Take a medium sized goose, skin off and disjoint the legs. Remove all pellet holes and blood debris and soak overnight in lightly salted cold water. Preheat oven to 500-550 (yes, high heat) and stuff the cavity with fresh sauerkraut and the leg sections peppered well. Sew cavity shut, drape bacon over the breast and pepper well.
Two keys to roasting a wild bird- shorter time frame and higher heat, and sealed to maintain moisture. I "tent" the bird with reynolds wrap over the breast, and also seal the lid with another layer of same.
The sauerkraut acts as a blotter, when the bird is done you discard it- As waterfowl have heavy muscle tissue in the breast and legs, don't roast it as you would a Butterball turkey, I figure about 1 to 2 hrs.- Let the bird stand before carving, and the key is- a sharp carving knife slicing the thick part of the breast meat, the blood should just "hang" on the blade when you point the tip downwards- if the blood runs off quickly, back into oven for 15-20 minutes. Then remove the leg sections and the saurerkraut from the cavity and slice meat for the platter.
For a sauce, I want something that doesn't mask the flavor of the meat. As Canadian geese are grain eaters, a sauce that works well for fine aged beef is a good choice. I saute canned sliced mushrooms in butter and add Calvados, but no onions, shallots or garlic. Wild rice, a Caesar salad and buttred steamed asparagus with yeast rolls for the bread du jour.
Your choice on wine, but I like either a Merlot or a Chateau Petrus. Bon Appetit gentlemen!!
