THE GRINNING BELLY

In the summer of 2018 (which seems like a hundred years ago), my then 10-year-old and attended the Nishnawbe Aski Nation Food Symposium at the foot of the Nor’Westers. There, we learned the engineering and teamwork required to set up a giant teepee, tried our hands at sundrying locally grown and gathered vegetables, fruit, and medicines, and stirred light and fluffy whitefish and dried blueberry pemmican over a fire.

We also attended a workshop where two community members field canned and cooked young Canada geese. Here, two dressed and vacuum-sealed geese were cut into chunks, sealed into metal cans with a can seamer, and plunged into large pots of cold water. The pots were then placed over the fire to boil for a few hours while the storytellers kept us mesmerized with tales of living and hunting up north, and ice road escapades. Three hours later, the cans were removed from the water bath and cooled, so as not to have a goosesplosion when opened. Despite having nothing else added to each can besides the chunks of meat (with skin attached), the resulting mouthfuls of goose and broth were tender and delicious.

Goose meat is very lean, as most of the bird’s fat is stored under the skin (as opposed to being marbled within the meat, as with beef, for instance). If not harvested and prepared properly, wild goose can be tough and gamey—you would be too, if you spent your 10–25 years on earth migrating 3,000 km each year. You can take steps to counteract toughness by aging the bird (hanging it in a cool place after harvesting) and then brining in saltwater. Also, braising or adding fat during the cooking process will keep your bird from being as dry and tough as a brick. Some recipes to try include honkerneck sausage, and baconwrapped honker cubes!

This recipe is adapted from the Métis Cookbook and Guide to Healthy Living, 2nd edition, and is a simple, quick-to-prepare dish that would be scrumptious with some fresh-baked bread for the ultimate in comfort food.