Goose Getaway

This year we were lucky enough to have Veteran’s day fall on a Friday, which meant that many of us had a three day weekend. I had been looking forward to this weekend since August - I had originally suggested this trip to friends one evening after feeling overwhelmed with work and annoyed with the blazing, scorching heat of August, in anticipation of a long relaxing weekend with beautiful fall colors and colder temperatures. Coincidentally, I had came upon an article about “the best places to see autumn colors” and noticed one of those places was unexpectedly Arkansas, a state not entirely far from my own. I was reeled in, I wanted go and my friend Veronica very graciously organized a cabin trip in Royal, Arkansas not far from Hot Springs, Arkansas. It was picturesque and absolutely fulfilled my Autumn Getaway fantasy; a cozy cabin in the woods, fall colors and leaves abound, cold fresh air and most importantly good friends and food.

Of course no trip to a cabin would be complete without our favorite companion, Paxton. I think he had the best time of anyone, roaming around unleashed on a fenced property without the fear of getting out. It was the cutest thing watching him explore. He’s the best boy!

Now for the food. The last few years I have been eyeballing the goose that happens to appear every year during the holidays at the store. Prior to this trip I had never eaten goose, let alone cooked one. Needless to say I went into this cooking endeavor blind and unsure about how the goose would taste. I combed through a few cookbooks, namely the Art of French Cooking, but found those recipes a little tedious (iykyk) and not what I was looking for when it comes to cooking my first goose - I needed something.. gentler. I watched a few YouTube videos and came across a Gordon Ramsay video that stood out to me in both its presentation and feasibility, so I went with that. I served the goose with a deliciously sweet and velvety date sauce, and rounded off the meal with green beans sautéed in goose fat and cornbread dressing with chestnuts (yes, those chestnuts) and cranberries.

Roast Spiced Goose (serves a dinner party up to 10 people)

Ingredients:
(1) 11 pound young goose
2 lemons
1 orange
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons Chinese five spice
Honey

Instructions:
1. In a bowl, zest the skin of the lemons and the orange reserving them for later. In the same bowl add the salt and the Chinese five spice. Using a spoon, press and smoosh everything together until it becomes almost a paste of sorts. Set aside.

2. Pat the goose dry using paper towels. Score the goose beginning at the bottom of breast and across, over the back bone, to the other side, all the way until just before the opening at the end. Repeat this step on the opposite side. Be sure to score with enough pressure to just puncture the skin being careful not to expose any of the red flesh underneath. When finished, you should have a diamond designed pattern across the top of the goose. Alternatively, if you prefer something easier, simply pierce the goose skin all over the top with a fork, with enough pressure to just puncture the skin and again being careful not to expose any of the red flesh.

3. Throughly rub the goose all over with the zest and spice, being sure to get every crevice. The goose can marinate with the spices up to overnight. When ready to place in oven, quarter the lemons and orange and stuff inside the cavity of the goose.

4. Preheat oven to 465 degrees F. The goose will release a lot of fat in the cooking process and I recommend using a roasting pan with a rack. When ready, place goose in the oven and cook for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 370 degrees F and cook for 70 minutes.

5. Remove goose from oven and very carefully drain the excess fat into a heat proof dish. Reserve for later recipes. Generously drizzle the honey over the goose. Using a knife, slice between the legs and the breasts (to ensure a more even cooking of the different meats for the last few minutes).

6. Place goose back in oven and cook for another 10 - 15 minutes. For me, this turned out to be medium rare/medium.

7. Remove goose from oven, cover with foil, and cook for 15-20 minutes. Carve goose similarly to what you would carve other poultry.

Date Goose Sauce

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
alternatively: 2 1/2 cups boiling water with 2 1/2 teaspoons Better than Bullion Chicken
1 cup red wine (something you like or would drink, not sweet)
3 tablespoons port wine
3 tablespoons balsamic
1/2 pound of Dates, chopped
2 tablespoons butter

Instructions:
1. Combine chicken stock, wines, and balsamic in a saucepan. Over high heat, boil down by 2/3 which will leave you with 1 cup. Meanwhile, boil 2 cups of water and then pour boiling water over the dates and let them soak for 5 minutes, drain. Add the dates to the reduced wine. Simmer slowly for 3-5 minutes, the sauce will thicken. Off heat, add two tablespoons of butter and swirl.

Roasted Green Beans in Goose Fat

Ingredients:
3 pounds whole fresh green beans, stems trimmed
1/2 of a lemon
salt, pepper
reserved goose fat

Instructions:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Carefully add in the green beans. Gently boil the green beans for 8 - 10 minutes, enough that they are soft but still have a slight crunch. When ready, strain and run cold water over them. Set aside until ready to move on to step 2.

2. On a sheet pan, spread out the green beans. Toss with a tablespoon or two of the goose fat. Squeeze the lemon over the green beans, and season the green beans with the salt and pepper to taste. Toss a final time.

3. Cook the green beans in a 370 degree F oven for 15 minutes, just enough to heat them through and bake them slightly.

Cornbread Chestnut and Cranberry Dressing

Ingredients for Cornbread
1 cup flour
1 cup corn meal
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup melter butter
1 large egg
1 cup milk
5 sage leaves, minced

Instructions for Cornbread
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 9 in. round cake pan or cast iron skillet.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients and whisk together. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add to it the wet ingredients. Mix until the ingredients are just combined - it will still have some lumps. Pour the batter into the greased baking dish.

3. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and toothpick inserted in the middles comes out clean.

Ingredients for Dressing
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1 medium yellow onion
3 celery stalks
1 clove of garlic
1 piece of thick cut bacon, cut into lardons (small strips)
Goose, or other poultry, giblets (optional), chopped
(1) 7oz bag chestnuts, chopped (something like this)
alternatively if you have fresh chestnuts, you can roast them yourself and use those
1/4 cup fresh sage, minced
1 teaspoon dry sage
6 oz. cranberries
1 cup chicken stock
1 9-inch pan of cornbread, cubed
Salt and Pepper

Instructions for Dressing
1. Preheat oven to 370 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 in. baking dish or cast iron skillet large enough to hold all of the cornbread.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter over medium low heat. When melted, add the onion, celery and garlic and cook slowly for 5 minutes. Add the bacon and giblets and cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Lightly season with salt and pepper to taste. Finally, add the chestnuts, cranberries and sage, and cook another 3-5 minutes until warmed. Check for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed.

3. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and combine with the chicken broth, add the additional dry sage. Gently fold in the cornbread cubes until everything is coated and combined. The mixture will be slightly moist and crumbly, with both small and big chunks.

4. Put the dressing mixture into the baking dish and dot with the remaining two tablespoons of butter. Bake in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes, until the top is browned and the edges are slightly crispy.