Of course, a goose is too big for two people, so when it was delivered on the 23rd I jumped into action with a sharp knife and a pair of poultry shears. The legs came off and were put into a bit of salt, to cure before making them into confit, to be eaten another day.
The breasts came off as well. One went into the fridge just as it was, to be browned in a frying pan before being finished in the oven on a rack over a dish of water. The other breast joined the legs being cured, although I made a slightly more flavoursome cure of mace, sugar, salt, fennel pollen and thyme. That breast was going to be hot smoked over lapsang souchong tea.
The large lumps of fat in the body cavity and most of the rest of the skin and fat went into a pan with some cold water, to render out the fat. A large piece of skin, plus whatever extra meat I could strip off, and the liver, were made into a sausage, which was also going to be smoked (this ended up tasting horrible, and it didn't make the final platter, so I won't mention it again).
Finally whatever was left of the carcass, along with the giblets, some stock veg and a bayleaf, went into a large pot with some cold water to be simmered for stock.
I decided that because it was just us sharing the celebration, the plating would look much nicer if I just made one large shared platter. Sauteed cabbage, cauliflower puree (I was going to make a celeriac mash, but I had a lot of cauliflower left from the canapes, so I combined it with an equal amount of mashed potato) topped with some of the goose scratchings rendered out of the fat. The smoked goose breast. The roast goose breast. And some of these pickled pears.
It was wonderful!
The leftover meat is going to join the confit goose legs in a very grand and rich cassoulet in a couple of days, with beans cooked in the goose stock. And the goosefat is safely tucked away in the freezer, for superior roast potatoes once we recover from all this rich food.
12 comments:
That looks a delicious platter of food. It sounds as if the goose is going to be quite economical in the end.
Amazing!! You are so brave doing all that jointing. I wouldn't have the nerve. Love your pictures from both these Christmas postings. What a feast.
Happy New Year!
Sue - it was very reasonable really. A free-range, unfrozen 4kg goose for £60. Which will have provided about 6 meals by the time we are done!
Jude - I certainly wouldn't have wanted to approach the goose without a bit of practice first. And I wouldn't recommend it to anyone with arthritic hands because some of those ligaments are very strong! Happy New Year to you!
yuuuuuum
I've never eaten goose, but, as a former English teacher, would love to someday be able to recreate what I consider a Dickensian meal. Yours looks perfect!
Kavey - it was!
Arlene - it pretty much tastes like duck, but a bit meatier. Really delicious!
Glad to see you celebrating Yule in style and having traditional goose too. My mother always has goose if she's doing the dinner and as the geese are free range and well reared I do allow my potatoes to be roasted in the goose fat.
What a romantic looking platter! And I appreciate your honesty in stating that the sausage wasn't good.
I have plans for a cassoulet soon, too, since I made duck over the weekend and have a lot of dried beans put up from the summer.
Happy Samhain to you!
Wow, it all looks amazing, and what a fabulous way to enjoy goose for two.
I bet you're looking forward to your cassoulet very much!
Wow! You made the most out of that goose--I am impressed. ;-) A lovely plate of food for dinner too.
Choclette - I've never actually understood the goose-fat potatoes thing. I like olive oil! But we shall see.
Heather - it is totally the weather for cassoulet!
C - yup! Cassoulet for lunch tomorrow.
Deb - Thank you!
This looks absolutely amazing! I love the presentation of the goose + trimmings on the platter. I need a platter.
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