HOW TO PREPARE A GOOSE
How to effortlessly joint a goose
Goose tastes simply wonderful, it is both juicy and tender and has an intense, savoury flavour – a magificent luxury for the holiday season. A fully-grown bird can easily weigh six to seven kilos, which could cause a problem if you don't own a professional catering oven, but this is no reason to do without your Christmas goose: the perfect solution is to joint it in advance!
Cooking the breast and legs separately promises double the pleasure. If possible, get an organic, free-range fattened goose from your local butcher. This meat is firmer and more aromatic than that of animals fed with rapid or intensive fattening feed. Now, all you need is a clean chopping board, a sharp filleting knife and some great recipe ideas for these delicious parts of the big bird. Ask a friend for a recipe or browse a good cookbook (perhaps online) to find one that appeals to you. Then, we come into play with our specialty: razor-sharp preparation. So, sharpen your knife and let’s get started.
The right "piece" of meat
If you treat yourself to a goose, pay attention to animal welfare and housing. If you buy a free range bird that has been reared without hormones and fattening feed it will have less fat, resulting in a healthier meal. Goose meat is rich in vitamins A and B, as well as in essential minerals such as potassium, magnesium, calcium, and iron; geese also have plenty of good quality fat, ensuring succulence.The result is not only a wonderful taste, but also an energy boost – a real feel-good dish.
Place the goose on its back, breast up, on a clean cutting surface. First, remove the parson’s nose – the fleshy tail end, which contains an oily gland. Then remove both wings. To do this, make a short incision in the skin, flexing back the joint so that you can easily cut through it. Finally, remove the excess fat from inside the goose by simply reaching in from below and pulling it out.
Separating the breast fillet
Feel with your fingers for the breastbone and carefully slit the skin above it. Now use the tip of your knife to gently cut the meat along one side of the breastbone (also known as the carcass). At the same time, with your free hand, carefully tease the breast fillet away from the bone. When it is detached, separate the breast from the top of the leg with a precise cut. The breast fillet is now ready for roasting.
Separating the leg
Now let’s prepare the legs. First of all, separate them from the carcass by using your blade to carefully cut the meat around the thigh. Then flex the joint as far as possible and free the thigh bone. With the narrow tip of your knife you can now easily separate the joint – voilà, the leg is released. Finish preparing the meat by removing the fat, and the tasty goose leg is ready to be put in the oven.
Which knife? A professional chef’s recommendation:
Our chef Alexander uses a WÜSTHOF Classic Fillet Knife with a pointed blade. With the sharp edge, he can slit the skin like a surgeon, carefully cutting along the bone with the fine tip, while powerfully severing tendons and joints. A good alternative is our Boning Knife with its flexible blade, ideal for carving, boning, or portioning meat and poultry: the blade glides along the bones, adapting to every curve. If you have neither a filleting nor a boning knife at hand, just use a knife with a narrow blade, such as an all-purpose knife.
