Forget the Turkey - Have Roast Goose this Christmas
Sunday December 14, 2008
Christmas isn't Christmas without Turkey. Really? Well the traditional British food at Christmas used to be a roast goose - think of Dickens' Christmas Carol and the Cratchits off to get their goose from the baker's oven.
The choice of goose as the traditional bird of choice took a serious decline in the 1960's where it was considered a little common and turkey more exotic. How things have changed.
Pound for pound the turkey is more economical. A 15lb turkey will serve 15 people, whereas a 15lb goose will only feed seven to 10 people. The meat on a goose is richer and darker than turkey. It has a higher fat content but most of it melts away during cooking and the fat collected makes the best roast potatoes ever.
My favorite Roast Goose and Chestnut Stuffing recipe makes the most of the flavor and texture of goose by using a boned goose and cooking in a water bath then roasting; the meat remains juicy and moist with very little shrinkage. Boning a goose is easy when you know how but is time consuming. Ask your butcher to bone it or follow the instructions from Italian food guide Kyle Phillips. If if that seems too advanced there are many other recipes for Roast Goose where removing the bones isn't needed.
Comments
I recently found a great site for all my english food My English Pantry