Asian roasted goose breast

Easter giving you goose bumps? Fear not - we've got just the treat for you!

Goose made its first ever appearance in our kitchen a couple of weeks ago. Rumours had been telling me that a certain German supermarket chain stocks goose breasts in their freezer and for cheap, too : the whole breast only set me back €10!

It's lovely size, too and feeds up to 4 Sunday lunchers. What we were not prepared for was the fact that it came still attached to the breast plate. So, you can either cook it on the bone (which is really something I only recommend if you have a reliable thermometer and the ability to use it correctly...) and take the breasts apart after the cooking or remove the breasts either before marinating or before hitting the pan.

The inner temperature you're looking for is 55-58ºC. In case you cook the breast without the bone, you'll get to this after 8-10 minutes at 180ºC oven.

Our goose was bathed in Asian marinade and oh MY, how delicious it turned! Can't wait to make this one again. And hey, if you can't find goose, the recipe works just as well with duck, too. 

Asian roasted goose breast:

1 goose breast (appr. 900 g)

Marinade:

2 dl soy sauce

1 dl honey

2 large garlic cloves, minced

5 cm piece fresh ginger, minced

1/2 dl mirin

2 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tsp ground allspice

1/2 tsp ground cloves

Combine the ingredients for the marinade. Pat the goose breast dry and score the skin in a diamond pattern. Pour over the marinade and let marinate in the fridge, covered (turning every now and then) for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

The following day lift the bird out of the marinade and pat dry. Drain the marinade into a pot and over high heat reduce until thickened and syrupy. Check the taste and, if desired, add more sugar/ honey.

Heat oven to 180ºC. Place the goose breasts (skin side down) on a cold pan and bring the heat up. Fry until the ski is golden brown and crisp. Drain excess fat off the pan if needed. Then turn and brown the other side as well.

Finish cooking the bird in the oven, basting a couple of times with the marinade. Once you've reached the right temperature, remove from the oven, cover in foil and let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Cut to slices and serve with rice and steamed/ stir-fried Bok Choy.

Stir-fried Bok Choy:

2 Bok Choys

some oil for frying

1/2 tsp sesame oil, white pepper 

to serve: toasted sesame seeds or cashew nuts

Separate the leaves and cut into smaller pieces. Rinse off any soil there might be and pat dry (water will make the oil splash!).

Heat a little oil in a pan/ wok. First stir fry the stems and after a couple of minutes once they've softened, add the leaves. Season (with a bit of soy too if you want but be careful - there's quite a bit of taste and salt in the goose breasts) and serve.

And if the goose kicked ass, so did the wine pairing. Choosing a red wine for Asia meats with soy-based, salty sauce/ dressing/ marinade might seem a bit tricky, but bear in mind the chemistry of food and wine pairings: saltiness tends to soften the tannins sometimes resulting in a very mellow and harmonious combinations. 

This Italian from the Puglia region won me over with the rock n' roll attitude of the bottle alone. Jammy and rich to a point of incredible, it has exceptionally high residual sugar content and as such goes very well with spicy (and Asian-inspired) sauces and BBQ- treats. Exceeded all expectations - The Mane Magician who doesn't even drink red wine couldn't stop raving about it!

Zinfandel is considered a native grape to US and it has been cultivated there for a good couple of hundred years already. In Italy the grape is known as Primitivo and its light, berry notes are a great match for a variety of vegetarian dishes (especially ones with tomato!) and pizzas, too. This Italian stubbornly claims to be 100% Zinfandel so, go figure.

The wine has been awarded in international wine competitions, too and I can see why. Definitely worth getting to know!

So, how about having some goose for Easter..?

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ANYONE FOR SECONDS?