Goose/Duck Taste

[Doe See Doe]

Hi everyone,

I've never shot waterfowl before, but I'm thinking some goose would make a nice addition to my freezer ( something different from red meat )

My question, before I learn the sport and kill something needlessly, does wild goose taste good? What about duck? Is it an aquired taste?

If it's good, I would like to serve some at Christmas :smile:

Thanks

[Ian F.]

DSD,

Where about in Port Moody are you?

If I do well this weekend, I'll call you up for a taste!

I'm just off clarke, up from barnet/st.johns

Very best,

IAn

[MichelD]

Done right it is absolutely awesome!

Slow roast is the secret.

But I don't know how to it.

Mrs. is the expert.

[MB_Boy]

DoeCDoe....

I also love both, but you do have to make sure you don't overcook either of them as they are quite lean.

[NEEHAMA]

Skin them out and soak them in salt water over night. this will draw out the blood and give you a way milder taste. after that i agree with the above. slow roast. geese are better than duck's in my opinion.

[youngfellla]

I like to soak them in pineapple juice with a little vinegar and salt overnight, them slow roast with some veggies. Pretty good eating.

[MichelD]

Sorry Neehama, but I disagree with skinning them.

The roasted skin and and fat underneath is superb.

But to each his own, if you like 'em that way I won't argue with you.

[NEEHAMA]

i do like them with the skin on for sure. but i find they must be steamed prior to roasting as this will draw out a suprising amount of soil and oils out of the skin. then your roast will have a very nice crispy skin on it and the meat will be way more moist. i however have seen what comes out of the pan after steaming. and if you see this you may skin a few your self.

[Doe See Doe]

'Soil and oil out of the skin' ? ? ? :eek:
Um, maybe this is something I dont want to get into.
Ian F--thank you for your offer, after reading the soil/oil post I'm unsure.....
Neehama--what comes out of the pan after steaming ? ? ? :shock:

[boxhitch]

I have no FHK, but have been told that a resident duck/goose has a different flavor than migratory ? flavor depends on diet ? One local hunter here won't eat resident fowl but travels to bag others. ???

[Ian F.]

Pretty much all I do is waterfowl hunting, as such there's lots of it to consume. As such, I've found many different ways to enjoy watefowl from jerky to pepperoni, to stir fries to fjita's and sandwiches. I haven't plucked a bird in over 10 years, way to much work for the return.

Over the years I have learned a few things.

1. THere are lots of duck hunters, but not lots of good duck cookers!
2. Taste and preference are totally induvidual and comparing what I like to you is near impossible. I use to work with a newf who I swear would eat the ass out of a skunk.
3. Never make any wild food the center of your meal unless YOU KNOW FOR SURE you and your guests like it first! The best way to intro new foods is as an appitizer, then if it flops, no issue!
4. Rare is always better then well done, trust me! THis is how you can have duck tasting like beef!
5. Fat is flavour, but make sure you like that flavour first! Wild duck and domestic only share the name, nothing else IMHO.
6. If in doubt, my kitchen is always open

Very best,

Ian

[NEEHAMA]

Doe see DOE, a common complaint i hear about fowl is it's too greasy. the skin of ducks and geese contain a lot of oils to protect them against the cold etc.. i find when i steam the bird. it sweats out oils and some soil (dirt) that is trapped in the pours. after you steam it give it a quick rinse and roast it. (after the steaming i see dirt and oil and water from the steam in the pan.)

i have dined on many ducks with out steaming first. they taste a little better to me after steaming.

[craigchaplin]

I usually just breast out the ducks i get. Not enough meat on he suckers to spend the time pickin and pluckin. Usually get a chunk of meat about the size of my fist from each side.....easily good enough fer me and the miss fer dinner. (That would be a mallard though) And what they say about migratory and locals is somewhat true. The birds back east where i sometimes hunt with a buddy who lives there are much tastier...I think it is diet as the birds here tend to be........gamier....fer lack of a better word. Another idea is get a butcher to make a salami fer you...most need about 20 lbs minimum. But the salami is great. I tend to make duck with alot of spices so it works good fer fajitas and stir fries. Hope this helps!!!

[mrdoog]

The only Geese I've shot were around the Viking, Alberta area.
Three of us were from B.C. and newbies at goose hunts.
We shot our limit of Snow's, got some Greys and I got a huge Canada.
My cousin was the guide for the hunt; he totally wanted nothing to do with the Snows.
He claimed they were "fishy". He told us to breast them and he would grind them into pepperoni.
Bottom line to this story:
I plucked the Canada, had it for xmas dinner.
Breasted the Greys and Snows, cooked up the Snows in various ways. They weren't fishy at all. Matter of fact they were very tasty on the BBQ.
So I guess what I'm trying to say is, cook them up as you see fit.
Word of advice: if you've cooked a dosmetic goose or duck, they are very greasy, wild birds have bigger breasts, and a lot less grease.

[rbduck]

Low and slow is the trick when it comes to cooking waterfowl. no more than slightly pink. Try in a slowcooker at first if not too sure. Place the meat, some stock(broth), a few assorted veggies and some spices. Your choice. Instead of the usual 8 hours on low, try 12 or 14 hours, then thicken stock to make a gravy. Even with legs and thighs, the meat will just fall off the bones. You really can`t go wrong with this method. Good luck.

Ron:biggrin:

[Doe See Doe]

:smile:
Thanks everyone for the input. I think I just may give it a try.