Several years ago, I found an Irish pub cookbook in the bargain bin at Barnes and Noble.
While its cover bore no author, this collection of classic Irish
recipes has become one of my most cherished cookbooks. The dishes tend
to be seasonal, and they highlight local ingredients—the kind of food
you’d expect out of a decent pub that cares about its vittles just as
much as its drink. Also, they’re the kind of recipes that work well with
wild game.
One recipe that stood out to me was goose with apple
stuffing. In Ireland, Scotland, and England, it was tradition to eat a
young goose on Michaelmas Day (Sept. 29),
also known as the Feast of Michael and All Angels. This medieval
holiday falls near the equinox, when autumn begins and the days begin to
shorten. Michaelmas festivities call upon the archangel St. Michael for
protection during the darker, colder days ahead.
Michaelmas also
coincides with the apple harvest, a fruit that coincidentally pairs well
with waterfowl. In addition to hunting, I also look forward to picking
local apples in the fall, among so many other wonderful things that
happen that time of year. This is a great recipe for celebrating both
the wild and farmed harvest seasons.
I’ve modified the original
goose recipe and adapted it here for wild duck—a much smaller specimen
than a large farm-raised goose. I’d choose a fat mallard for this
recipe, as it could feed two people and offers a cavity large enough to
stuff. Multiply the recipe as needed for more servings. Of course, it
also is possible to prepare this recipe with a whole wild goose—you’ll
have to multiply the stuffing amount and increase roasting time; use a
probe thermometer in the thigh and cook the bird to your liking.
This
apple stuffing recipe is unique because it has no bread in it.
Distinctly Irish, the main starch is potato. The stuffing also includes
duck liver and heart, thus encouraging you to use more of the animal. If
you know how to clean the gizzards, you could also throw them into the
stuffing as well.
Find this recipe on Gun Dog: https://www.gundogmag.com/editorial/roast-duck-apple-stuffing-cider-gravy-recipe/453352
