ROASTED WILD GOOSE OR DUCK

Roasted Wild Goose or Duck image

This recipe is not for a grocery store goose or duck. Cooking a wild-caught goose or duck is quite different from a farm-raised store bird. My son-in-law asked me to cook the goose he got during hunting season. It is a great way to reward the hunter with a delightful dinner. My son-in-law said it was the best goose he had ever eaten and he comes from a family that eats mostly wild game from hunting and fishing trips.

Provided by Kitten

Categories Meat and Poultry Recipes Pork

Time 4h10m

Yield 10

Number Of Ingredients 16

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Ingredients

1 (12 pound) whole goose, skinned
2 sticks cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 ½ cups fresh cranberries
½ cup raisins
1 large orange with peel, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large apple - peeled, cored, and quartered
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon minced garlic, or to taste
1 bay leaf, broken into pieces
salt and ground black pepper to taste
kitchen twine
2 sheets aluminum foil
1 pound bacon

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
Rinse and pat goose dry. Place cold butter in a large bowl and add cranberries, raisins, orange, onion, apple, sage, tarragon, basil, garlic, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Mix well using your hands until you have a large ball of butter and fruit.
Stuff the ball of butter into the body cavity of the goose. Close cavity and tie drumsticks together with kitchen twine. Sew cavity shut to protect flavor and moisture, if desired.
Place 2 large layers of foil on a work surface. Make a bed of bacon slices in the center of the foil by placing 4 or 5 slices side by side. Lay goose on top, breast-side up. Cover breast and legs with remaining bacon. Bring foil up and fold, sealing in the bird, leaving small space around the bird for air circulation. Place foil-covered bird into a roasting pan.
Roast in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, 3 to 4 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the largest part of the thigh should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C).
Remove from the oven, leave the bird breast-side down, and let rest for 15 minutes. Turn the bird breast-side up and let rest for 10 minutes. Open foil pouch very carefully, as there will be a lot of steam. Remove and discard all stuffing and transfer bird to a serving platter. Slice, carve, and serve, or serve whole and carve at the table.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 871 calories, Carbohydrate 15.2 g, Cholesterol 235.2 mg, Fat 65.7 g, Fiber 2.3 g, Protein 53.5 g, SaturatedFat 26.6 g, Sodium 623.3 mg, Sugar 10 g