The story of how we raised geese, or summer residents are losers. Goose Story Cooking Cranberry Sauce

Wild geese are easily tamed if taken as chicks. Within one or two generations, these birds get used to humans and successfully breed in captivity. It is also convenient that geese eat a lot and are easy to fatten, and at the same time wean them from long flights. Many sources claim that geese are the first poultry.

Domestication of geese took place many times and in different areas. The progenitors of domestic geese were mainly three species. In Europe and in various parts of Asia, except for the east, it was domesticated grey goose (anser anser). It has gray patterned plumage and a red beak. This species is distributed throughout Europe. In China and in the Far East, the living there was domesticated dry goose(Anser cygnoides). It is a larger goose with a black beak. Modern domestic Chinese geese are very similar to their wild progenitor.

It is assumed that in ancient Egypt was tamed wild nile goose (Chenalopex aegyptiacus), but its domesticated descendants have not survived. This type of goose lives almost everywhere in Africa, except for its western part. The Nile goose is slightly smaller than other progenitors of domestic species. He has a beautiful red-brown plumage with yellow hues.

In ancient Egypt, domestic, or rather semi-domestic, geese were well known. In Egyptian tombs built more than 4 thousand years ago, there are many drawings of geese: scenes of their fattening, roasting on a spit, images of peasants carrying geese to market.

Geese are mentioned in the Odyssey - Penelope had 12 geese and she loved to watch them eat wet grain.

In Greece, Asia Minor and Central Asia, geese were sacred birds, they were also considered a symbol of abundance. During excavations of the ancient city of Penjikent on the territory of modern Tajikistan, an image of a young man holding a domestic goose for sacrifice was discovered.

In Mesopotamia, geese were kept in flocks, revered as sacred birds, but also used as food. Images of geese are found on seals and other items. An interesting statuette from Ur (3rd millennium BC) depicts the goddess Ban sitting on the backs of two geese, and two other geese serve as her footstool. There are also clay reliefs and cylinder seals depicting geese as a goddess. In some countries, scales made in the form of geese are still used.

The Indians believed that the geese gave advice to Brahma himself. The Romans revered geese because these birds saved Rome in 390, waking up the inhabitants of the city with their cackle. The geese were kept in the Temple of Juno on Capitoline Hill.

In general, the Romans undoubtedly understood a lot about geese. They ate goose meat and greatly appreciated goose eggs. However, it was believed that hard-boiled eggs became inedible. Goose liver was a great delicacy, and the Romans knew how to increase it by feeding the birds a mixture of flour, milk, and honey. Down feathers were used for cushions and draperies. The use of quills for writing was first mentioned by a certain Valesius in the 5th century. AD Goose fat was used in medicine as a remedy for skin diseases, it was taken orally against colic. And fat was also used as various lubricants.

In ancient Germanic mythology, the goose was also considered a sacred animal. It appears that geese were bred in large numbers in both Gaul and ancient Germany. In Pliny's time, magnificent geese were imported from Gaul Belgium and from Germany. They were driven on foot for sale to Italy through the Alps - this was considered profitable, since there was no suitable transport for transporting geese, especially through the mountains. You can imagine how much fat the birds lost on the road!

In the Middle Ages and later, domestic geese were already widespread throughout Eurasia. The Frankish king Charlemagne (742-814) issued a decree in which his subjects were obliged to keep geese in the household. The peasants were supposed to deliver a certain number of fattened birds to the monasteries and shelters every year on the day of St. Martin (November 10). In some European countries, mostly German-speaking, the expression "martyn's goose" has been preserved.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as intensive agriculture developed, swamps were drained, natural meadows were destroyed, and pastures for geese disappeared with them. In Western Europe, goose breeding has fallen into decline. But in Eastern European countries, especially in Russia, geese continued to be kept in significant quantities.

But the breeding of geese in Russia began a little later than in other European countries. This industry reached its greatest development in our country between the 17th and 19th centuries. Then the country exported a lot of down, feathers and goose meat abroad. Mass deliveries of geese abroad were carried out in the same way as in ancient Germany: the geese were driven on foot. Live birds were transported for sale from Russia to Germany and Austria-Hungary. Before such a long journey, the geese were "shod". It was done like this: melted liquid resin was poured out of the blue, and sand was poured in a thin layer next to it. A herd of geese was driven first through the resin, and immediately after that - over the sand. Now the geese could walk dozens of miles without damaging their paws.

