LITTLE ROCK — The first time it happened was both surprising and delightful. I had just concluded a successful snow-goose hunt. Twelve geese had fallen to our guns, and our hosts started quarreling over who should take them home. They seemed startled when I offered to take the birds.
“Have you ever eaten a snow goose?” one man asked.
“If not, then let me warn you,” the other said. “Snake livers and boiled shoestrings taste better than snow geese.”
I acted ignorant and insisted on taking the geese. They seemed pleased, though a bit worried about my state of mind.
That night, I slow-cooked the breasts of two birds in a rich sour cream and mushroom gravy. They were fork-tender and as tasty as the finest ricefield mallard I’ve ever eaten. The legs, backs, wings and giblets flavored a delectable gumbo. The remaining birds were prepared in a variety of ways - roasted, grilled, braised, on the rotisserie. They were delicious.
The next time I hunted with my two friends, I let them wheedle me into taking 15 more geese.
“My neighbor’s hogs will eat them,” I said.
I figure what my hunting buddies don’t know won’t hurt them.
Many Arkansas hunters have wrapped up their goose-hunting season, with the exception light-goose conservation order, and those who were successful are fortunate to have the makings for some delectable wildgame meals. The dark, richly flavored meat of wild geese is superb when properly cared for and prepared.
After killing a goose, quickly remove the entrails and allow it to cool. If that’s not doneresidual body heat may render the meat unsavory.
Field dressing is simple. Use a sharp knife to open the body cavity just below the end of the breast bone, then pull out the innards. If you like giblet gravy or gumbo, save the heart, gizzard and/or liver, storing them in a small zip-seal plastic bag. Keep the field-dressed birds in a cool place outside, or better yet, place them on ice in a large cooler.
When the hunt is over, it’s time for plucking or skinning. When you plan to cook the birds using dry-heat methods like roasting, pluck them. Wild geese, unlike their domestic cousins, have little body fat; theskin flavors the meat and keeps it moist during cooking. Large feathers are plucked from the body, then the bluish pin feathers and down are carefully removed.
If the geese will be prepared using a moist-heat method of cooking, it’s OK to skin them. Part the feathers along the breastbone, slice the skin from neck to tail, then spread the feathered skin until meat on the breast and legs is exposed. Run a sharp knife along both sides of the breastbone to remove two thick fillets. Then remove the legs and add them to the plastic bag full of gumbo and gravy meat. Wings and back have little meat. Trim awaybloodshot flesh, remove any visible shot pellets, and the bird is ready to cook or freeze.
White-fronted geese and Canadas can be field-dressed and prepared in exactly the same manner. Recipes for all three species are interchangeable, if you take into account the different sizes of the birds and vary cooking time accordingly. When roasting, the recommended cooking time is 18 to 20 minutes per pound at 325 degrees.
One bit of advice: Don’t expect your hunting buddies to try to pawn Canada geese and whitefronts off on you. The culinary reputation of these birdsfar exceeds that of snow geese. When it’s time to divvy up a brace of Canadas, pleading ignorant won’t work to your advantage.
That being said, here are a few tried-and-true recipes you can use to turn your goose into a meal you and your family and friends are sure to enjoy.
WILD GOOSE, BISTRO STYLE Ingredients: Boneless breasts from 2 large or 4 small geese 1 cup dried breadcrumbs 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/4 cup white wine 2 tablespoons capers (lightly rinse) 1 cup Kalamata olives 5 Roma tomatoes, cut into smallwedges 1 1/2 cups heavy cream 1 tablespoon butter Directions:
Dredge the goose breasts in breadcrumbs and brown in olive oil heated in a skillet. Cook until done to taste (preferably pink in the middle), then transfer to a pan placed in a heated oven to keep the meat warm.
Deglaze the skillet by increasing the heat and adding white wine, stirring up all the caramelized bits with a wooden spoon. Then add the remaining ingredients, except the butter, and stir to mix well. Heat until cream mixture is reduced, then add the butter. Remove meat from oven, top with cream mixture and serve. Serves 2 to 4.
GRILLED MARINATED GOOSE BREASTS (from deltawaterfowl.org) Ingredients: Boneless breasts from 2 to 4 geese 3 teaspoons grated onion 4 tablespoons grated carrots2 bay leaves 1/2 teaspoon marjoram 1 teaspoon sage, crushed 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper 2 cups white wine Directions:
Marinate the goose fillets over night in a mixture of the remaining ingredients, turning occasionally Remove the breasts and pat dry. Grill over medium heat 10 minutes per side, or until done to taste. Serves 2 to 4.
STEWED WILD GOOSE (from deltawaterfowl.org) Ingredients: 2 goose-breast fillets 1/2 cup diced onion 1/2 cup sliced carrots 1 cup water 2 chicken bouillon cubes 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/2 teaspoon thyme 6 medium potatoes, quartered Directions:
Cut the breast meat into bite-sizedpieces. Place in a slow cooker with the next six ingredients and cook on high for 2 hours. Add potatoes, and cook another 1-1/2 hours. Serves 3 to 6.
GOOSE GUMBO Ingredients: 5 pounds goose parts (legs, backs, wings, giblets) 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 2 cups chopped onion 1 cup chopped bell pepper 1/2 cup chopped celery Salt, black pepper, hot sauce to taste 3 quarts hot water 1/2 cup chopped green-onion tops 1/4 cup chopped parsley Cooked riceDirections:
Parboil the goose parts in water to cover until the meat is tender and falling from the bone. Remove from water, cool and debone. Set aside.
Make a roux by combining the oil and flour in a big cast-iron pot or skillet. Cook slowly over low heat until the roux is a nice caramel brown color. You must do this slowly, stirring constantly, and not allow the roux to burn. When the roux is the desired color, add chopped onion, bell pepper and celery, and cook while stirring until the vegetables are tender. Add salt, black pepper and hot sauce, then stir in the hot water and goose meat. Cook over low heat in a covered pot for 1 hour. Stir in onion tops and parsley, heat for 10 minutes and serve over cooked rice. Serves 8 to 12.
Tri-Lakes, Pages 138 on 03/25/2012