#1017 - Goose for the Holidays

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RK1017GooseForTheHolidaysDec132011.mp3

If you recall the details of Charles Dickens' immortal story "A Christmas Carol," the featured gift was a goose, to be sent to Bob Cratchet and his family.   I don't know how the tradition of a goose for Christmas started...or ended, but we don't often try to cook this savory bird, and that's a shame.   But where do you get a goose these days?

If you go to a good butcher, the best they can usually do is get you a frozen bird, which may or may not suit.   If you want fresh you had best go on the Internet and seek out D'Artagnan (dartagnan.com) and order a goose.   Give them the date you want it delivered and it will be there.   The drawback is the cost:  up to $200.   The frozen bird is less than half the price.

Cooking goose is a lot like cooking duck:  you have to deal with the fat.   If you are going to oven roast, then you should scored the skin deeply enough to cut through the fat layer.   This will allow it to melt and drip off.   The goose is mostly dark meat, and it does cook fairly evenly.   A 10 pound bird will require about 3 1/2hours, and you should turn the bird from belly to back a couple times.

Finally, be aware that the drumsticks will be scrawny, but the breast is quite full and delicious.   The darker, fuller flavor of goose make it a natural for sauces and stuffings that feature fruits such as oranges, cherries and apples.