North America in the 18th and 19th centuries bred geese descended from European and Asian breeds. The local Canadian goose tamed here is not widespread.

ducks

The ancestor of the domestic ducks of the Old World is the mallard duck ( Anas Platyrhyncha). Her domestication took place in different places and at different times. In Greece already in the 5th century. BC. contained the so-called spotted ducks. However, they were kept under nets, which suggests that they were not fully domesticated. Columella in Italy (I century BC) advised collecting wild duck eggs and placing them under a hen, which also indicates the ongoing process of domestication. The same author writes that special yards were arranged in Rome for keeping ducks.

In China, ducks were domesticated earlier. They even carried out a kind of incubation there - the eggs were laid in baskets with heated chaff, which were placed one on top of the other in heated rooms.

Since that time, many breeds of domestic ducks have been bred. They lost the ability to fly, their physique changed, their weight and egg production increased. Of course, the color has also changed. Domestic breeds have an increased tendency to albinism and melanism. Some breeds "received" a monotonous brown-gray outfit (khaki), although in all breeds, even whites, there is an occasional reversion to the wild mallard coloration. The so-called "royal ducks" are distinguished by lush tufts of soft feathers. Pure white, with a silver sheen, Aylesbury English ducks are known for their delicious meat and soft feathers, which are used for decorations. Peking ducks have a massive body and a straight fit, the color is white with a yellow tint.

Recently, breeds of ducks have been bred that are distinguished by their special egg production - khaki ducks. Among them there are individuals that give up to 300 eggs per year.

To be continued

I think that any hunter will never forget the first trophy he got on his own. These memories remain for life, and no, no, yes, they splash out in the circle of colleagues over a glass of tea. So I don’t forget the first goose, don’t forget the sensations experienced at the sight of a bird diving after a shot, and the feeling of pride that overwhelmed my adrenaline-saturated body when I ran my hand over the snow-covered feathers.

My first goose

I lived then in the north of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, in the village of Vorogovo. Studied in the ninth grade.
The hunting season in our area began with the arrival of the first waterfowl, but closed strictly on time. I started going hunting only when I personally saw the game that had flown in. It happened this time as well. On May 3, the first swans appeared, and on May 4, the long-awaited goose cry was heard in the sky.

From that moment preparations began. From the pantry I took six plywood profiles and, deciding that this was not enough, I made the same number. Cartridges for such a case were equipped in advance, from January, slowly, on the hunt, five to ten per evening. And by the spring they accumulated about 500-600 pieces. I equipped them counting on my father - how could I forget him, who instilled in me a hunting passion? And he was sure that his son would not forget him.

So. Time - the beginning of May, snow - to the waist. After consulting with a friend, we decide to ride horses and look for the first thawed patches in the fields.

The first day off fell on May 9th. The whole village, including the parents, gathered in the morning to go to the club for the celebration.

Saddling the stallion, attaching profiles to the saddle and putting on a backpack with provisions, I went to my friend. Our sortie was planned as a one-day reconnaissance, so we did not take a lot of things. Where on horseback, where leading horses on a leash, we wedged into snow-white fields ...

And now three hours of the journey are behind ... The time was approaching twelve, when, finally, two good thawed patches appeared ahead, separated by a small half-frozen puddle. Having marked the place, we decide to drive half a kilometer forward. A little further, on a hillock, we find another one, but much smaller than the first one and without water. Having looked around and not noticing more such thawed patches, we return to our original place.

We unload, unsaddle the horses (we used saddles for hunting as seats), drive them away about a hundred meters, tying them to long ropes in a ravine. After consulting, we decide to organize two skradka on both sides of the puddle, and divide the profile equally, placing them at each thaw.

Finally, all preparations are completed. The hands of the clock were approaching five when, turning to the stallion, I noticed in the distance a small chain in the sky moving in my direction. With bated breath, I peered into the binoculars. Yes, it was them, eight flying geese. I huddled up and watched them through the cracks in the cloakroom.

Not having reached fifteen meters to the stallion and, apparently, frightened of him, the birds turned onto the thaw-hole from which I examined the area. My disappointment knew no bounds, but I soon calmed down, sensibly judging that they would still return here, because my thawed patches are much better and, in addition, filled with water.

