Goose Leg Cacciatore

When you are having successful hunting seasons, you come up with new ways, such as modifications to my Cacciatore recipe, to use your wild game harvests and look for more shortcuts on how to process them to maintain that ROI that’s related to time and energy in the field… and all the way to the fork. Last year I decided to make the Cacciatore recipe I have in “Changing The Game” with some of the whole, bone-in thighs and drumsticks from my Canada Goose harvests. This modified version of my Cacciatore recipe is just as OUTSTANDING as my original that uses other types of wild game, and I was able to come up with another endgame for the waterfowl legs obtained from my harvests!

Regarding “endgames” or what you may refer to as recipes, I always begin with these in mind no matter which type of game I am butchering. During my 30-plus years of experience butchering game, I’ve found that for fowl, skinning and removing the breasts, then the legs (thighs and drumsticks) is the most efficient way of getting the most from these harvests and adhering to my “seven keys to the game” outlined and described in detail in “Changing The Game.” One of which is, ya don’t want the fat, if it is not a flavor you want in your food. Additionally, beware that the meat in waterfowl contains plenty of fat within the muscles. If you want to eliminate the associated fat flavor, you must do so by rendering out that portion of the fat at some point during the cooking process and discarding it. This intramuscular fat has a low melting point and you should be able to render it successfully at temperatures between 225 to 250 Fahrenheit. You’ll note in the last step of my Cacciatore recipe, I incorporated guidance to skim the fat from the surface of the finished recipe prior to serving.

The base recipe in “Changing The Game” is my version of the recipe my mother made and served us as kids and is from the Sicilian side of my family. Suggested meat ingredients for the version in my book are deboned and skinned breast, thigh and drumstick meat from upland birds, waterfowl, or chicken. I didn’t include the use of whole, bone-in legs. (My bad. Arms up emoji goes here.) I bet my ancestors never imagined it would be so fall-off-the-bone good with Canada Goose legs.

Here is my Cacciatore recipe from “Changing The Game,” tweaked to be used with whole, bone-in goose or duck legs. Why… you ask? Because it’s easier to debone them after they are cooked and on your plate. I hope you enjoy it. Regarding the commentary on measurements in the recipe, it’s one of the running pieces of humor I refer to throughout “Changing The Game.” Apparently, I’m one of the few people in the world who are diligent about measuring (certain) things and I’m always getting my chops busted about it. It’s not about being “Type A” or anything like that. For me, it’s a quality control thing when it comes to the flavors I want to taste in the meals I prepare. I hope you enjoy my Goose Leg Cacciatore, whether you measure your ingredients or not.

Print Recipe

Goose Leg Cacciatore

Cacciatore translates to “hunter’s stew.” This is my mother’s recipe, with just a few changes. Hers was made with chicken and, of course, no measurements. I added the fennel bulb for an additional layer of flavor, the suggestion to use a Japanese potato for a “creamier” version and, of course, included measurements for all ingredients. You can make this recipe with most game birds (haven’t tried it with sea ducks) … and now, with whole, bone-in goose and duck legs.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time7 hours hrs

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, wild game

Keyword: Cacciatore, Canada Goose, stew, waterfowl, waterfowl hunting

Servings: 4

Author: Craig Tomsky

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup diced fennel bulb
• 1 cup diced celery and celery leaves
• 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
• 1/4 cup diced carrot
• 6 to 10 goose or duck legs: thighs and drumsticks, skinned, bone-in (or as many as you can fit into your pot)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper (FGBP)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 to 4 cups Sue’s Father’s Mother’s Marinara Sauce page 123 in “Changing The Game” or your own marinara
• 2 cups water or enough to cover the meat when it is in the pot
• 2 large potatoes or one Japanese sweet potato, cubed
• 1 (15-ounce) can peas, drained
• 1 (15-ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained

Instructions

• Begin preheating a large crockpot or Dutch Oven on very low heat with one tablespoon of the oil. Heat another tablespoon of the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, fennel, celery, onion, and carrots. Sauté for 3 to 5 minutes. Stir as necessary to prevent the ingredients from sticking to the pan. Transfer to the warmed crockpot or Dutch Oven and spread evenly across the bottom.
• Add the remaining oil and meat to the pan, and quickly brown on both sides. Transfer meat to the crockpot or Dutch Oven layering it onto the vegetables and blanket it with the oregano, FGBP, and salt.
• Add the marinara sauce, water, potatoes, mushrooms, and peas. Stir to mix all ingredients. Slow cook or simmer with meat submerged and lid on until the vegetables are soft and the meat pulls off the bone with a gentle tug. Cooking times are dependent upon the type of meat and cooking temperatures. Plan on six or seven hours for the goose legs. Stir occasionally.
• Skim and remove any fat that rises to the surface prior to serving. Serve with Italian bread for dipping or over polenta. As for the fat, I’m sure your hunting dog would appreciate some in his/her next meal. But, in small doses, of course.

Notes

Suggested sides: Italian bread or over Creamy Polenta or grits

Suggested wine pairings: Merlot, Cuvée, Right Bank Bordeaux 

As for the pronunciation of “cacciatore,” and so you can impress your friends and family members when you read it aloud in “Changing The Game,” try it like this: cotch-i-tory.