Okay, so I decided to finally tackle that goose I had sitting in the freezer. Been meaning to try it in the crockpot for ages, figured it might make it nice and tender without too much fuss.
Getting Started
First things first, I hauled that bird out of the freezer a couple days early, let it thaw slow in the fridge. Once it was ready, I pulled it out, unwrapped it. Gave it a good rinse, inside and out, under cold water. Then I patted it completely dry with paper towels. This part’s important, helps it brown up nice later.
Now, goose can be pretty fatty. I took a sharp knife and trimmed off any big chunks of excess fat, especially around the neck and the cavity opening. You gotta prick the skin all over too, just with the tip of the knife or a fork. Don’t go too deep, just enough to let the fat render out while it cooks. Didn’t want a greasy mess.
Browning and Pot Prep
I thought about just chucking it straight in the slow cooker, but I reckon browning adds flavor. So, I heated up my biggest skillet with a tiny bit of oil – barely any, ’cause that goose fat starts rendering fast. Got it nice and hot. Carefully, I placed the goose in the pan. Had to brown it in stages, turning it with tongs. Did the breast side, then the back, then the sides as best I could. Took maybe 10-15 minutes total. Set the browned goose aside on a plate.
While the goose rested, I chopped up some basic veggies. Nothing fancy.
- A couple of onions, roughly chopped
- Three or four carrots, just cut into chunks
- Same with celery, maybe three stalks
I tossed these veggies straight into the bottom of my big crockpot. Made a nice little bed for the goose.
Loading the Crockpot and Cooking
Placed the browned goose right on top of those vegetables. Then, seasoning. Kept it simple: salt, plenty of black pepper, a few sprigs of fresh thyme and a couple of bay leaves tucked in around the bird.
For liquid, I just poured in about a cup of chicken broth. Didn’t need much, figured the goose and veggies would release plenty of their own juices. Put the lid on. Set the crockpot to low.
And then, I just let it go. The recipe I kinda winged said about 6 to 8 hours on low. My house started smelling amazing after about hour three. Rich, savory, you know. I peeked once or twice, mostly just to enjoy the smell. Resisted the urge to poke it too much.
The Finish Line
Around the 7-hour mark, I checked it properly. Used a fork, poked the thickest part of the thigh. Super tender. The meat was practically falling off the bone. Perfect.
Getting it out was a bit tricky, it was that tender. Used a couple of big spatulas to carefully lift it out onto a cutting board. Let it rest there for about 15 minutes, covered loosely with foil.
While it rested, I skimmed off as much fat as I could from the liquid left in the crockpot. There was a lot! Then I strained the remaining juices into a saucepan to make a quick gravy. Just thickened it up a bit with some cornstarch slurry on the stove. Easy peasy.
End Result
Wow. Carving was simple because it was so tender. Served it up with some mashed potatoes and the veggies from the pot. The meat was moist, flavorful, not gamey like I sometimes worry goose might be. That slow cooking really did the trick. Clean plates all around the table, which is always the best sign, right? Definitely doing goose this way again. Way less intimidating than roasting, and the results were fantastic. Simple, straightforward, and delicious. Job done.
