Parks Canada Heritage Gourmet Recipes

Upside Down Roasted Wild Goose or Duck

The goose or duck is cooked upside-down with vegetables and herbs in a savoury broth, and then turned upright during the end of cooking.

Origin: York Factory National Historic Site
Region: Prairies (Manitoba)
Period: Traditional
Course: Main Course

Throughout the history of York Factory National Historic Site, the involvement of Aboriginal peoples has been integral to the operation of York Factory and the fur trade. Regardless of their nationality, men who were stationed at York Factory soon tired of their regular fare of red meat and went goose hunting with their native partners. To augment their diets, York Factory workers also grew vegetable and herb gardens, and these two practices come together in this recipe for roasted wild goose, which is roasted upside-down in a broth to keep the lean meat tender and moist.

Upside Down Roasted Wild Goose or duck

Ingredients:

• ½ cup (1 stick) | 125 ml butter or margarine
• 1 cup | 250 ml diced carrots
• 1 cup | 250 ml diced celery
• 1 cup | 250 ml diced onion
• 1 medium apple, cored, peeled and diced
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 cup | 250 ml veal (or low-salt chicken) stock
• ½ cup | 125 ml dry white wine
• ¼ cup | 60 ml chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tbsp | 30 ml dried rosemary
• 2 tbsp | 30 ml dried thyme
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 tsp | 5 ml salt
• 1 tsp | 5 ml cracked pepper
• 1 7-10 lb | 3-5 kg dressed whole wild goose or duck

Directions:

• Pre-heat the oven to 375°F (190°C).Melt the butter in a large roasting pan (that can be fitted with a lid) over medium-low heat. Add the carrots, celery, onions, apple and garlic. Sauté for 8 to 10 minutes. Add the stock, wine, parsley, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Turn up the heat and bring to a boil for about 1 minute. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes.
• Add the bird, breast-side down, and nestle into the vegetables and liquid. Spoon some of the liquid and vegetables over the goose and add more water (or wine if you like) to submerse the bird half-way. Cover and roast about 1¼ hours. Turn the bird over, facing up, and cook another 15 minutes, or until a meat thermometer registers 160°F (70°C) when inserted next to the leg bone. Remove the bird. At this point the bird can be placed on a roasting pan and browned and crisped in a 375°F (190°C) oven.Remove and let the bird sit for about 10 minutes before carving. Spoon some of the juice and vegetables over each portion of sliced meat and potatoes. The cooking liquid can be thickened into gravy before serving if desired.

Credits:

Recipe tested by Chef Scott Warrick, Algonquin College School of Hospitality and Tourism

The original recipe called for wild goose and is from Wild Fish and Game Cookbook by John Manikowski (artisan). The chefs adapted it to make it easy for urban cooks to make.