Goose Breast with Rosemary Mushroom Cream Sauce

Goose... I can love it, or I can hate it. Cooked just right and it is the former.  Cook incorrectly, it is the latter. I have had it both ways. When it is done right, oh boy, it can be heaven! Tender and juicy, it is the filet mignon of the sky!

While Jen and I were in Nebraska last November hunting deer, my cousin Keith was doing real good on the canadas. 

Rick with a couple geese.

Knowing that we did not have enough time to join him on the marsh, he graciously gave us some of his geese. And these biggies had been spending a lot of time loading up on grain as they were huge and had a wonderful layer of fat on them. I had one breast left in the freezer, and I really wanted to do something good with it.

I love rosemary because it gives, to me, an earthy taste that I like with wild game. And a creamy mushroom sauce is a favorite of mine, as I like a good, thick sauce to accompany my dish. Together, this was sweet heaven to my taste buds! Honestly, this was the best goose I've ever had. Got some goose left in the freezer? You should do yourself a favor and try this recipe. You'll be glad you did. Enjoy!

Prep Time (including marinade): 1 hr. and 20 min.
Cooking Time: 40 min.
Servings: 2
Ingredients: 
- 2 tbs. olive oil, divided
- 1/8 cup of red wine vinegar
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 large or 2 small goose breasts
- 3/4 cup of milk
- 1/4 cup of chopped onion
- 1/4 cup of chopped carrots
- 1/2 cup of sliced fresh mushrooms
- 1 tbs. of all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp. of dried rosemary
- 1 cup of uncooked white rice
- salt and pepper, to taste

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add garlic and sauté for 3-5 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic.  Remove from heat and stir in the red wine vinegar.  

Clean goose breast and place in a shallow non-reactive dish.  Pour vinegar mixture over goose breast.  Make sure all of the breast gets coated with this mixture.  Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.  

2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk, onion and carrot.  Gradually increase the heat until it just comes to a boil, stirring frequently.  As it comes to boil, remove from heat.  Season with freshly ground pepper to taste.  Cover and set aside.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

4. Next, use olive oil to lightly oil a grill frying pan, preferably cast iron. Heat on a stove top over medium-high heat.  Remove breast from the marinade and place in the pan, skin-side down.  Sear the breast for about 5 minutes on the skin-side and turn over and sear on the meat side for another 5 minutes.

5. Place seared breast in a very slightly oiled baking dish, skin-side up, and place in a 350 degree F oven.  Roast for 30 minutes.

6.  Cook the white rice per package directions.  

Then, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small sauce pan over medium low heat.  Add mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add the flour, making sure to constantly stir to make sure it does not become lumpy.  Do this for 2 minutes.  Next, gradually add the milk mixture from step 2, whisking all ingredients together.  Season with rosemary, then salt and pepper to taste.  Bring to a slow boil, stirring constantly, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 3 minutes.  If this sauce becomes too thick, slowly add more milk and stir, or if it is too thin, slowly add more flour and stir.

7. Remove breast from the oven and let it sit for 10 minutes.  After, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices and place on a bed of cooked rice.

Pour the rosemary-mushroom sauce over the breast.

Enjoy! ...

Honk!