Beer-Braised Canada Goose Pie

Name: Beer-Braised Canada Goose Pie
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 4 h
Total time: 4 h 30 min
Yield: 3 to 4 servings
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 2 unit Canada goose breasts; 2 unit Canada goose legs; 1 unit Onion diced; 2 unit Carrot diced; 2 unit Garlic clove minced; 500 ml Button mushrooms 1 pint; 250 ml Frozen green peas 1 cup; 250 ml Lardons (bacon) 1 cup; 60 ml Dried cranberries 1/4 cup; 30 ml Tomato paste 2 tablespoons; 500 ml Stout beer 1 bottle. Suggestion: Barabas La Ramage; 750 ml Beef stock 500 ml to 1 L depending on the pot; 15 ml Fresh thyme 1 tablespoon, or a few sprigs; 2 unit Bay leaf; Worcestershire sauce to taste; Maple syrup a drizzle, to balance the bitterness if needed; Salt to taste; Ground black pepper to taste; 1000 g Yukon Gold potatoes about 2 lb; 60 g Butter about 1/4 cup; 45 ml Duck fat 3 tablespoons (more reserved for searing)

When the geese pass through, we put pies away for winter.

Prep30 min

Cook4 h

Yield3 to 4 servings

DifficultyIntermediate

theuplandcook.com/en/recipes/canada-goose-pie

Ingredients

Meat

2 — Canada goose breasts
2 — Canada goose legs

Vegetables

1 — Onion (diced)
2 — Carrot (diced)
2 — Garlic clove (minced)
500 ml — Button mushrooms (1 pint)
250 ml — Frozen green peas (1 cup)

Additional ingredients

250 ml — Lardons (bacon) (1 cup)
60 ml — Dried cranberries (1/4 cup)
30 ml — Tomato paste (2 tablespoons)

Liquid

500 ml — Stout beer (1 bottle. Suggestion: Barabas La Ramage)
750 ml — Beef stock (500 ml to 1 L depending on the pot)

Aromatics

15 ml — Fresh thyme (1 tablespoon, or a few sprigs)
2 — Bay leaf

Seasoning

Worcestershire sauce (to taste)
Maple syrup (a drizzle, to balance the bitterness if needed)
Salt (to taste)
Ground black pepper (to taste)

Mashed potatoes

1000 g — Yukon Gold potatoes (about 2 lb)
60 g — Butter (about 1/4 cup)
45 ml — Duck fat (3 tablespoons (more reserved for searing))

Steps

01Sear the goose meat
In a large Dutch oven, heat a generous spoonful of duck fat over medium-high heat. Sear the goose breasts and legs on all sides until the skin is well browned. Remove the meat and set aside on a plate.
02Sweat the vegetables and lardons
In the same Dutch oven, without cleaning it, add the onion, carrots, mushrooms, garlic and lardons. Sweat for 6 to 8 minutes in the cooking fat, until the lardons start to crisp and the vegetables take on a nice golden color. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until it darkens and its acidity mellows out.
03Deglaze with the stout
Pour the stout into the pot, scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon to lift all the caramelized bits. Let it bubble for one minute to burn off the alcohol. This is where the beer's whole character soaks into the stew.
04Slow-braise in the oven
Add the beef stock, bay leaves, thyme, dried cranberries and the reserved goose pieces with their juices. Season generously with salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer on the stove, cover, then transfer to a 350°F (175°C) oven for 3 to 4 hours. The meat should pull apart with a fork without resistance.
05Shred and adjust
Lift the meat out of the pot. Using a fork, shred the breasts and legs, discarding the bones and any tough sinew. Return the shredded meat to the pot. Taste the broth: if the stout's bitterness dominates too much, add a spoonful of maple syrup and a few dashes of Worcestershire to balance it. Add the peas.
06Make the Yukon Gold mash
While the meat braises, peel the Yukon Gold potatoes and cut them into large cubes. Boil in a big pot of salted water until they yield to a knife tip, about 20 minutes. Drain well. Mash with butter, duck fat and a splash of cream. You want a smooth, rich texture, almost too rich. Salt to taste.
07Assemble in the baking dish
Transfer the goose stew into a large baking dish. Spread the mashed potatoes on top with a spatula, then run a fork across the surface to create ridges. Those ridges become the crispy peaks that make the difference.
08Brown under heat
Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 20 to 25 minutes, until the top of the mash is deeply golden, almost charred on the ridges. Pull from the oven and let it rest 5 minutes before serving. The center will still be screaming hot.

Canada goose pie fresh out of the oven, golden crispy mashed potato topping over a stout-braised stew