Chapter 11: The Christmas Goose Chase

My December held four back-to-back round trips to the East Coast which meant hosting the monthly dinner party in San Francisco was out of the question. Instead, Tastes and Tales went on the road to Philadelphia where I cooked Christmas Dinner for my family. At the suggestion of a friend and fellow foodie, I decided to try my hand at preparing a goose, one of the great traditional holiday dishes. Goose is all dark meat and, as I was warned, a temperamental and remarkably fatty bird. But if you get it right, it can be outstanding. Achieving the optimal amount of trapped moisture to prevent the meat from drying out while also coaxing the skin to crisp is a delicate balancing act. In addition, collecting and managing the quantity of rendered fat is not a task for the unadventurous. I’m afraid to report that I wasn’t entirely successful at proving all the labor worth while. Though impressive to look at, my goose was a dry one. Thank goodness for gravy.

Rounding out the meal was an outstanding stuffing that I’m writing into my Thanksgiving recipe list in perpetuity, a delicious and bold salad from one of my favorite San Francisco chefs, a versatile potato dish, and another Christmas classic – the overly ambitious and elegant Bûche de Noël. Last but certainly not least, the goose liver terrine was a surprise hit as well as the cause of much anxiety. Extraordinary measures were required to obtain and prepare the ingredients.  It was the closest I believe I will ever get to a literal interpretation of a wild goose chase.

The Menu:

Goose Liver Terrine
Endive, Radicchio, Pear and Walnut Salad
Christmas Goose with Bacon, Brussels Sprout and Chestnut Stuffing
Potato Tart
Bûche de Noël

Merry Christmas!

Goose Liver Terrine

As a compliment to the goose main course at dinner, I found a recipe for goose liver terrines that looked simple enough at a glance. Apparently there is not much of a consumer market for goose liver,* an obstacle that didn’t occur to me until I was already determined to make the recipe. Unwilling to divert from the path of most resistance, I called every specialty food and meat store in San Francisco and Philadelphia I could think of. Each purveyor told me the same story. Whole geese are sold with their livers as part of the package of giblets that comes inside the bird’s cavity. I could purchase enough whole geese to collect one pound worth of livers but no one I contacted sold them separately. Let me clarify that this translates to upwards of 10 geese (or 100 pounds of bird). Obviously I needed a Plan B. This was not meant to be a story of sourcing locally.

Undeterred, I took to the internet and luckily came across a goose farm in South Dakota that sold the livers in two pound packages. Even two pounds was not enough meat to reach the farm’s minimum shipping requirement but I called and was able to place a special order. In doing so, I also learned that the key to a successful terrine is to remove the membrane on the livers prior to mixing them with the other ingredients. “Soak the livers in a bath of ice water first and your task will be easier,” the helpful women on the other end of the phone recommended. I had not anticipated that this would be akin to performing surgery or pealing one pound of grapes with frozen hands. It took the better part of two hours to complete.

Glad the wild goose-liver chase was over, I order them to be shipped overnight to my parent’s house. I was already carrying more unusual food items (including three pounds of bacon and a bottle of local San Francisco whiskey) in my suitcase than clothing and I was concerned the presence of goose livers might push the TSA over the edge. Foie gras* is soon to be banned in California and I did not want to risk any misunderstandings. In the end, the terrines were delicious and all six were gobbled up over the course of the holiday week.

Some things are worth the chase.

*Goose liver and foie gras are not synonymous. Foie gras is created through providing the goose with an excessive diet of corn. Although it is the same part of the bird, it has a distinct flavor from a standard goose liver.

Adapted from Saveur Magazine, December 2011.

