Archived Article By Tom Fitzmorris
Originally published December 18, 2007
If You Want A Goose, Get It Today
I've told this story before, But I like it and it's seasonal:
A few years ago, a couple at an Eat Club Reveillon dinner at the Hunt Room Grill was exchanging food from each other's plates.
"Dear, would you like a little goose?" he said.
"You try that here and I'll pinch you," she said.
What could be more traditional than a Christmas goose? But what could be harder to find in a restaurant? That's one of the reasons I like the Reveillon: inspires a few chefs to roast the delicious bird. (This year, you'll find them at the Hunt Room Grill, where it's a perennial; at the Windsor Court Grill Room as a confit; and in a gumbo at Cafe Adelaide.)
Further down, I have my goose recipe and a few other notes. Would you undertake a roasting a goose if you knew it's not especially harder than roasting a turkey?
About ten years ago, roast goose began making a return to the Christmas table. Now lots of people are at least thinking about roasting a goose for the holiday table.
Most stores I've checked this year do indeed have geese. They're frozen, and not cheap--around $25 for a 10-pound bird--but they seem to be selling.
You'd like the bird if you tried it. It's lighter in flavor, texture, and color than duck. And since it has even more fat than a duck, the flavor is richer.
Indeed, if you ever try cooking goose at home, you'll find yourself with a tremendous amount of fat left over from the process. I once saved this and made a roux with it, which I then combined with a stock I made from the goose carcass to make a singularly great gumbo.
This is important: To prepare a goose properly, you need to buy it in the next few days. Because it will take a couple of days to thaw. And then you have to let it age for a few days in the refrigerator.
If all that sounds complicated, hang on. More surprises are the in the recipe below. But despite all that, I think the effort is worth it. And nothing could be more appropriate for the holiday.
© 2007 Tom Fitzmorris. All rights reserved. news@nomenu.com