What does goose taste like?

At the risk of evoking a deluge of "Like chicken, jackass," (um, latter word of parenthetical triad not meant as furthering of exposition regarding taste of aforesaid goose), in all my 27 years I've never had goose (yes, I know this is a comma splice) and am curious as to what it tastes like, in its roasted form, foremost.
hope all is well,
parker

Like dark meat chicken, with some turkey thrown in? That's kind of my memory of it. The last time I had it was Karl Ratsch's, last winter.

Incidentally, I spoke to John Caveny at Green City Market today. He had geese-- but couldn't find a place to process them. Maybe next year, I'll do Christmas goose.

I've never had it either, but have definitely been wanting to make one. I saw one lonely goose at Treasure Island tonight...it took all my resolve not to take it home with me. Alas, I have not time or space to keep said goose at this time. Maybe in a week or so if anyone still has any.

Cooks Illustrated has a method for the goose that is supposed to keep the skin crunchy rather than greasy.

I have asked a few people and have gotten comments that it tasted like the dark meat of turkey, that is tasted like a beef roast, and that it tasted like the dark meat of chicken....

I promise to share my perception when I get around to making it. Hopefully sooner rather than later.

I haven't made it, but it's supposed to produce a LOT of grease. So be ready to catch that, one, because you don't want a fire or a messy oven, two, because... Belgian frites. (Scroll down till you see a picture of them.)

I think that it tastes like slightly livery duck. I have never been a fan of roasted goose because I think that it usually overcooks the breasts. My primary reason to buy goose is to render the fat. A 10 pound goose can make 2 to 3 pints of good fat, plus a lot of nice cracklings. So as to not waste the meat, I usually grill the breasts to medium-rare, like duck. I cook the legs and the wings in the fat that I am rendering. I am always amazed how little meat there is on a goose. A 10 pound goose has about the same amount of meat as a 4 pound chicken. Enjoy the meat, but buy it for the fat.

-Will

HI,

I have always likened Goose to duck largely due to the fattiness.

Addressing the grease is an issue. In my other life, I was in a tiny apartment kitchen in Moscow when they were preparing a goose. The goose nearly took up the entire oven space. The goose was rendering fat at a faster pace than expected. When they went to collect the melted fat, the pan tipped into the the gas heat source. Literally 4-5 foot flames came shooting out of the oven. One lady lost her eyebrows and was crowned with singed hair around her face. If she had been wearing polyester clothing, then she might have ignited herself.

It was still a pretty good goose, though we were more focussed on our good luck nothing worse happened.

Regards,

I've only had roast goose, a-la-roast-duck-style, at Chinese restaurants, and I recall that it was less flavorful than duck - it was more "white" in the meat than duck (if that makes sense).

Just my $0.02, but I prefer the taste of roast duck, as the taste of goose seemed to be closer to turkey and chicken.

It tastes like goose and it is the most difficult thing to carve.

I agree with everyone about the grease on a domestic goose. However there is a distinct and definite difference between a domestic goose and a wild goose. As I recall, you couldn't tell you were eating the same bird.
Wild goose tastes, I think anyway, something like roast beef. I just smoked a wild one for Christmas and it smells great.

HI,

Interesting on your comments about wild and domestic goose tasting different. When my Irish Grandfather was still alive, we went through a frustrating period of trying to replicate the goose dinners of his youth. No matter what I did, it just didn't taste goosey enough to please him. Your explanation offers a clue that maybe he wasn't being stubborn, but may have actually been right. He is now rolling in his grave over that last sentence.

Regards,

Goose taste like a gamier kind of duck. It is definitely greasy. Not that there's anything wrong with that....

Anyone have recommendations where I can buy a goose? (uncooked, that is.) I saw one at Whole Foods, but I'm wondering about other options.

I bought one at Paulina Market.

Last Christmas, we brought two roasted geese to the family celebration. In the old days, my Mom cooked it about once a decade and I remember enjoying its rich and intense flavor. The best comparison that I can think of is that goose is to duck as duck is to dark-meat chicken --deeper flavor and richer because of the fat in the goose.

