Goose Fat Popcorn.

While picking up my fresh turkey at the farmer’s market I was also able to buy 3lbs of goose fat. The poultry farmer had told me several weeks before that goose fat made the best popcorn. Well, he was dead on right. The popcorn popped and tasted better than any other popcorn I have made or bought. No greasy, oily flavors and not aftertaste. Just plain popcorn flavor. I used a whirly popper, 2 tablespoons of rendered goose fat, and a generic popcorn I’ve been using. A great snack I had two nights this weekend, one with and one without butter. I will be trying this out on some Orville Redenbacher’s gourmet popcorn in the near future.

The goose fat was the prettiest clear yellow after rendering. I wish I would have taken a picture of the jar before the fat congealed. I also rendered about 8 ounces of turkey fat to try later.

Bruce wrote:The poultry farmer had told me several weeks before that goose fat made the best popcorn. Well, he was dead on right.

Bruce,

Goose fat and popcorn, who da thunk it?

For the occasional warm summers evening treat my dad would pile us in the car for the trek to a popcorn stand at 12th and Wisconsin. It was just a small free standing stand, the old fashioned type on wheels, with a large Milwaukee brat and beer type guy jammed in a way too small space, but boy was was that popcorn good.

Always a line patiently waiting for the white butter soaked bags of pure popcorn magic. The secret, as I later found out, was to pop the corn in palm oil and top with a mix of coconut oil and butter in proportions only a Milwaukee native, who grew (and grew) up on Solly's Butter burgers could love.

I've tried to replicate this at home with little luck. Most likely there was more to it than simply palm and coconut oil, maybe, like all good magicians, the popcorn man never revealed all his secrets.

Enjoy,
Gary

Goose fat is also available from Fox&Obel, for those who don't have a local farm source. I think it is D'Artagnan brand. Comes in about a 12 oz. jar in the deli section. 3 lbs. of it might set you back quite a bit, but you're saved the step of rendering. I used it to delicious effect last November, recreating a rabbit pie recipe from Taillevent, the 14th century chef to Charles the 6th of France. The texture of the crust was perfect, and no funky flavors interfered with the filling. At this point, I'd say it's superior to butter, though it isn't as hard when congealed in the fridge. Probably better to freeze it before getting going on a crust. Also better to check that they still carry it at F&O.

Goose fat may also be available from Paulina Meats. It's worth a call to find out. I know they sell such fat-exotica as leaf lard and duck fat. I'm sure the prices would be lower than Fox and Obel, if they stock it.

stevez wrote:Goose fat may also be available from Paulina Meats. It's worth a call to find out. I know they sell such fat-exotica as leaf lard and duck fat. I'm sure the prices would be lower than Fox and Obel, if they stock it.

They do - it's in the cooler by the eggs and milk. They offer it both with and without grieben, so make sure you check which kind you've got before leaving. (I bought the wrong kind before and ended up having to strain out the grieben. Whoops.)

Pete wrote: (I bought the wrong kind before and ended up having to strain out the grieben. Whoops.)

That's the wrong kind????

stevez wrote:That's the wrong kind????

Heh, that time it was.

The grieben wasn't conducive to a roux, so it had to go.

Josephine wrote:Goose fat is also available from Fox&Obel, for those who don't have a local farm source.

Josephine,

Fox and Obel was out of goose fat yesterday, duck, yes, but after Bruce's post, and subsequent description at 'Little' Three Happiness duck would simply not do.

Was not a wasted trip by any means, I picked up a round of one of my favorite cheeses, Cowgirl Creamery MT Tam, baguette, three types of sausage, including a nicely tangy D'Artagnan Saucissan Sec. Added a few oil cured black olives from Graziano's that I gave Jim Graziano's red pepper treatment, bottle of wine and a DVD of March of the Penguins made for a nice evening at home.

Enjoy,
Gary

G Wiv,

Sorry I got your hopes up on the goose fat! Next time, I'll call them before I post!

Josephine

Josephine wrote:Sorry I got your hopes up on the goose fat! Next time,
I'll call them before I post!

Josephine,

Not a problem whatsoever, we had a very nice dinner thanks to my stopping at F & O, they said they typically stock goose fat, but demand was high over Thanksgiving. In fact I just called and, wouldn't you know it, they were just restocking the shelves with goose fat. The goose fat is from France, Edward Artzner, and is $9.99 for 11.3.oz.

Dare I go to Fox & Obel two days in a row?

Enjoy,
Gary

Gary,

I get it. From now on I will think of you as GWiv aka "Brer Rabbit".

I'll never forget the simple pleasure of rendered goose fat & goose liver smeared over fresh rye bread when I was a kid. My mom's folks were from Slovakia & goose was the bird of choice for them for all the holidays.

I can still taste it! Yum!!

LTH,

Finally found rendered goose fat at Paulina Market (thanks Steve Z and Mike G), sauteed potatoes with caramelized onions, finished with truffle salt, really nice flavor.

Next up Bruce Cook's goose fat popcorn.

Enjoy,
Gary

Paulina Market
3501 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL
773-248-6272

Koeneman's German Deli in scenic Volo carried pure white rendered goose fat as of my last visit there in early December. I was fortunate to have picked up some excellent Swedish potato sausage there as well, but I suspect it was a seasonal item.