Goose for Xmas

[Hoover.]

With Xmas looking to be slightly different this year, we have resided to having Xmas dinner at home......... given some people don't like turkey, I suggested goose and everyone has agreed, even though none of us has ever had one.

So I've now ordered a fresh free range English goose 13.2lbs to be delivered before Xmas....... now I am wondering how best to cook it to do it justice......

So I open the floor to suggestions....... from the traditional to something with a twist.

many thanks for your ideas

[PositronicRay]

Hoover. said:

With Xmas looking to be slightly different this year, we have resided to having Xmas dinner at home......... given some people don't like turkey, I suggested goose and everyone has agreed, even though none of us has ever had one.

So I've now ordered a fresh free range English goose 13.2lbs to be delivered before Xmas....... now I am wondering how best to cook it to do it justice......

So I open the floor to suggestions....... from the traditional to something with a twist.

many thanks for your ideas

How many of you? Hoping you like cold goose sandwiches.

[Bill]

I can't remember how big the one we got was (just plain roasted, natch) but there wasn't much meat on it.

[CharlesdeGaulle]

Goose is very tasty, but there is nowhere near as much meat as you get on a turkey. Do check how much a bird that size will feed, and don't expect lots of leftovers (which can often be seen as a good thing of course).

[netherfield]

Depends how hungry you are and how many you are feeding. Four adults here can just about finish a 6kg bird in one sitting

DON'T get the idea a 13lb goose will have as much meat as a 13lb Turkey does. Less then half, While cooking a lot of fat is coming out the bird so it needs to be on a wire rack , save it because it makes lovely roast spuds.

Stand goose in the sink, pour boiling water all over, it tightens the skin. Cut and place foil over legs to stop overcooking

Rub all over with vinegar and then with salt.

180 C 1 hour front down

vinegar and salt again

160 C turn on to back for 2 hour remove foil for final hour.

That's for a bird fairly well done, some of the famous chefs say cook it pink which could be anything between half an hour or an hour less.

Search Goodmans geese website for other cooking instructions, there are many recipes in many cook books and online and all can be different

https://www.goodmansgeese.co.uk/recipes

[Evoluzione]

A heck of a lot of fat on a Goose.

[pequod]

As others have asked, how many are you catering for?

Personally, I prefer Duck over Goose but if you are planning the big 'carve at the table' moment then the little duck will not be that impressive, unless you pile a half dozen (or however many you need) on a hot serving dish and simply cut them in half for serving! Orange, lemon, and Drambuie sauce to complete the presentation don't forget!

Be aware though, you will either be hailed as a culinary genius or a murderer of Mrs Puddle Duck and her duckies, dependant on your dinner guests!

Edited by pequod on Tuesday 10th November 18:49

[mikef]

A goose has less meat than you’d think for the price, but is delicious. We do goose every year. get the biggest one that will fit in your oven

Yes, there is fat, but let that cool down, keep it and enjoy the best roast vegetables all year long

Any left over goose meat, make cassoulet (look for recipes) with Tarbes white beans, smoked Toulouse sausage and some pork belly. That freezes nicely when you’re fed up of goose

[Hoover.]

Well I took it on advise that 6kg bird should feed 6 people, and have read also to allow 700g per person...... so should have enough when I've added pigs in blankets/devils on horseback and sausage meat plumb pudding stuffing .......there will be 6 of us, (maybe 7 if there is change in rules for Xmas).

Everything I've seen with regards cooking is very simple with no fancy chefy things, so perfect for Xmas as plenty of other prep to do.... fingers crossed everyone likes it ......... I do have some wild boar in the freezer which I probably will cook the day before as back up, just in case

[mickyh7]

Friends ask me to get them Geese each year (I shoot).
I always tell them the same thing.
Put the Goose in the oven with a Brick underneath.
Cook for 6 to 8 hours.
Remove from oven.
Put the Goose in the bin.
Eat the Brick!
Horrible tough things.
Wild ones are anyway, unless your lucky enough to get a very young one.

[mikef]

We get 6 Kg for three of us, but that is in order to have leftovers for cassoulet . For 6-7 people,I’d expect to get through it at one go

[mikef]

mickyh7 said:

Horrible tough things.
Wild ones are anyway,

Domestic geese are a bit different

[Hoover.]

Mikef,,,, thanks for giving portioning sizes, I think I've got it about right then...... as a kid I remember turkey being served for nearly every meal for a week, and it does get a bit dull...... maybe I can deter family from eating the goose, as I like the idea of a cassoulet

[mickyh7]

mikef said:

mickyh7 said:

Horrible tough things.
Wild ones are anyway,

Domestic geese are a bit different

It was obviously a Tounge in Cheek answer.
If you can bend their Beaks they are ok. If not they are old and tough!
Lots of wild Geese around, mainly Canada's.
They do a fair bit of damage to crops when they are in numbers.
Anything Green and young, they'll eat it.

[mikef]

I did wonder...

And while I avoid factory-farmed turkey here, when I lived in the US we loved wild turkey, sort of gamey but really nice. Plus the little blighters were everywhere north of the Golden Gate

[85Carrera]

Goose is nice for a change but, as others have said, not much meat on one compared to a turkey. If you can get a proper free range turkey (not supermarket ste) you may be surprised (as I was) that they can actually be quite tasty and not overly dry.

Oh, and I couldn’t resist adding this -

https://shop.moderntoss.com/products/cheese-wine-g...

[85Carrera]

Just seen you’re in Herts. Depending on how far this is for you I’d recommend these guys for turkeys -

https://www.salixfarmturkeys.co.uk/

Their peri peri turkey sausages are also great in Delia’s sausage and lentil casserole recipe.

[mikef]

85Carrera said:

https://shop.moderntoss.com/products/cheese-wine-g...

[hairy v]

I cooked a goose for Xmas a couple of years ago. I bought a proper Victorinox knife and followed this: Goose Ballotine

Then cooked it like this: Roast Goose and Chestnut Stuffing

Quite a lot of effort but the guests seemed to like it.

I followed it up with figgy pudding

[ST12AT]

I cooked goose and turkey one Christmas. There were 12 of us, everyone apart from my wife turned their nose up at the goose (which was a two day cook). Ungrateful sods. They’ve not been invited back!