After waiting in vain for an hour and a half, I decide to try to lure them. At that time, I didn’t have goose decoys, so I beckoned them with my mouth, as one experienced goslinger taught.

Having shouted a couple of times, I could not believe my eyes - the geese climbed onto the wing and flew in my direction. Here they are already above the profiles ... I would skip them and beat them under the pen, but at that time I had no experience. As soon as they caught up with the skradok at a height of 40-50 meters, I aimed one and made a doublet.

The disturbed birds, having raised a cry, continued their flight, and I shouted after them: “Fall, fall!” And it looks like they heard me upstairs. One goose began to separate from the flock, deviating to the left, and, flying through a small sparse forest, dived onto the field.

With shouts and screams, I rushed towards the horse in order to get on horseback to my trophy. But it turned out to be not so easy. Having galloped a hundred meters, in the gap between the trees, I saw a downed goose blackening in the snow. And a crow was circling above him... Hitting the horse's side, I flew like an arrow to the long-awaited trophy, which I could lose. But it was not there…

In appearance, the even snow-covered virgin lands concealed a deep hollow under it, into which the horse fell up to the chest. Jumping off, I tried to drag him by the reins, but after about five meters I realized that at such a pace, the crows would leave only bones from my goose.

Where on foot, where I crawled up to the coveted trophy, shooting in the direction of the scavengers on the go. Out of breath, with the last of his strength, he collapsed beside him, feeling the bird with trembling hands. Happiness knew no bounds - the goose was safe and sound! My speed and shots prevented the crows from doing their dirty work.

Gently hugging the bird to me, I crawled back. My horse, desperately bucking in the snow, during this time was able to turn around and get almost to the edge of the hollow. Already together, floundering and stumbling, we got out onto solid ground.

Soon, having attached a simple belongings to the saddle, I slowly trotted home. Driving through the village from one end to the other, I proudly listened to the congratulations of my fellow villagers. Lips involuntarily stretched into a smile, because it was not only the first goose in my life, but also the first one caught in the whole village!

Father's joy knew no bounds! He knew I was pushy. And if I think about something, I will not back down! Having accepted the congratulations and handed over the horse to my father, I rushed to pluck my trophy so that my mother could cook another dish for the festive table - from the game that I got.

enchanted bird

Remembering those northern hunting and fishing and comparing them with the present, I sometimes think that everything was much simpler before. Neither electronic decoys, nor semi-volumetric profiles, without which a modern hunter cannot do now. At the same time, geese reacted to unpainted plywood.

The spring period of hunting in the North was my favorite. There are more varieties of birds in spring than in autumn. Beautiful pintails rush over the fields in even ranks; pairs dive mallards and goldeneyes; whistling teals and cracked teals fly by in flocks; occasionally come across long-necked mergansers; there are also gray ducks, as well as no less beautiful shovelers.

But all this will be a little later, when the long winter, which is already running out, will completely end. In the meantime, knee-deep snow on the fields, sometimes cold winds blow, and it is not possible to get through to every hunting place.
And yet the geese have already appeared.

The path is now and then blocked by numerous lowlands, where cold water lurks under the snow. We are trying to break through the bank of the Yenisei, here the edge has already thawed enough.

We make our way along the coast for about three hours, sometimes forcing the lowlands and ravines that we encountered by crawling. The horses have to be tied to long ropes, forcing one by one to get over to us.

Soon the path is blocked by a large channel, you have to go along it into the fields. And surprisingly, the further we go deeper, the more thawed becomes. The mood, of course, creeps up sharply, although sometimes it is overshadowed by lowlands that impede progress.

Along the way, without getting off my stallion, accustomed to shooting, I even got five muskrats on the coast.
An hour later, an amazingly wide, fifty meters spill with a large thawed patch opens up in front of us. We decide to stop here.

Having unloaded, we lead the horses a good kilometer away.

And so, having built two hiding places at a distance of one hundred meters from each other and placing plywood goose profiles between them, we calm down in anticipation.

The weather, of course, pampered us this time, it turned out to be clear. The coast of the Yenisei, where the ice drift is about to begin, is clearly visible without binoculars. And when, turning my gaze along the river, I noticed a lonely point at a distance of at least half a kilometer, I realized: this is a goose. Putting both hands at my mouth, I began to beckon him, and he reacted, slowly pulling towards us.