Ingredients:
12 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup chicken stock
3 sprigs thyme, stems removed
1 lb. goose livers, membrane removed
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt to taste
3 1/2 tsp powdered gelatin
3 cups concord grape juice
serve with rye crackers and grainy mustard

1. Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees. Heat 1 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallot and garlic, cooking until lightly browned, about 3 minutes.
2. Add stock and thyme and cook until reduced by half, about 4 minutes.
3. In a food processor, combine shallot mixture with remaining butter, livers, cream, and salt and pulse until puréed.
4. Divide mixture between 6 ramekins set in a roasting pan. Pour boiling water in pan to cover halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake until set, about 20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, soak the gelatin an 1/4 cup of grape juice in a bowl.
6. Bring remaining grape juice to a boil in a saucepan and cook until reduced by half, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in gelatin.
7. Remove ramekins from oven and pour juice mixture over top of each. Chill until set, at least 4 hours.

Endive, Radicchio, Pear and Walnut Salad

This salad needs little introduction other than to say it is from the genius of Lauren Kiino, the chef behind Il Cane Rosso in the Ferry Building in San Francisco. Her food is  seasonal, straight forward and consistently outstanding. I love her salads in particular. She is brilliant at masterfully combining complimentary ingredients, even those that are bitter or bland on their own. I think the secret is always in her delicious dressings.

Ingredients:
1 head Belgian endive, cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
1 head castelfranco radicchio, torn into bite sized pieces
1 head fennel, thinly sliced with a mandoline
4 scallions, sliced thinly
1/2 fresh walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
1 medium Asian pear, cut into 1/2 inch slices
1/2 Point Reyes Blue cheese, crumbled
1/2 small shallot, minced
2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp sugar
3 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup buttermilk
toasted walnut oil, to drizzle

1. Combine first 7 ingredients in a large salad bowl.
2. In a small bowl, combine shallots, cider vinegar, sugar, and salt and pepper taste. Let sit about 10 minutes. Then whisk in olive oil and buttermilk until emulsified.
3. Toss salad with dressing just before serving. Finish with a drizzle of toasted walnut oil.

Christmas Goose
with Bacon, Brussels Sprout and Chestnut Stuffing

Adapted from Saveur Magazine, December 2011.

Ingredients:
For the stuffing
8 oz. bacon, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
8 oz. Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered
2 cups celery, minced
1 yellow onion, minced
1 lb cooked chestnuts, coarsely chopped
4 cups country white bread, torn into 1/2 cubes
4 cups wild rice, cooked
1 cup chicken stock
8 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped
2 tbsp thyme, finely chopped
2 tbsp sage, finely chopped
2 tart apples, cored and coarsely chopped
salt and pepper to taste

For the goose and gravy
1 10-12 lb goose, wing tips, neck, and giblets reserved
kosher salt and ground black pepper
1 lemon, halved
8 sprigs thyme
4 sprigs sage
8 cups chicken stock
2 celery ribs, coarsely chopped
1 large yellow onion, unpeeled, quartered
1 large carrot, coarsely chopped
3 tbsp unsalted butter

1. Prepare stuffing: Render bacon in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Add sprouts, celery, and onion, cooking until lightly browned, about 10 additional minutes. Remove from heat and in a very large bowl stir in chestnuts, bread, rice, stock, butter, parsley, thyme, sage, and apples. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
2. Roast the goose: Prick goose skin all over with a fork, season with salt and pepper and squeeze lemon juice over skin. Place squeezed lemon halves along with 3 sprigs each of thyme and sage in cavity. Place goose on a rack in a large roasting pan. Heat on stove over high heat, add stock and bring to a boil. Depending on burner size and configuration, this may require use of 2 burners. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover with foil, steaming to render goose fat. After 1 hour, pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Uncover goose, remove with rack and discard lemon and herbs from cavity.  Pour the liquid from the pan into a large measuring cup. Let sit until fat separates and skim it off the top, reserving for another use if desired. Return 2 cups remaining liquid to pan with celery, onion, and carrot, reserving remainder for gravy. Stuff goose cavity with some of the stuffing and return on rack to the roasting pan, breast side down. Tie legs together with kitchen twine. Cover with foil and roast in oven for 1 hour.
3. Begin gravy: Once goose is in the oven, heat butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add wing tips, neck, giblets, and 2 sprigs thyme. Cook until browned, about 15 minutes. Add reserved pan liquid, bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium, cooking until reduced by half, about 1 hour. Strain stock and set aside.
4. Uncover goose: Increase the oven temperature to 475 degrees. Uncover goose, turn breast side up and roast until golden and temperature of stuffing is 165-170 degrees, about 70 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let sit for 15 minute before carving.
5. Finish stuffing: In a buttered casserole, place remaining stuffing. Cook for 20-30 minutes in oven at 475 degrees as soon as goose is removed.
6. Finish gravy:Strain liquid from roasting pan into a measuring cup, let sit until fat separates and skim it off the top, reserving for another use if desired. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat celery, onion, and carrot with a tbsp goose fat until browned, about 8 minutes. Add flour, cook for 4 minutes. Add strained pan juice, stirring and boiling until thickened, about 4 minutes. Strain gravy, season with salt and pepper.
   

