Okay, so I decided to tackle that goose that’s been sitting in my freezer. You know how it is, sometimes you get these things and then you just… wait for the right moment. Figured a slow cooker, a crockpot, was the way to go. Less fuss, and goose can be a bit tough if you’re not careful.
Prep Work First
First thing, getting that bird ready. It was a decent size, so I made sure it was fully thawed. Took a couple of days in the fridge. Then, I pulled out the giblets and the neck – set those aside, maybe for gravy later, maybe not. Gave the goose a good rinse, inside and out, under cold water. Then, the important part: patting it completely dry with paper towels. Helps the skin brown a bit, even in the slow cooker, though don’t expect crispy skin like from an oven.
For seasoning, I didn’t get fancy. Seriously, just coarse salt and black pepper. Rubbed it all over, got into the cavity too. Sometimes I’ll throw some herbs in there, maybe an onion or an apple, but today felt like a basic approach.
Into the Pot
Next, I chopped up some root vegetables. Had some carrots, onions, and a few stalks of celery lying around. Just rough chunks, nothing precise. Threw those into the bottom of the crockpot. Acts like a little rack, keeps the bird off the very bottom and adds flavor to the juices.
Then came the goose. Had to kinda wiggle it in there, nestle it down on top of the veggies. It just about fit in my big crockpot. Put the lid on. That’s it for now.
The Long Wait
Set the crockpot to low. That’s the key for goose, I reckon. Low and slow. Then I just walked away. Went about my day, did some chores, read a book. You start smelling it after a few hours. Smells good, that rich, gamey scent.
I think it was in there for about 7 hours on low. I checked it maybe once around the 5-hour mark, just to see how it was doing. Looked good, juices were collecting nicely at the bottom. Didn’t even need to add any liquid at the start, the goose and veggies let off plenty.
The Result
Alright, taking it out was the tricky part. The meat was super tender, almost falling apart. Used a couple of big forks to carefully lift it out onto a platter. Let it rest for a good 15-20 minutes before even thinking about carving. Tenting it loosely with foil helps keep it warm.
While it rested, I skimmed the fat off the liquid left in the crockpot. Loads of fat on a goose, always. What was left underneath was pure gold. Made a quick gravy with that, just thickened it up a bit on the stove.
Carving was easy because it was so tender. The meat was dark, rich, and moist. Definitely not dry. The slow cooker method worked out pretty well, I’d say. Less messy than roasting too.
- Flavor: Rich, classic goose taste.
- Tenderness: Excellent, fall-off-the-bone.
- Effort: Minimal active cooking time, mostly waiting.
So yeah, that was my crockpot goose adventure. Pretty straightforward, really. A good way to handle a big bird without much active effort. Clean up wasn’t too bad either. Turned out good, fed us well. Definitely doing it again when I get my hands on another goose.
