Goose

I've always wanted to cook goose.  Never found a recipe that stood out to me.  Lo' and behold I found a recipe in Jamie Oliver's Magazine - the Christmas edition.  While I've cooked duck, I've been been exceedingly curious about goose.

I learned that goose is NOT like Turkey and that it is, indeed a fatty bird.  Much like duck - tho' it was not duck either.  I also had learned that when it was cooked wrong it would taste 'livery'....Which, well in my first experience (so far)...It hasn't.

What I did in preparing for this bird, was to dry brine it in the fridge...Which was, according to the recipe was cover the duck in salt and 5 spice, both inside and outside of the bird.  Cover the bird and leave it in the fridge over night.....And this, indeed, create a nice crispy skin once the bird was cooked....I also had punctured the skin above the breast as that was where the fat would slowly melt out.

I then cooked the bird for 350 for 4 hours.  The skin was crispy, and delicious.  The meat...For the most part, fell away easily.

While underneath the pan...There was a slew of fat swirling an swishing in the bottom container...Something I had not expected.  I pulled apart the meat and put it into two loaf pans.  Covered it with fresh Sage Leaves and then covered it with the fat laden 5 spice, orange drizzled fat and pressed down.  I then covered it and put it into the fridge.

The next day, I cooked it for 300 for approximately 20 minutes.  This was the results.  The 5 spice melded into the meat and the skin was extremely crispy.  The goose, indeed had confit.

Delicious.  With the rest I turned into stock.  I put all the bones, and covered it with water.....Lo' and behold this beloved goose had created 

Not 1.

But 5 containers of stock.  

Thank you goose.  I will eat you for many a day and enjoy every minute of it.  

Jamie Oliver’s Day Ahead Goose

Serves 8

1 Goose, Approx 5.5 KG (12 lbs 2 ounces)

5 Spice Powder

Sea Salt

3 Clementines (I used 1 blood orange)

2 thumb sizes pieces of ginger

4 sprigs of Rosemary (2 tsp dried Rosemary)

Olive Oil

Sage Leaves

1.        Rub a few good pinches of 5 spice and sea salt flakes all over the goose inside and out, leave covered in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.  Gives crisp skin

2.       Preheat oven 350 degrees F.  Halve 2 Clementines put in goose.  Finely grate ginger onto a board and pick the leaves from rosemary.  Drizzle and toss with olive oil then put inside the goose.  Rub in well.  Wrap legs in tin foil to keep from burning.  Prick the fatty lump above the goose’s cavity with a sharp knife to help the fat melt out.

3.       Breast side  up, onto the bars o the middle shelf of the oven and place a wide roasting tray below the bird to catch the fat.  Roast 3 – 4 hours….Skin crisp, meat tender.  Once goose cooked, moved it to board, and cover with foil.  Leave it to rest for 1 hour.  Turn oven off but leave tray of fat.  Shred meat with fork. 

4.       Take out the tray of fat and squeeze the juice of the remaining Clementine into it.  Rub a Clementine half all over the bottom of the tray to loosen the goods.  Carefully strain the fat through a sieve into the dish of meat.  Toos the fat and goose then scatter over a few sage leaves and press them down until covered.  Cover and put in fridge till next day.

5.       Half an hour before serving, put in oven 300 degrees F for 20-25 minutes.  Drain excess fat and serve w/ crispy sage leaves.