   

7. Carve goose: Remove stuffing from cavity, carve goose, and serve with warm gravy.

Potato Tart

A twist on the structure of a tarte tantin, this recipe uses savory ingredients to create a dish that is hearty yet elegant. Next time I make it, I plan to experiment with a sweet potato version.

Adapted from Ottolenghi’s cookbook, Plenty.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved cross-wise
3 tbsp olive oil
1 lb small red potatoes, washed, skins on
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp butter
3 oregano sprigs
5 oz goat cheese, crumbled
1 puff pastry sheet
salt and pepper to taste

1. Pre-heat oven to 275 degrees. Place tomatoes on a baking sheet. Drizzle over some olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove and turn oven temperature up to 400 degrees.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook for 25 minutes. Drain and let cool. Trim ends and cut into 1-inch thick discs.
3. Sauté onion over high heat with oil for about 10 minutes, until golden brown. Set aside.
4. Brush a 9-inch spring form cake pan with oil and line bottom with a round of parchment paper.
5. In a small pan over high heat, cook the sugar and butter, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until a semi-dark caramel forms. Be careful not to burn. Pour the caramel into the cake pan and tilt to spread evenly across bottom. Don’t worry if the caramel hardens, it will soften when baked with other ingredients.
6. Scatter oregano leaves on caramel surface. Lay potato slices close together cut-side down on the bottom of the pan. Press onions and tomatoes into gaps and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Distribute cheese over top. Using the cake pan as a guide, cut puff pastry into a disc approximately 1 inch in diameter wider than pan. Lay on top of pan and tuck edges into sides around potatoes underneath.
7. Bake tart for 25 minutes at 400 degrees, then reduce temperature to 350 degree for an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let settle for a few minutes. Invert tart onto a serving plate and peel off parchment paper. Serve warm.

Bûche de Noël

The Bûche de Noël is dressed to impress and it certainly has enough steps and ingredients to justify any praise bestowed on the cake.  It is a challenging dessert by anyone’s standards. I broke the various parts of the recipe down to simplify the process. To save time, each part can be made several days in advance and assembled shortly before serving. Although I have made other desserts that are equally delicious but require far less time in the kitchen, none have the same whimsical and fun presentation of the Bûche.

Adapted from the Tartine Bakery Cookbook. Tartine churns out hundreds of these cakes during the holiday season making it possible to have your cake without getting covered in sticky meringue in the process.

Meringue Mushrooms
1/2 cup and 2 tbsp confectioners’ sugar
1 1/2 tsp all-purpose flour
2 large egg whites
pinch cream of tartar
1/3 cup granulated sugar

1. Pre-heat oven to 175 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and fit a pastry bag with a plain 1/2 inch tip.
2. Sift together confectioners’ sugar and flour in a small bowl.
3. Combine egg whites and cream of tartar in a medium-sized bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium until whites hold soft peaks. Slowly add granulated sugar and continue beating until mixture is smooth, shiny, and holds stiff peaks.
4. Gently fold confectioners’ sugar flour mixture into whites, working quickly to avoid deflating the meringue.
5. Spoon meringue into pastry bag. Pipe mushroom caps of different sizes by holding bag opening horizontal to baking sheets and squeezing with consistent pressure. Smooth out any tails with a finger dipped in water. Pipe mushroom stems by making a kiss shape. If you are not satisfied with your first attempt, scoop meringue back into bag and try again.
6. Place baking sheet with meringues in the oven and keep oven door ajar with the handle of a wooden spoon. Bake in this way for at least 4 hours. The meringues should be dry. To assemble mushrooms, hollow out a hole in bottom of caps and fit to stems.