We got around the roasting issue (I was chicken to try roasting the goose) by asking Patrick, the Deli Maven at Treasure Island in Wilmette, to roast them for us in their in-store roaster after buying them in the Meat Department. He also saved the rendered fat and the cracklings, which made outstanding goose schmaltz and gribenes. Frying potatoes in the goose fat or schmaltz made for less of a flavor bump than I thought it would -- much like the "duck-fat fries" at Hot Doug's.

All in all, a great experience -- if you are looking for an unusual entree that tastes more ducky than duck.

turkob wrote:I bought one at Paulina Market.

How did you cook it? Were you happy with the results?

Is the yield on a goose about the same as that of a turkey?

I cut diamonds into the skin and pricked a bunch of small holes to drain the fat while it cooks, then seasoned it with salt and pepper and trussed it. Roasted it at 350 for a while, occasionally draining the fat off the pan since I read that oven flare ups are pretty common with goose.

Overall we were very happy with the results. Given how simple the prep was it came out quite moist and flavorful (also lots of tasty goose fat for other applications). My only gripe was that the skin wasn't crispy at all. I've never roasted a turkey before so I can't compare the yield. The goose fed 6 people comfortably with no leftovers, if that helps.

In a nice bit of synchronicity, I had just been contemplating goose, having had it in cassoulet, but never having had it on its own, in classic, roasted, Dickens Christmas Carol fashion.

I found a site that raises and sells lovely, free-range geese, goose eggs, and "fatty liver" (i.e., foie that has become gras without force feeding). I emailed them and asked where their products could be purchased, and while the fatty livers have to be purchase from their website, just about every store in Chicagoland either carries or can order their geese (I haven't checked it out yet, to see who might have them on hand).

Here's their web address: http://www.roastgoose.com/

The company is called Schiltz (not a typo -- the "l" follows the "i"). Here is the email I got from them today as to where we could get their geese.

You should be able to find our frozen whole geese locally, below is a list of retailers for Illinois. As for the liver, currently it is only available through our website or by calling the toll-free number listed below. To Illinois we can use UPS Ground shipping and still get products to you in 2 days, so shipping to your area is relatively inexpensive.

Affil. Foods
Butera Finer Foods
Certified Grocers
Dominick's
HyVee
Jewel
Meijer
Safeway
Traderite Food
Treasure Island Foods
Walmart Supercenter

877-872-4458 toll-free

I ordered a goose from Schiltz last year. By the time I decided on goose for Christmas, the local market was sold out. It arrived quickly.

It was maybe the 5th time I had roasted goose. I think it is very desirable to pull off as much fat as possible, and slice the skin all over. The first few I did, I didn't render out enough of the fat, and the flavor, as I recall, was not too pleasant. Last years turned out well. It was lightly smoked, and the taste was rather like turkey dark meat. The skin in some placed was slightly crisp, but a little rubbery, like a stewing chicken.

The fat really is wonderful. I had the fat from the drip pan, which was lightly smoked, and the fat that I cut off and rendered in water. When I fried the first batch of potatoes in the fat, my wife asked if I had used duck fat. When I replied "goose" she responded that it was even better than duck fat. The smoked fat was good, but became rancid after several weeks. The boiled rendered fat remained good for months in the fridge.

We are undecided about what to do this year. I'm considering doing sous-vide and seared breast. I did a sous-vide turkey leg after T-day, and it fell apart. Good meat, but not the best presentation.

Wild Canada goose is quite lean, as I learned last Fall when my childhood friend Jackson (the Locavore HunterTM) shot a few that were living at a local vineyard (they had stopped migrating and were eating too many grapes). He invited me to butcher and cook the geese for a Slow Food-sponsored wine dinner (nice blog post documenting it), hosted by the vineyard the geese had been ravaging.

As I broke down the geese, I was surprised just how little fat their was. In fact, in order to confit the legs and thighs, I had to supplement with some rendered duck fat.

Overall though, I loved the taste of the goose. In the spirit of the dinner, I planned a dishes to use the whole birds (except offal, which wasn't available). Goose consomme pozole, goose rillettes w/ mostarda, and seared breast with dried cherry pan sauce and parsnip puree. Fun stuff.

