesn't need to be all that elaborate. You can carve off the breasts into thin slices and pan-sear them quickly in some olive oil and red wine and pepper and be eating dinner in 15 minutes. You could strip the meat and fat off of the bones and run it all through a meat grinder for goose burgers. This is potentially a very flexible ingredient.

Goose Rillettes with Dried Fruit Mostarda

Goose Rillettes

4 goose hind quarters (leg & thigh)

3 oz kosher salt

8 cloves garlic, crushed

1 T juniper berries, crushed

3 T black pepper, coarsely ground

4 cups rendered goose and/or duck fat

Rub the goose quarters with a mixture of the salt, garlic, juniper and pepper, and allow to sit in the fridge for 24 hours.

Rinse the goose under cold, running water to remove all of the seasonings. Place the goose quarters in a shallow pan, and cover with the rendered fat. Place the goose, covered in foil, in a 200 degree oven for 8 hours, or until the meat is fork tender.

Allow the goose to cool, and remove from the fat. Separate all of the meat from the bones and skin, and set the meat aside. Separate the fat from the drippings using a gravy separator.

Place the goose meat in a standing mixer with the paddle attachment, and mix on low, slowly adding the reserved drippings until the meat takes on a moist, spreadable texture. Add 1/4c of the reserved fat, and salt and pepper to taste, mixing to incorporate.

If preparing in advance, spoon the rillettes in to a clean glass jar, and cover with a 1/2 inch layer of the reserved fat. Refrigerate for up to two weeks. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Dried Fruit Mostarda

1c golden raisins, coarsely chopped

1c dried figs, coarsely chopped

1c dried apricots, coarsely chopped

1T mustard seeds

1/4 sugar

1/2 cider vinegar

1/2 water

1/2t salt

Mix all ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until alll liquid has been absorbed. Add additional sugar or vinegar to taste, to balance sweet/sour. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

To serve:

Spread a tablespoon of room temperature rillette over a toasted slice of baguette, and garnish with 1/2t of cool mostarda.

[Photo used courtesy of Michelle Sanders of Glass House Winery. Left to right, that's me, Jeff Sanders of Glass House, and Dan Schleifer. Those are some of the goose rillettes on the table, along with bowls that are about to receive a smoked goose soup.]