Goose?

[MoveOnTheCards]

For the first time ever it will be just me, DH and DS for the whole of Christmas Day () so we're thinking of ditching the turkey for something a bit more exciting, maybe goose?

As my Christmas meal prep is usually 'keep it easy, buy it prepped' I'm not quite sure where to start!

Where the Jeff do I buy a goose (no decent butchers by us even though we're in London!), are they really expensive and what the hell do I do with it to get the best out of it?

Is it overkill for 3 people, allowing for Boxing Day leftovers before we're inevitably sick of it?!

Please help or it will be turkey again!

[LadyMonicaBaddingham]

A goose for 3 is ideal, there's actually not a huge amount of meat on them. They had frozen geese in LiDL the other day, we've had those before and they're really quite good. Cold goose is wonderful though, so do try to save a few scraps

[SauvignonBlanche]

They're a lot smaller than a turkey so ideal if it's just the 3 of you.
Most supermarkets sell them. They're a very fatty bird though.

[pontificationcentral]

We did it once. Not sure I would describe it as 'exciting' tbh. But you do get yards of goose fat for months of good roasties. Won't bother again.

[Leviticus]

I love a goose, and in your position it's exactly what I'd choose. Very nice alternative imho.

[SimplyNigella]

I much prefer goose to turkey and I always go back to this recipe:
www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2428/gordons-christmas-roast-goose-

I'm not usually a huge Gordon Ramsay fan and the recipe doesn't sound Christmassy at all with the lemon, lime and Chinse five spice but it really is delicious.

[rhuhbarb4]

Ooh when I was little we had goose on Christmas day and it was divine this year I am having a lot of people round and I am doing turkey and goose. I brought my goose frozen from tesco as I have heard really good reviews on them. Butchers tend to overcharge on goose anyway.

[herecomesthsun]

Had one from here several years ago. It was very good, though I haven't got round to getting another, quite a faff draining off and collecting all the fat.

[ToffeePenny]

Where in London? Borough, Pimlico road, Notting hill market, Queen's Park and Marylebone markets all have goose farmers taking orders from next weekendish. Not cheap though - i think the last was £70-£80 for 6 people.

Also do the Delia Armagnac prunes for the non-forcemeat stuffing, goes very well together.

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

You can order a goose from Tesco - we have had them from there several times and been very pleased with them.

From a 5.5kg goose, I get a meal for 5 adults and enough leftovers for one meal. I shred the leftover meat, mix it with soy sauce, runny honey and five spice, then fry it until it is hot and sticky, and serve with rice - it's delicious.

Of course, there was the year when ds2 decided to make himself a cold roast goose sandwich on Boxing Day, so when I went to make the sticky Asian goose the next day, half the leftovers had gone. I'm afraid I somewhat lost the plot (I blame the stress of all the Christmas organising I had done) - to be frank, I went nuclear in a shameful mix of anger and snotty tears, and dh had to pour me a very large Baileys, usher me away from the kitchen, and sort out tea.

[mrsm43s]

I love goose, and have bought the frozen Lidl one a few times, which I think feeds around 5-6 people max. Would be perfect for 3, with leftovers.

[Megainstant]

I wouldn't bother again. We have fillet of beef instead of Turkey or goose etc

[Chottie]

We had goose once and I would not have it again. The amount of fat that came out during the roasting was incredible. I had to drain the fat out of the roasting dish twice during the cooking period. So it was a bit faffy.

[HeadlessHorace]

We also had goose once and wouldn't bother again. Really expensive for the amount of meat you (don't) get!

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

I keep the goose fat that I drain off the bird - it makes the best roast potatoes ever, and is delicious on toast. It is better than the goose fat that you can buy in jars, because it has that roasted flavour to it.

Horace is right, though - they are expensive (unless you can find one in Lidl - I've had a 4.5kg one from there for under a tenner). We go for goose because dh hates turkey - he thinks it is dry and tasteless. I think he is wrong - a small-ish turkey, cooked right, is delicious - and IS the taste of christmas, for me, but he was brought up hating turkey, so we had to find a compromise.

I know it sounds daft, but I want to have a festive bird on Christmas day - we had venison one year(but that is way too expensive when you are feeding 5 adults, as I am), and he has suggested a beef joint - but we have roast beef plenty of other times in the year, so it doesn't seem special enough, to me - so goose seemed like a good compromise.

[Ineedmorelemonpledge]

If the turkey is dry it needs to be brined. Never had a dry turkey since I started the brining method.

Goose is huge in Germany. I did one one year but the hazy smoke of the fat hitting the oven is just too much in an open plan house. And for someone who hates cleaning her oven...

[ElspethFlashman]

I grew up having goose for Xmas (country folk....) and I can't understand why people prefer turkey. So tasteless in comparison.

And goose fat roasties for months!

M&S always have them in their Christmas ordering catalogue too which might be even easier. Especially if it's been boned etc.

[StillSmallVoice]

We had a goose a few years ago (four of us) and it went down so well we've had it every year since. You get a turkey baster and draw off the fat as it cooks out, and as others say, you get months of lovely goose fat for roast potatoes (or frying fish fingers if you are DS). Costs a fortune, though. We order ours from Waitrose, though M&S also do them.

I agree that the Delia recipe with prunes and armangac is nice.

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

I hadn't thought of using a turkey baster to drain off the fat, StillSmallVoice - that is very clever (and clearly I am not ). I move the goose onto another dish and tip out the fat - a manoeuvre that never goes wrong!

[Stopyourhavering]

Lidl and Aldi do very good geese ( and half price of many other places)
The meat is very tasty, although it's not quite as good cold ( however not a lot of meat for leftovers ,but if there's only 3 of you you should have some!
There is a lot of fat.... but brilliant for roasties!! ( it will keep for months)

[autumnintheair]

lidl did a gooose one year it was only 17 quid of there about - duck is also lovely ayelsbury duck

without a doubt there is something special about a goose...

[BBQsAreSooooOverrated]

We had goose last year for the first time. It was lovely!

[NickyEds]

We did a goose one year and wouldn't bother again- as pp have said it was very fatty and there wasn't a huge amount of meat (but a massive carcass!)for the money. We did a beef Wellington one year which was lovely. The Hairy Bikers Christmas ham is now a firm favourite (it's boiled in orange juice, cloves and onion and glazed with a mustard, orange and marmalade glaze).

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

I do a Christmas ham too - but it's for Boxing day. I cook it on Christmas Eve, and we have it cold with coleslaw and baked potatoes - because the last thing I want to do is more cooking on Boxing day. I can just about manage making the coleslaw and baking the potatoes!

I boil mine in ginger ale, and glaze it with mustard, brown sugar and ginger preserve.

[Oldraver]

We used to have Goose every year, three of us. I got it from a farm and they would give you a bag with the goose in, one of the innards and one with a bag of the fat. I used to pop and see them in the field in the Autumn.

I used to pull off as much visible fat that hadn't already been taken off, and cook it halfway upside down then turn over.

I used to freeze the fat and use throughout the year

[Willow2016]

There is a farm near me who do geese every Xmas.
Got one years ago and dont think I would again! There was goose fat from one end of the kitchen to the other (well it felt like it, jugs of it everywhere!) trying to get it all out the damm roating pan with all the other pots on the cooker full of veg, and tiny kitchen was a nightmare. But it did taste ok and goose fat for weeks! We got a medium sized one as kids were tiny and there isnt a lot of meat on them although they look big.