With a partner, we have an agreement: whoever is closer to the bird, he shoots. And now the outlines of a goose begin to emerge from the dot. Without a flyby, the bird descends from the partner's side. The shot is heard at the moment of landing. The goose, and even the bean goose, is mined! We determine it among the plywood, propping our head with a flyer.

By six o'clock, an hour later you can already move out to the horses, put up a tent for the night. But a lot can happen in an hour. And indeed, I soon notice the dot again. Everything goes according to the previous scenario with one exception: the partner, in a gentlemanly way, passes the goose in my direction.

The bean goose, spreading its wings and flying over the profiles like a fighter, sits down directly opposite my stealth, at a distance of forty meters. In one barrel there is a cartridge with four zeros, in the other - with one. I don’t know how it happened, but after the shot the goose sits as if nothing had happened, after the second the situation does not change.

With trembling hands, without taking my eyes off the goose, which calmly walks towards the profiles, I reload the gun. Aiming, I shoot again. Yes, he is enchanted, or what?! What is it?

The bean goose is probably tired of sitting under a hail of my shot. Spreading his wings, he begins to scatter when my next shot merges with the shot of a partner. The goose drops dead. What it was, I did not understand. Probably the pellets just flew around him. But why he did not immediately fly away, too, will remain a mystery.

Having picked up our trophies and things, we set off to settle down for the night. The evening hunt was a success! And when we approach the proposed camp, nature presents us with another gift. Turning to the sound of wings, we notice flying swans. Graceful birds against the background of the sunset are such a bewitching picture that, with our mouths open, without moving, we see them off for a long time.

Christmas without a goose is not Christmas! - any European will tell you. And they stuff it with everything: foie gras, truffles, fruits, vegetables, and, believe it or not, even pork!

Here are some traditional recipes from Madame Cook...

Dish with history

The goose is a bird that, as they say, has experienced a large number of ups and downs in its history. The ancient Egyptians deified him, since the sun god Amon-Ra appeared from a goose egg. In addition, everyone knows the stable expression “Geese saved Rome” - according to legend, it was they who raised a cry at the approach of the Gauls, which saved the Romans from death. And later, the Gauls learned to breed these birds and came up with their own patron for them - St. Fereol.

By the way, many rulers (for example, Charlemagne) considered the roast goose a kind of delicacy, treating them only to honored guests. According to legend, on Christmas Day 1588, Queen Elizabeth I of England was just eating a roast goose when she was informed of the defeat of the invincible armada of Philip II of Spain. To celebrate, she considered the roast goose an auspicious omen and declared it a Christmas dish. In the future, the custom spread to continental Europe.

The glorious past was forgotten when "Indian roosters" were brought from America - then they began to consider goose as the food of commoners. And the religious wars that shook Europe in the century before last were reflected on the culinary front - the turkey became the dish of the Protestants, and the goose - of the Catholics.

The custom of preparing a goose for Christmas is rooted in the Catholic tradition of eating a Martin goose on St. Martin's Day on November 11, before the start of Advent.

Culinary International

And with what they don’t stuff the Christmas goose! The “fattest” ones are stuffed with foie gras, truffles, porcini mushrooms, the “medium” bird is stuffed with ham, figs and peaches, and the simpler ones are stuffed with apples, prunes, oranges and other fruits, chestnuts, onions, red cabbage and other vegetables .

In Germany, the divine bird is usually served with red cabbage, dumplings and roast juice-based gravy.

In Sweden - with Brussels sprouts and apple mousse. The Danes add prunes and onions and cranberries to apples or baked apples stuffed with cranberries for a side dish. A more exotic version of the traditional dish is goose stuffed with quince.

The Irish prepare minced meat from boiled potatoes, finely chopped bacon, with the addition of milk, butter and sage. There are more solid recipes in this country, for example, minced meat from white bread soaked in milk, fried onions, goose giblets, lard and veal. All this should be passed through a meat grinder twice, mixed with eggs, seasoned with salt, pepper, nutmeg.

