In some homes, the Thanksgiving meal absolutely has to include roast goose or duck and pumpkin pie, with maybe some mixture of carrots and parsnips.
Geese are perhaps too expensive to enjoy more than once a year so anticipation just makes the goose taste that much better.
This week’s recipes offer goose and pumpkin pie for a tasty, traditional Thanksgiving dinner.
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Roast Goose
1 goose, about 8 lbs.
juice of lemon
salt and pepper
1/2 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup Madeira wine
2 tbsps. flour
2 cups chicken stock
1 tsp. thyme
root vegetables: carrots, parsnips, turnips, potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
Bring goose to room temperature. Remove giblets and excess fat from inside goose. Prick goose skin all over with a darning needle to allow fat to drain while cooking but do not pierce meat. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Rub goose all over with cut halves of lemon. Put lemon inside goose with clove of garlic. Salt and pepper goose then place in a roasting pan, breast side up.
After goose has cooked 20 minutes, drain fat from pan and add vegetables. Return to oven and continue roasting goose until done. Use baster to remove fat.
While goose is cooking, prepare the gravy by chopping the onion and giblets and browning in some goose fat in a large pan. Sprinkle flour in the pot and stir to combine. Cook over medium heat, 5-10 minutes. Turn heat to high and add Madeira. Boil furiously for a minute or two. Add chicken stock and stir, then add thyme. Turn burner to simmer. When goose is nearly done, remove giblets from gravy then puree liquid until smooth. Keep warm on stove over low heat.
Remove goose from pan and let settle while vegetables continue to cook.
Carve goose and serve with vegetables and gravy.
Note: If desired, serve with mashed potatoes and gravy with steamed root vegetables.
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Perfect pumpkin Pie
9 inch pie crust, unbaked
1-15 oz. can pumpkin puree
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsps. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp. salt
3 eggs
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a large bowl, mix all ingredients except eggs. Add eggs one at a time. Beat 3-5 minutes until mixture is light and fluffy.
Pour into crust and bake for 10 mins. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake an additional 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. Cover and store in refrigerator. Serve with whipped cream topping. Note: individual tart shells may be used rather than one pie crust.
Joyce Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net