-Dan

dansch wrote:Wild Canada goose is quite lean, as I learned last Fall when my childhood friend Jackson (the Locavore HunterTM) shot a few that were living at a local vineyard (they had stopped migrating and were eating too many grapes). He invited me to butcher and cook the geese for a Slow Food-sponsored wine dinner (nice blog post documenting it), hosted by the vineyard the geese had been ravaging.

As I broke down the geese, I was surprised just how little fat their was. In fact, in order to confit the legs and thighs, I had to supplement with some rendered duck fat.

Overall though, I loved the taste of the goose. In the spirit of the dinner, I planned a dishes to use the whole birds (except offal, which wasn't available). Goose consomme pozole, goose rillettes w/ mostarda, and seared breast with dried cherry pan sauce and parsnip puree. Fun stuff.

-Dan

Good to know that they're tasty. If there's ever a food shortage, we can fall back on Canada geese. They're so cocky, at least around where I live, you wouldn't even need to shoot them -- a golf club or baseball bat would do the trick. That said, I'm wondering if Joy of Cooking shows you how to butcher a goose?

I'm wondering if Joy of Cooking shows you how to butcher a goose?

Indeed it does. Plucking, singeing, drawing, and dressing (p. 418); about goose (p. 433); recipe for roast gosling or goose (pp. 433-434);about wildfowl (pp. 435-436); and recipe for wild goose (p. 438). Those page numbers are for the 1975 edition.

However, in the US: Canada Geese are protected under the Federal Migratory Bird Act of 1918 . This Act makes it illegal to harm or injure a goose and damage or move its eggs and nest, without a Federal permit. Not complying with the Federal Act can result in fines ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 and this also applies to an untrained dog’s actions.

And in Canada:The Canada Goose is a migratory bird, protected under Canadian law by the Migratory Birds Convention Act.

Katie wrote:However, in the US: Canada Geese are protected under the Federal Migratory Bird Act of 1918 . This Act makes it illegal to harm or injure a goose and damage or move its eggs and nest, without a Federal permit. Not complying with the Federal Act can result in fines ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 and this also applies to an untrained dog’s actions.

I'm no expert on the topic (I'll email Jackson to see if he can weigh in), but my understanding is that many states have Canada Goose hunting seasons. For instance, here's NY State's webpage on goose season, and an article about Pennsylvania's season. From my layman's understanding of how the geese I cooked were shot, the rules change on private property, at least in Virginia. I'll try to dig up some data.

Katie wrote:And in Canada:The Canada Goose is a migratory bird, protected under Canadian law by the Migratory Birds Convention Act.

Not sure how things work in Canada, but I know there's regular culling of the geese, and an open discussion (see this) on what to do with the dead birds (trash them vs. feed them to the poor).

From a piece in Canada's National Post (about NY and PA)

National Post wrote:Each year, Canadian municipalities and property-owners across the country obtain hundreds of kill-permits from the wildlife service, Ms. Dickson said. Just last month, the Town of Nackawic in New Brunswick requested 150 permits to address fecal matter along the waterfront.

According to an Environment Canada handbook on managing geese, some permits allow for the birds to be shot down mid-flight, as was the case at Ontario’s Sutton Creek Golf and Country Club a few years ago when a pair of birds dropped from the sky less than 50 metres from a startled foursome.

Jackson's blog has a number of interesting posts on the topic, for anyone that's interested.

-Dan

Katie wrote:

I'm wondering if Joy of Cooking shows you how to butcher a goose?

Indeed it does. Plucking, singeing, drawing, and dressing (p. 418); about goose (p. 433); recipe for roast gosling or goose (pp. 433-434);about wildfowl (pp. 435-436); and recipe for wild goose (p. 438). Those page numbers are for the 1975 edition.

However, in the US: Canada Geese are protected under the Federal Migratory Bird Act of 1918 . This Act makes it illegal to harm or injure a goose and damage or move its eggs and nest, without a Federal permit. Not complying with the Federal Act can result in fines ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 and this also applies to an untrained dog’s actions.