Preparing by the rules

Believe me, dear hostesses, cooking a Christmas goose is the highest culinary aerobatics! A cunning bird is far from being successful for everyone. Someone you know must have boasted that his goose last Christmas turned out great. Don't believe! More often than not, this dish is disappointing. Either the goose is greasy, or the cat has cried meat in it, and it’s hard, like a sole, no matter how hard you try to wet it, spread it, bake it ... But even if in your practice there was an unsuccessful experience of baking a goose, maybe you should read the recommendations and try to cook the main Christmas dish again? So attention:

On the eve of Christmas, you can buy not only frozen, but also chilled geese. As a rule, two or three weeks before that they are fattened with pure grain, which is why the birds gain weight dramatically, and their meat becomes fatty and juicy. Freshness can be determined by shining eyes. The skin should be dry, not slippery and the same color everywhere. The fat of a good goose is white and transparent. In young birds, the paws are yellow, covered with thick down, while in old ones they are red, almost without down.

The plucked and gutted carcass must be singeed, washed, freed from excess interior fat. I note that goose fat should not be thrown away - it is good to fry on it (besides, it is a proven folk remedy for frostbite). Then cut the wings, leaving only their thick parts, as the thin bones will burn during baking. Cut off the neck, remove the giblets. With a thin knife, make longitudinal punctures under the skin, being careful not to touch the meat. Pierce the breast, legs and at the junction of the legs with the body. This must be done in order for the excess fat to melt and flow out freely.

Before sending the bird to the oven, it is necessary to pierce the skin in the most fatty places, in particular, the legs and breast, so that the rendered fat flows out. The neck skin needs to be pinned with a toothpick, the wings should be wrapped behind the back. Rub the outside of the carcass with salt, and grease the breast with butter. Put the chosen filling inside and fasten the edges with toothpicks and thread.

Definitely golden brown!

After completing the above procedures, the goose should be put in a pan or baking sheet, after pouring a little hot water into it. Now the future delicacy can be safely sent to the oven, heated to 220 degrees. You can calculate the frying time in a simple mathematical way - about 45 minutes per 1 kg of weight. The first 40-45 minutes the temperature should be 220 degrees, then it is reduced to 180-170 degrees and the bird is fried for 1.5 to 2.5 hours, depending on the weight.

Second option- just put the goose in an oven heated to 190 degrees and fry until cooked at this temperature. In any case, it is necessary to thoroughly water the future decoration of the Christmas table with melted fat and juice every 20-30 minutes, then the food will turn out tender and juicy.

In addition, it is advisable to turn the carcass over, dividing the cooking time into three approximately equal stages - first cook the goose on one, then on the other side, and then on the back, breast up. If the breast begins to brown too quickly, cover it with a piece of foil or reduce the temperature.

Readiness can be determined as follows - pierce the goose with a toothpick in the thickest place (breast or thigh). If clear juice flows out, the goose is ready, if cloudy or with blood, it has not yet been fried. If there is no juice at all, this means that you have overexposed the dish a little and you urgently need to take it out.

Madame Cook's advice: If you are interested a win-win cooking your goose, you will have to spend a little more time and perform another difficult procedure: - bathing a goose in boiling water .

Boil a large pot of boiling water. Protect your hands (put on cotton gloves and rubber gloves on top) and gently lower the goose neck down. Hold it for a minute, pull out the carcass, turn it over, drain the water that has accumulated inside the goose, and wait until the water boils again. Then lower it with its tail into the pan, also for a minute. After this procedure, thoroughly dry the goose both outside and inside. Calculate the amount of salt: for 1 kg of weight, take 1 teaspoon of coarse non-iodized salt. Mix it with ground black pepper to taste, add fragrant herbs. With the resulting mixture, rub the goose inside and out and put it in a cold place for 2-3 days. It will be even better if you do not put the goose, but hang it. Such difficulties are necessary for drying the skin so that when baked it becomes crispy and golden. In addition, the meat with such a dry salting podsyaetsya, and when baked it becomes soft, tender. Difficult? But what a result!

I talked with my French friends and found out that a lot of pre-marinated Christmas goose. The meat, in their opinion, acquires new shades of taste and becomes even more tender. I counted as many as five different ways:

First way: wash the carcass, pour over with boiling water. First cut in half lengthwise, then in thin semicircles. Grate inside and out with salt and pepper, put in a deep wide form, shift with lemon slices, pour in dry white wine. Cover with cling film and leave in a cool place for 10-12 hours.

Second way: soak the prepared carcass in salted water (in a bucket or wide basin) for a day. Then dry, rub the outside and inside with salt, pepper and ready-made seasonings for poultry, leave for two to three hours (or more), and then proceed to stuffing.

