Goose goose?

[lpcz]

I used to get fresh goose for Christmas dinner at Harry's, but they no longer have a provider. Anyone know where I can get one? Thanks!

[caviar_and_chitlins]

I'd try Your Dekalb Farmer's Market. It's where I go to for the "other" meats, like rabbit, etc.

[lpcz]

Good excuse for me to go back there--be fun regardless. It has been years. Thanks for the suggestion.

[abbyloving]

Seconding YDFM. I'd guess they have goose - and all their meats are fresh and cheap, in my experience.

[Breezychow]

I don't know if you have the "Whole Foods" supermarket chain down there, but you can order fresh geese from them.

Although, while we always order a fresh free-range turkey from them for our Thanksgiving meal, & it's always been fabulous (even the leftovers are super juicy!), I really didn't see any difference in their fresh goose from a regular supermarket frozen goose. Plus the frozen goose was scads cheaper. Around here, frozen geese at the supermarket are currently running between $4.99 & $5.99/lb.

[lpcz]

Thanks, Breezy--that is where I started. Harry's (a farmer's market) was purchased by Whole Foods.
I have seen a difference in the juiciness of the fresh vs frozen turkey. But the cheaper does have some appeal! :-)

[Breezychow]

I agree, but after enjoying Xmas geese since the 1970's (when we used to be able to order them fresh from local butcher shops), I've yet to find a pricey fresh bird that I'd be able to tell from a supermarket frozen. And now the heritage-breed farms have them at such a high price that I'm not even remotely interested in trying those just in order to prove my present experiences true. Maybe if I were serving a larger crowd. But since it's just my husband & me, that one supermarket bird provides us with several meals - the Xmas Roast Goose with Port Wine Gravy & sides, the leftover Xmas dinner & sides, then whatever is left goes into our traditional New Year's Day French Cassoulet, which in itself provides us with a couple of leftover meals. So that one goose goes a long way here - lol!!

[lpcz]

Heh--I think that we need to eat at your house! Cassoulet sounds much better than hog jowls and black-eyed peas and greens from the garden, much as I love them. I saw a frozen goose at the Publix in Canton for the first time. Usually I only see them in WalMart, which I try to avoid.

[Breezychow]

Hey - don't turn your nose up at those WalMart geese!! I've gotten mine from there for quite a few years running & they've always turned out excellent. I like to get the largest bird I can due to a better meat-to-bone ratio, & the WalMart birds are frequently larger (& at least a dollar cheaper per pound) than the other supermarkets. And since the brand is exactly the same as the other markets around here, they're obviously coming from the same place.

I use Julia Child's "steam-roast" method for the Xmas feast. How do you cook yours?

Oh, & Cassoulet is easy-peasy. If you have a little leftover goose, you can throw it together with very little hoopla.

[lpcz]

Easy peasy? I think of layers of flavors and many steps to cook and assemble. Enlighten me. :-)
For the goose, I season with s&p, stick cut up apple and orange in her, and roast her upside down half the time, then right side up.

[Breezychow]

Yup - layers of flavors & a few steps (although my recipe isn't as involved as most since I'm using leftover Xmas goose instead of confit). I'd love to enlighten you, but will have to dig out my recipe. Don't have it on the computer yet. :)