Goose!

Lucky find! I got some goose eggs at the Farmers' Market the other day. =)

Oooh! Lucky you!

I've wanted to try goose, too. I've heard that the challenge in cooking it is that it keeps dripping fat far, far longer and to a far greater extent than you'd expect from cooking other birds. To me, this doesn't sound like a bad thing.

I don't think I have ever had goose. I look forward to the postprandial report!

I've been wondering why we don't eat much in the way of goose and duck anymore in America. They're still very common in Germany. I had goose at at least three different Holiday occasions this year.

Goose was largely replaced by turkey, which, I understand, started out as a Really Cool novelty, but took over. I suspect they're easier to cook. I don't know if they're easier to raise.

I do know they have a higher meat yield. I heard this year that the most common breed of domestic turkey is no longer capable of breeding on its own, and it appears to be true:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broad-breasted_White

When I cook goose, I use Julia Child's method of steaming it in a roaster pan, pricked well all over, and covered tightly with foil on the stove top, first. then when all the excess fat has dripped into the roaster filled with water, the bird goes into the oven for crisping. The water and fat mixture can continue boiling until much of the water disperses, and then gets poured into a refrigerator container to cool and harden, so you can pour off the water later. (there's usually a good bit of goose juices, too, that if separated out ( I like a good fat separator) make a fabulous sauce with a little thickening and some tart preserves....)
I also pull out the excess fat around the neck, and boil that down in a separate sauce pan. You end up with pristine white rendered goose fat, that then can keep in the freezer, and gets doled out to roast potatoes and other goodies throughout the year

You know, I've never had goose... it sounds wonderful, though!

Goose is pretty easy to cook, as long as you DO NOT!!!! succumb to the recipes that tell you to roast it at 450F or so. Doing that makes adequate goose, but ALSO ruins the fat and trashes your oven. Not a win!

I generally cook it for 3-4 hours after pricking fat deposits (first half breast down, second half breast up, re=prick the fat deposits if they look like they need it) at 325F, removing the rendered fat halfway when you flip the bird if you think of it, then- when it's done- crisp the skin at 450F over a cookie/jellyroll pan. You WILL need a rack for all this. The crisping will NOT trash your oven because most of the fat is rendered, and there will be almost nothing in the way of drippings.

I have tried blanching it and am not convinced it's worth the extra work. I do think drying it for a day or 2 in the fridge, on a rack after thawing it, helps the skin. Definitely pull out all large fat deposits and render them separately.

If you stuff it, DO NOT use anything porous or you'll have a grease bomb. The stuffing I use is all fresh and dried fruits and veg.

It is really hard and maybe impossible to overcook a goose; if the breast meat is tough and dry, that means it's undercooked (the connective tissues haven't melted; this happens more with high-roast than the method i use). Especially at the low oven temp, I err on the side of overcooking and have never been disappointed in that decision.

You should get 2.5-4 cups of fat off the thing. If there is non-crisped skin when it's done, save that and render that in addition to the fat deposits. (For rendering, I chop the fat/skin, add some water, and cook it at a low temp covered till the water evaporates then press the fat bits to drain the fat from the inside and cook till the solids are crisp but the fat is not discolored. This works for any fat, by the way.) The crisp fat bits can be added to cornbread, scrambled eggs, etc.- they're basically goose bacon.

Most goose is free-range and without additives, which is cool. Do try something nice with the liver; it's not foie gras, but it IS very nice liver.

I've cooked maybe 15-20 geese at this point using a variety of methods- please feel free to ask if you have any questions! I am eager to encourage the enjoyment of goose. :)