Third way: pour cucumber pickle, leave for a day, and then proceed as described in the previous recipe.

Fourth way: mix a bottle of mineral sparkling water with dry red wine, the juice of one lemon or grape vinegar, add olive or sunflower oil and soy sauce to taste. Place the prepared carcass in a large plastic bag, pour over the marinade and seal tightly. Place the bag with the bird in a large container with cold water and leave for a day, not forgetting to periodically turn the bag over. Mineral water and red wine in this pickling option can be replaced with inexpensive brut champagne.

Fifth way: stuff the breast of the prepared bird with pieces of lard and garlic (for this, you need to make cuts in it with a sharp knife, into which lard and garlic are placed), grease the entire carcass outside and inside with a mixture of mayonnaise, mustard, grated horseradish and seasonings for poultry with salt. Leave overnight in a cool place.

Note that the addition of table mustard to the marinade makes the meat softer and more tender. In addition, some housewives soak the bird in beer, apple juice or salted water with the addition of a small amount of table or wine vinegar. For coating, use mayonnaise mixed with ketchup or tomato sauce and crushed garlic.

Well, now my main recipe. This is how the Christmas goose is most often stuffed in Luxembourg.

Goose stuffed with meat and porcini mushrooms with cranberry sauce

Ingredients:
. goose carcass - 3.5-4 kg

For marinade:
. dry white wine - 700 g
. garlic - 50 g
. fresh carrots - 70 g
. celery - 70 g
. lemon juice - 20 g
. sugar - 10 g
. peppercorns - 2 g
. 1 - 2 bay leaves

For filling:
. pork and beef - 400 g each (or ready-made pork and ground beef)
. 200 g raw smoked bacon
. fresh mushrooms (preferably porcini, but champignons are also possible) - 200 g
. 1 medium onion
. salt and ground black pepper - to taste

For cranberry sauce
. sugar - 100 g
. honey - 1 teaspoon
. cranberries - 250 g
. butter - 70 g

Cooking

WE SEPARATE THE CARCASS:

We wash inside and out, wipe dry. Carefully inspect so that there are no feathers left.
We make a deep longitudinal incision along the ridge, pry off the goose skin with our hands and, constantly cutting the meat, we go down to the abdomen.
Our task is to extract the ridge with the ribs without damaging the skin.
We leave the bones in the legs - they will keep the shape of the bird.

If such an operation is obviously beyond your power, stuff the goose without removing the ridge (like an ordinary chicken), sew it with a thread or stab it with skewers.

MARINADE and MARINATE GOOSE:

Pour the wine into a saucepan, add chopped celery, onion, garlic, bay leaf, lemon juice, pepper, salt and sugar.
We put the saucepan on the fire and warm it up to a boil, but do not boil.
Remove from heat and set aside until completely cooled. Our task is to give the wine the maximum saturate with the smell of spices.
We lower the butchered goose into the chilled marinade and hold for at least 6 hours.
Every hour, the goose must be turned over, and even better - knead the carcass with your hands so that the meat is more saturated with marinade.

MAKE THE FILLING:

We pass meat and garlic through a meat grinder (or we take ready-made minced meat)
Add finely chopped bacon, separately fried onions and mushrooms, salt and pepper (to taste).

GOOSE FILLING:

We take the goose out of the marinade and wipe it dry.
We carefully rub the carcass with salt and pepper inside and out, paying special attention to the legs and loin (breast).
We stuff the goose tightly with minced meat and sew it up. Our task is not to leave an unsewn space on the carcass, otherwise the juice will flow through it during baking, and the goose will turn out tough.

BAKING(3 hours):

Put the sewn goose in a deep baking sheet (at least 5 - 6 cm) with the seam down and bake in the oven for 1 hour at a temperature of 120 gr. WITH.
Every 15 minutes, pour the carcass with the secreted juice.
After an hour, raise the temperature in the oven to 140 gr. With and so we bake for another 1 hour. Do not forget to water the carcass with the released juice every 15 minutes.
After 1 hour, increase the temperature in the oven to 180 gr. C and bring the bird to readiness.

A similar cooking technology in French cuisine is called "confit" - long cooking at low temperature.

