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How to cook a holiday goose

The Hungarian Girl | December 5, 2009 | 0 Comments

Roast goose with braised red cabbage and potatoes.

Goose is traditionally served for Christmas dinner in many homes throughout Central and Eastern Europe.

Here are a few tips to help you make a great holiday meal.

Selecting

Goose is rarely sold in supermarkets. Farmers’ markets and quality butchers are usually the best places to buy them.

Goose can be wild or domestic. Young geese under eights month are usually more tender than older birds.

Choose a bird that has creamy skin with no blue or brown tinges. Bruising on the skin could mean poor care and stress on the animal.

When buying a fresh oven-ready goose allow 1 to 2 lb raw weight per person.

Check the size of your oven before you buy your goose. A goose is often much longer than a turkey and needs a bigger oven and roasting tin.Cooking

Always place your bird breast side up in the roasting tin.

Goose needs to be pricked thoroughly before cooking to release excess fat then roasted on a rack and the fat drained regularly. A quick way to ensure crisp skin is to turn the heat up at the end of roasting and sprinkle a little water over the bird. The water will evaporate and leave the skin crisp.

Goose is an incredibly fatty bird and will shrink considerably during roasting. For that reason, it is a good idea to periodically check the level of rendered fat in the roasting pan. If it is getting to high, use a basting bulb to remove some of the excess fat and juices.

To test for doneness, use a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the bird such as the breast.

Save your goose fat! It makes great seasoning for potatoes.

Always let your bird rest for about half an hour before craving.

Pairing

Goose pairs splendidly with fruits such as apples, cherries, raspberries, figs, oranges, and blueberries.

Rice and potatoes make excellent side dishes with goose.