OK, now that I`m an `accomplished` goose hunter I need a great recipe for cooking same. My wife found a recipe and cooked the goose last night but I gotta believe that someone out there has the `perfect goose recipe`. I know it`s all dark meat and I assume it will never be all that tender. That said it was cooked whole and then sliced thin. My wife`s recipe included onions & mushrooms in clear broth. I`m thinking about slicing it thin before cooking and leaving out the carcass. I`ve heard that some cook only the breast........ but it seems like such a waste to pitch the rest. I`m assuming that a mallard can be cooked the same ?
 
Any suggestions would certainly be appreciated !
 
Cheers, JaDub

First off, If it isn't all shot-up, I prefer my goose whole and plucked, as opposed to skinned.  This preserves the fat layer and keeps the meat moist.

Then I par-boil it in a large ceramic covered roaster, with a heaping Tbs of poultry seasoning in the water, for 15-20 min, turning every 5 min or so.
This removes some of the fat, as well as any remaining blood in the cavity.

I then smear the outside with honey, stuff the inside with apple and onion quarters (oranges/onion work also) and roast @325-350, tented with foil for the first 40 minutes to an hour, until done (thigh meat at 170*).  Baste every 20 min or so.
Let it rest for 15-20 minutes under foil tent, or if you want to keep the skin crispy, set it on the back of the stove uncovered.
Slice thin and enjoy!

Sorry I can't give you hard and fast rules for time and temps, but it depends on their size, breed etc.  (cacklers/lessers)Smaller=hotter/faster, (mature honkers)larger=cooler/slower.

Quartered Canada's make a nice casserole or stew.

I'm with you on the "only the breast" perspective, JaDub. "Waste not, want not."

I am no 'cook' by any stretch of the imagination. Mostly I'd eat things raw if there were no one to cook for me. When 'left to my own devices', the 'devices' I choose are a spoon and a can opener. No need to dirty a plate that just has to be washed later. Heat optional.

That said... :)  When I cook geese and ducks, I pressure cook them first. (Actually I most heartily agree with Jamie.270 about the skin, but that can be a real PITB in some cases.) I have a relatively large pressure cooker, but not large enough for a whole large goose or medium turkey. For a larger turkey or goose, there is no alternative but to separate the breast from the rest of the bird. I don't over-do it in the pressure cooker - about 20 minutes at most at 15 lb of pressure. Then I cook it in the oven - IN ONE OF THOSE "OVEN BAGS". Those things are just short of 'magic' in my opinion. They really keep things moist. Whatever recipe one likes for thanksgiving turkey is appropriate.

The second method I use is smoking - especially for ducks. This time I pressure cook first for 20 to 30 minutes - depending on the number of ducks in the pressure cooker - to make sure the meat is fully cooked. Then I place in smoker and smoke 'til they're 'done'. Thinly sliced, this is really hard to beat.

Paul

`spoon and a can opener`  8-))     good stuff Paul !    When I was in college Ramen  and   Kraft Mac & cheese kept me alive. :D
 
   I hoped someone went the pressure cooker way, it seems a great way to tenderize and retain the moisture.   My wife has it down pretty good for venison and elk.   The meat just falls off the bone and melts in the mouth.
 
 JaDub

Quote from: JaDub;118452`spoon and a can opener`  8-))     good stuff Paul !    When I was in college Ramen  and   Kraft Mac & cheese kept me alive.=QUOTE]
How can you 2 eat that trash?
I scringe just reading about it, reminds me of my 8 year old sister and her love affair with canned tamales with a spoonful of garlic salt!
That trash should be classified as hazmat!

Well,   when you were  hungary and pretty cash poor...... it made a turd.  
 
   JaDub

Paul

Yea I remember the broke and bachelor days.
 
Your choice of 1 can soup (small) and 1 cup of rice made me two meals a day for some time.
 
Stale bread can be salvaged by toasting it and then spreading whatever is handy as an appetizer. (jam, jelly, Ragoo, butter or similar)