This may be one of my favorite ways I have ever cooked goose breast. Others have done similarly simple recipes, and that should encourage you to experiment on your own and try different things. Chances are, if you have some jam or jelly lying around for your PB&Js, you could make a fine sauce to accompany your lovely bird!
Ingredients
| Amount | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| 1 | Goose breast |
| Salt | |
| Pepper | |
| Minced garlic | |
| 4 tablespoon | Butter |
| 4 oz. | Rum or bourbon |
How to Prepare
- Set the breast (skin on is ideal) out and make sure you have removed all feathers. Use a butane lighter or other torch and run it back and forth quickly across the skin to remove any remaining feathers.
- Use your knife to score the skin/fat so it looks like a tic-tac-toe outline. This will help the delicious and good fat of the goose render.
- Sprinkle salt, pepper, and garlic powder or minced garlic over both sides of the breast.
- While the breast comes to room temperature, turn your oven on to 375⁰F.
- Using a heavy bottomed pan like a cast iron, heat the pan over 7/10 heat.
- Add a tablespoon or two of butter to the pan and use a spatula to move it around to melt quickly.
- The butter will start smoking and browning very quickly. As soon as the butter is mostly melted, place the goose breast skin side down in the pan to sear it.
- Here’s where the brown liquor comes into play. I used spiced rum for this recipe. Now that the goose is in the pan, add an ounce or two of rum or bourbon. It will steam up in your face, so watch out for that.
- I would recommend about 5-6 minutes skin side down before you first check the skin to make sure it isn’t burning. It shouldn’t, but everyone’s stove is different, and you do not want to burn/overcook goose. You want to sear it for flavor and texture.
- A pro tip I learned is to place a small plate with a weight of some kind on top of the breast as it cooks to help keep the meat more even as it tends to curl a little bit in the middle after a few minutes.
- After you are satisfied with the searing on the skin side, flip the goose and repeat, adding another tablespoon or two of butter and another shot or two of rum or bourbon.
- At this point, I recommend using thermometer to check the internal temperature of the goose. You want to pull it around 100 (as long as you have a good sear on each side).
- Because of their thickness, I like the strategy of moving the whole pan with the goose into the oven to properly cook the middle of the meat.
- I check the internal temperature every two to three minutes until it is done.
- Once you have reached an internal temperature of 125⁰-130⁰, pull the goose and loosely wrap it in foil while it rests for five to 10 minutes before serving.