PREPARING CRANBERRY SAUCE:

For half an hour, cook the broth from the bones taken out (or just meat / chicken broth), adding onions, salt and carrots.
Grind the berries in a blender.
Pour in the broth and cook, evaporating to half the volume. Then we filter through a large sieve, add salt, honey and butter.
Warm up, but do not boil.

Sauce consistency may vary. Berries can be boiled until smooth or kept whole. As you like. Just cook longer or less, or break up the finished sauce with a blender. I prefer with whole berries.

Place belly side up on a large platter. We decorate, giving free rein to our own imagination - richly, democratically or exquisitely - to your taste!

And here are a few more recipes.

STUFFED GOOSE (or duck) WITH GROUND FRUIT AND NUT

Ingredients:

Goose or duck - 1 carcass (weighing ~ 3 - 3.5 kg),
. salt,
. pepper,
. paprika,
. garlic

For filling :
. apple - 1 pc.,
. dried apricots - 50 g,
. prunes - 50 g,
. orange - 1 pc.,
. nuts (almonds, cashews or walnuts) - 30-50 g

For decoration :
. apples,
. orange,
. greenery

Cooking:

Rinse duck or goose well and pat dry.

Salt, pepper and sprinkle with paprika inside and out. Grate the inside of the duck with garlic passed through a garlic squeezer.
For filling:
Wash the apple, peel and cut into small pieces.
Peel the orange and cut into small pieces.
Rinse prunes and dried apricots and dry.
Mix chopped apple with prunes, dried apricots, orange and nuts.
If desired, the duck can be stuffed only with apples - peel the skin and cut the apples into slices (slices). It is advisable to take apples of the Antonovka variety.
Put the filling inside the carcass and stab the hole with toothpicks or sew it up with thread.
Lubricate the duck with vegetable oil (so that the skin is not boiled) and place on a baking sheet covered with foil or in a deep baking dish (you can also cook in a roaster) on the back.
Put whole or halved apples next to the duck.
Close the baking sheet tightly with foil and place in the oven over medium heat for 2-3 hours (cooking time depends on the weight of the bird - the greater the weight, the longer the cooking time).
Every 30 minutes, water the duck with the secreted fat.
To make the duck lean, pierce the breast and legs of the bird with a toothpick or fork during baking.
15-20 minutes before readiness, remove the foil, pour out the accumulated fat, pour over the duck with orange juice and brown in the oven without covering with foil or a lid.
Serve duck on a large platter and garnish with baked apples and orange slices.

Goose with Alsatian cabbage

You will need a goose weighing 3.5-4 kg, 3 cups of finely chopped onions, 750 g of minced meat, 1.5 kg of sauerkraut. Wash the bird, dry the carcass, rub with salt, black and red pepper. Melt a little interior fat and fry the onion in it. Mix the onion with minced meat and stuff the goose with it.

Sew up the goose, put on a baking sheet and place in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for 3 hours, often pouring with melted fat. Mix sauerkraut with melted goose fat and put in the oven for 45 minutes. Put the finished goose on a dish, place stewed cabbage around and serve it as such.

Goose with apples and orange sauce

You will need a medium-sized goose, 5-7 oranges, 2 tablespoons of honey, 200 g of applesauce (you can use baby food), salt, ground black pepper to taste, apples for the filling.

Prepare the carcass. For the sauce, mix orange juice with applesauce, salt, and ground black pepper. Rub the goose with the resulting sauce inside and out. Then stuff with apples, sew up and bake on a baking sheet or in a roaster. Drizzle the rendered fat over the meat while roasting.

Merry Christmas! And Bon Appetit.

Always your Madame Cook.

