Recipe: Blue Goose Parmesan

Spring conservation hunting seasons for snow geese can be fun and exciting when the birds cooperate. The birds are fat after eating rice, corn and grain all winter, and it is the best time to harvest table fare as they head north on the spring migration.

This recipe is a play on words and taxonomy, as snow geese can be white or appear in a blue morph, where the head and upper neck remain white while the rest of the feathers appear gray and blue. Using blue geese in a parmesan recipe makes it a tasty twist on the original concept.

Snow goose is the star of this recipe, where already excellent flavors are enhanced with breading, layers of cheese, marinara sauce and fresh basil. Finding new ways to enjoy snow geese is important for utilizing the harvest when the hunting goes as planned.

Ingredients

Goose

• 8 goose breasts
• 2/3 cup of flour
• 4 eggs, beaten
• ⅓ cup of olive oil

Breadcrumbs

• 2 1/2 cups of breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1/2 teaspoon (each) of salt & pepper
• 1 teaspoon of oregano
• 1 teaspoon of basil
• 1 teaspoon of thyme
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder

Finish for Baking

• 8 slices of Mozzarella
• 4 ounces of blue cheese
• 2 cups of marinara sauce
• ½ cup of parmesan cheese, shredded
• 2 tablespoons of fresh basil, chopped

Directions

1. Place goose breasts on plastic wrap and fold the wrap to seal the meat. Pound the breasts with a meat mallet to tenderize. You can also run the breasts through a tenderizer to create a cutlet.
2. Mix the breadcrumbs mixture and place in a shallow dish; place the flour and eggs in separate shallow dishes.
3. Dredge the goose cutlets in flour and dip it in the egg mixture, allowing excess to drip off, then dredge in the breadcrumbs—pack with your hands to ensure all the meat is breaded. Place on a cookie sheet in the fridge for 20 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit, and heat oil in a Camp Chef cast iron frying pan over medium heat.
5. Fry the goose cutlets in the oil for 2½ to 3 minutes per side, then place them in a 9x13-inch baking dish.
6. Place a slice of mozzarella cheese on each cutlet and top with ½ ounce of crumbled blue cheese. Place ¼ cup of marinara sauce over the cheese to cover the entire cutlet. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over the marinara sauce.
7. Bake the goose cutlets uncovered in the oven for 15 minutes. Broil for one minute to melt and brown the cheese.
8. Serve hot with fresh chopped basil.

Chef Notes

• Use quality marinara and cheese for the best flavors.
• Make your own marinara sauce and breadcrumbs when possible.
• Air fry the cutlets instead of frying to reduce fat. A light cooking-oil spray will allow them to crisp and get golden brown.