Buttercream
1 cup and 2 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 cup egg whites
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 1 tbsp pieces
1/4 cup coffee brewed double strength, or espresso

1. In the top of a double boiler over simmering water, combine sugar, egg whites, and salt. Whisk together until a thermometer reads 120 degrees, about 5 minutes.
2. Remove bowl from heat and using and electric mixer, beat on high until mixture is thick and holds glossy stiff peaks, about 5-7 minutes.
3. Add butter 1 tbsp at a time, beating to combine completely before adding the next piece. Mixture will be satiny and smooth.
4. Add coffee and mix on medium until combined. Set aside.

Coffee Syrup
1/2 cup coffee, brewed double strength, or espresso
13 cup granulated sugar

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine coffee and sugar. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat and let cool.

Almond Ganache Bark
6 oz bittersweet chocolate
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup sliced almonds, toasted and cooled

1. Place chocolate in a medium heat proof bowl.
2. Heat cream in a small saucepan to just below a boil. Pour over chocolate and let sit about 5 minutes to allow chocolate time to melt.
3. Stir with a rubber spatula until smooth and shiny. Stir in almonds. Set aside to cool.

Pistachio Moss
1/4 cup pistachio nuts

1. Grind pistachios in a spice or cleaned coffee grinder to form a powder. Set aside.

Chiffon Cake
1 cup and 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 large egg yolks
1/3 cup and 1 tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp grated lemon zest
5 large egg white, at room temperature
1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line bottom of a 12 by 17-inch jelly-roll pan with parchment paper cut to fit exactly.
2. Sift together flour and baking powder in a large bowl. Add all but 3 tbsp sugar and salt, whisking to combine.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, egg yolks, water, vanilla, and lemon zest.
4. Add yolk mixture to flour mixture and whisk for 1 minute until very smooth. Set aside.
5. Beat egg whites in a large bowl until frothy. Add cream of tartar and beat on medium-high until whites hold soft peaks. While continuing to beat, slowly add remaining 3 tbsp sugar and beat until whites hold firm, shiny peaks.
6. Gently fold 1/3 of whites into yolk and flour batter. Fold remaining 2/3 of whites until just combined.
7. Transfer batter to prepared jelly-roll pan, smoothing top wit spatula. Bake until just set to touch, 20-25 minutes. Let cool. Can be stored in fridge for up to 3 days or freezer up to 1 month. Bring to room temperature before rolling.

Assembly

1. Place chiffon cake on a piece of parchment paper. Use a pastry brush to moisten cake all over one side with the coffee syrup.
2. Spread buttercream evenly on top of cake leaving a 1 inch strip on either of the long sides.
3. Using parchment paper as an aid, begin rolling one of the long sides, evenly and tightly. Wrap in parchment and refrigerate rolled cake until buttercream firms, about 2 hours.
4. With a sharp knife, slice each end of the cake off on the diagonal. Transfer cake to serving platter. Create a bough with one by placing the cut side against the log.
5. Frost the entire cake with the almond ganache. Clean up drips. Decorate with pistachio moss and additional confectioners’ sugar if desired. Place meringue mushrooms around ends of the Bûche.
6. Serve sliced rounds. Store in refrigerator.

Credits: A special thanks to GOC who took all the pictures for this blog post and performed various thankless sous chef tasks such as shelling walnuts. Also thanks to GAC who luckily had an axe on hand when the goose neck proved victorious over the kitchen knife. I may be getting better at cooking meat but this task, as documented below, I was glad to leave to someone else. Last but not least, thanks to KKC who finally solved the mystery of the separating chocolate by figuring out that ganache needs more butter fat than super dark chocolate has in it, thereby averting much kitchen frustration.