Text: Arina Kaledina

goose story

Having told about the Goat Furious, I wanted to tell you a story about an amazing pair of geese.
First, the goose Tega appeared with us as a dowry, she was given a dozen eggs, on which the bird was planted and ordered to hatch. The goose turned out to be an accommodating lady, she didn’t quarrel, didn’t scream, but conscientiously hatched her eggs. Although this was her first experience of incubation, everything turned out very well for her: all ten eggs at one time released yellow goslings. Oh, what pretty, fluffy, wonderful chicks! Tega was extraordinarily proud of them, screaming, collecting them in a pile, fluffing her wings, offering to warm herself, touching the fluff with her beak - kissing.
Goose children grow up quickly, Tegin's children grew up and they were gone ... A large gander remained next to her, already in childhood he stood out with an unusual, swan appearance. All other geese were gray or white, squat, short-legged, with a thick, straight neck. The goose was different: bright white, with a black, protruding mandible, a curved long neck, he towered on the brood like a commander. As soon as Gander grew older, he began to help Tega manage the brood and always stayed close. Left alone, they were always and everywhere nearby. The handsome Gusak tenderly took care of his girlfriend, stroked her feathers with his beak, hugged him with his flexible neck, made sure that she ate well so that no one offended her. The couple was surprisingly touching, not like a goose quiet, not fussy, did not enter into quarrels. In the village, geese walked freely, in flocks, but these - only in pairs. From an excess of care, Gusak even plucked grass and flowers for Tega and presented them to her. Tega was a very modest goose, grayish, small, she walked next to Gusak, coquettishly lowering her beak to her chest, she accepted gifts with a gentle scream and favor. Four times they played the FESTIVAL OF LOVE, and after that Tega sat down on the nest, and, having hatched the goslings, introduced them to Gusak. Together they walked as a friendly family, proud and taking care of the goslings. And when the children left, they again remained alone - Gusak and Tega.
And then, one day, it was already dark, but Gusak and Tega did not come. The owners were alarmed, usually these geese were very disciplined, returning home before dark. They walked around the district, shouted - there are no geese. The next day, the children came running and said that Tega was lying next to the railway track, covered in blood, and the Gusak was screaming nearby ... When they arrived at the scene of the tragedy, Tega was already hard and cold, the gander was lying nearby, clasping her chest and head with wings. At first they even thought that the goose was also dead, but he suddenly raised his head and screamed so melancholy and piercingly that the women began to cry ... Apparently the geese decided to cross the railway, and then the train passed, the goose, with its short unhurried paws, did not have time and was cast aside...
Tegu was buried in a nearby lawn, and Goose was brought home. He had already stopped screaming, his head hung helplessly on his long neck, his eyes were closed. They planted straws, poured fresh water, poured grains. The next morning, the gander was also lying with his neck outstretched, he did not touch the water and food. They lifted him, shook him, tried to force-feed him, nothing helped ... Three days later, when she came to the barn, the hostess discovered that Gusak had died. Didn't want to live without Tags...

Hello readers of the site ""! Today we continue the story about. In this article, we will conduct a short review of the history of the formation of the goose from antiquity to the present.

Man began to domesticate geese very early. It began 3-4 thousand years ago. All domestic goose breeds are descended from the wild greylag goose, with the exception of the Chinese geese, which are descended from the wild Chinese dry goose.

Tibetan monks from ancient times revered this bird and associated the god Shiva with the divine goose sparkling with dazzling whiteness. In ancient Egypt, the goose of the Nile - the "great juggernaut" - was considered the creator of the world. In ancient Rome, the goose was associated with Mars, the god of war. The geese became a victorious emblem of vigilance after the well-known incident that occurred in the temple of Juno, when the cries of geese alerted the defenders of Capitoline Hill to the attack of the Gauls.

Goose came to Rus' from Germany in the 17th century, and became a national Russian dish and a national Russian bird. Breeds of Russian geese appeared almost twice as many as European ones.

Geese belong to the Duck family, anseriformes order. All breeds of geese have an elongated neck and a boat-shaped body. Relatively high legs are more suitable for walking than for swimming. The toes are connected by a swimming membrane. The beak is massive, in some breeds thick at the base. The bird hears sounds at a distance of 50 meters. The color of the plumage is different and depends on the breed, most often white or gray.

Geese are considered highly productive birds. In terms of size, geese are a large bird and are second only to turkeys in this. Ganders of some breeds reach a live weight of up to 10 kg, and geese 7 kg. Egg production also depends on the breed and feeding.

And finally. Some interesting facts about geese.

• The famous philosopher Diogenes said: "Those who wind up should remember and know that it is more likely that a person serves animals than animals serve them." With regard to geese, people breed this poultry for various reasons. For example, in Europe, geese are kept as pets because they are considered one of the most intelligent birds (the Germans compare geese to dogs because of their devotion and trainability). In Russia, they are mainly bred for meat, obtaining fluff, selling goslings, etc.
• The goose is an exemplary family man, and often remains faithful to the goose all his life. Even when the goose dies, he remains a widower for a long time or even forever.