And in Canada:The Canada Goose is a migratory bird, protected under Canadian law by the Migratory Birds Convention Act.

Yep -- I knew it was illegal. That's why I mentioned the food shortage -- not just culinary interest. I was thinking "emergency measures only."

Which makes me wonder if killing pigeons is illegal. As popular as pigeon is in a pretty wide range of countries, it seems as though it would just be a matter of time before Chicago's abundant pigeon population started to decline.

Cynthia wrote:

Katie wrote:However, in the US: Canada Geese are protected under the Federal Migratory Bird Act of 1918 . This Act makes it illegal to harm or injure a goose and damage or move its eggs and nest, without a Federal permit. Not complying with the Federal Act can result in fines ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 and this also applies to an untrained dog’s actions.

Yep -- I knew it was illegal.

It's not illegal, as long as you have the permits and it's in Canada Goose season.

In fact, it appears we're right in the middle of Illinois' Canada Goose Hunting Season - North Zone

-Dan

Thanks for the clarifications, dansch, on shooting Canada geese in specified seasons with a proper permit and hunting license. News to me. I was unaware that there were any legal shooting seasons for Canada geese.

Back to the food talk: on the subject of wild geese and wild turkey, The Joy of Cooking comments that they're only "tableworthy" if less than a year old, preferably 6 to 9 months.

There is not much similar about a Canada Goose and a domestic goose other than two wings and two feet. They are totally different birds.
A domestic goose from a good source an be a thing of beauty if cooked properly, either slow roasted or on a rotisserie. Best to purchase fresh from a place Like John's Live Poultry as frozen ones vary considerably in quality.
In the Mid West a species known as the 'Giant Canada' has resurrected itself and does not migrate but stays year round at your local golf course or water impoundment. Many states have gone to special seasons to reduce the numbers. In any even there is no fat and the meat is dark rich red and can be made palatable by suitable cooking techniques but if your roast like a domestic goose, it will be a hockey puck.
As to taste, it tastes like a domestic goose, it is not gamey but has a higher fat content than a chicken. Best comparison is to a domestic duck.-Dick

Does wild goose need to be hung up and bled for a few days, like other game birds?

The JoC says of wild goose and wild turkey: "Whatever the age, both types of birds should be hung, from 24 hours to a week, and cooked with moist heat."

I'm always entertained by this bit in the intro to the chapter on poultry and wildfowl: "That poultry served immediately after slaughtering is not a delicacy was brought home to me early when my father and I would go to check Grandfather's holdings ... The less said about that lunch the better."

I have a question about John's Live Poultry. I found their Facebook page but it seems they have no website. Do they have a retail shop that sells fresh poultry, or is it only an order-in-advance, prep-to-order operation?

I always just walk right in, point to a couple birds, and about 15 min later I'm waking out.

To answer questions in order:
"Does wild goose need to be hung up and bled for a few days, like other game birds?"
Game birds DO NOT have to be hung with the feathers for any amount of time. This practice stated when refrigeration was unknown and birds were left outside until ready to consume. The aging taste became acquired just like dry aged beef. With the variability of temperatures in the Fall these days, I age no wild game and its just fine.
""Whatever the age, both types of birds should be hung, from 24 hours to a week, and cooked with moist heat.""
A blast from the past! We remove the breasts and leg thigh combination from a wild goose. The breasts are roasted quickly at high heat and allowed to rest for at least 10-15 minutes resulting in a nice rare roast beef like texture. the leg thighs are then cooked with a moist heat type preparation. I don't cook them whole anymore, it just doesn't work.

"I have a question about John's Live Poultry. I found their Facebook page but it seems they have no website. Do they have a retail shop that sells fresh poultry, or is it only an order-in-advance, prep-to-order operation?"

John's is step into the past, you can walk in and if they have what you want, they will clean it for you on the spot. But if you want something specific, call ahead. Turkey orders are taken from November 1 and you get a number and a day to show up for your bird.
ALWAYS bring a cooler, gloves and ice.-Dick