Goose? Turkey? Duck? Are there other options?

[NotQuiteCockney]

Ok, I have to feed 6 adults and 3 kids/toddlers/babies this Xmas. I don't really like turkey. I don't like duck that much either, but at least it would be a change. Can you get giant organic/free range ducks? Or geese? What is goose like?

Goose! Do goose. Took me 5 long years to persuade DH to try it, and now he can't believe anyone eats anything else. It has flavour - imagine! Last year we fed 8 adults and 3 small children with frankly the biggest damn bird the butcher could lay his hands on. And you don't have to think of 101 ways with the leftovers... And fret not, it's just a roast

Does it taste like duck? Or what?

I've only done goose once. Spent hours baling out fat and i had a stinking cold, so I still don't know what it tastes like....

And now a friend is pitching confit de canard - apparently you cook it two weeks ahead, leave it in its fat in the fridge, then wipe fat off and cook it under the grill 20 minutes before serving. Sounds like the complete antithesis of the normal English Xmas thing ... I am tempted ...

Goose it is. DH mentioned it to SIL and MIL tonight, and wasn't met with the shrieks of horror we were expecting.

Now I just have to

• figure out how long everyone's coming for
• meal plan for Xmas Day and however many days afterwards I have to cope with.
• shop
• panic
• cook
• etc

Why three? How many people are you feeding?

(Turkeys are really the only option in America, aren't they? But at least they're from America.)

Oh god, are you doing turkey for Thanksgiving, too?

you know if you go to a deli that serves french things you can buy a big jar of confit de canard ready waiting in its own fat..delish!
I am a big fan of pheasant or even (!) a nice chicken with a bacon chestnuts and shallot accompaniment - quite festive and a bit different