11167 Goose fat

I prefer duck fat, and that always gives me a good excuse to cook a couple of ducks. I have never seen the fat sold so I imagine you may have to cook a goose first.

I really don't know if it is easily available it Italy or not, but it certainly is on very special offer at the moment in Asda. From their "Extra Special" range - Goose fat - two 320gm jars for £4.00 - so perhaps take some with you - just in case.

Do proles who shop in Asda really want goose fat? I'd have thought it was a more Waitrosey thingy, don't ya know?

I draw your attention to Violetta's recent troubles with carrying stilton through Heathrow Airport. Anyway I have just been talking to one of my Italian friends and I asked him about goose fat availability in Italy. It was unknown to him. I even Babelfished and there was no translation. lol However perhaps find a goose breeder. They might be able to help you.. Maybe Lidl will stock it or contact these people - [url=http://www.goosefat.co.uk/]The Goose Fat Information Service - Welcome[/url]

Probably that's why it's on special offer Charles!!! lol Yes Waitrose, and M&S also stock it, naturally, .

You can buy it online in euros or pounds. If they don't ship they sure will tell you where you can buy it.

[url=http://www.passionatepalate.co.uk/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=1&keyword=goose+fat]Search Results : Passionate Palate, Fine Italian food, balsamic vinegar, award winning, olive oils, pasta, cereals[/url]

PS They will ship it I see anywhere,

Down in price at Asda Epicure range no £2.80

Waitrose - L'Oie Cendrée goose fat (340g) £2.99 (88p/100g)

"If there is hope . . . it lies in the proles" (George Orwell). :bigergrin:

This is getting silly, and a million miles away from any region's idea of tradtional Italian cooking. If you are roasting a goose, or a couple of ducks, then on that day you'll eat wonderfully tasting patate arrosto. And you will all remark on how wonderful the potatoes taste today - isn't that what it is all about - remarking on the remarkable? It isn't an everyday thing, it's special because, having cooked a goose, you get the extra plus of spectacular spuds.

If you are not roasting a fatty bird, then you'll just do the spuds in olive oil (plus a bit of salt and rosmarino, maybe a bayleaf if you have an alloro bush handy) and basta. The idea of buying a special fat in which to cook your vegetables will be regarded (everywhere in Italy) with seriously raised eyebrows. The idea of eating 'specially nice' roast potatoes with an 'ordinary' joint is simply a conceit. Think about this philosophy, and wonder where the conceit comes from.

If we are all able to sample, every-day, what should be special - where do we go to for the really 'special'?

I tend to agree with Charles and also I would say that those potatoes will have a very high fat content which will tend to increase your cholesterol levels dramatically. A much healthier alternative would be to use olive oil and some herbs as suggested.
To prepare some really healthy and tasty potatoes, cut them in chunks, sprinkle them with a bit of water and microwave them on high for 7 minutes. Then, put them in a roasting tray which has been previously oiled with a bit of olive oil (use some paper towels to spread the oil), a bit of Maldon salt, rosemary or any kind of herbs and put them in a hot oven for a few minutes until they become golden brown in colour.
I have not seen goose fat sold in Italy.

From - [url=http://www.goosefat.co.uk]The Goose Fat Information Service - Welcome[/url] - okay I accept it may well be biased. lol However -

Nutritional Benefits

As with all fats, goose fat is a good source of energy; 1 gram of fat provides 9 Kcal. Government guidelines recommend that fats make up a third of our diet. For the average woman this means about 76g a day; for men, roughly 100g.

• Fat is an essential part of any balanced diet. It provides the body with the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K; which are essential for growth; and contains essential fatty acids which are important in maintaining normal health and body functions.

• Although animal fats are often considered to be ‘bad fats’, goose fat is one of the better ones and contains far fewer saturated fats than butter or lard. Goose Fat contains 32.7g Saturated Fat per 100g compared with 54g for Butter and 40.8g for Lard.

• Goose Fat is high in ‘heart healthy’ monounsaturated (55g compared to 19.8g in butter) and polyunsaturated fats (10.8g compared to 2.6g in butter).

• Goose Fat is also rich in Oleic acid C18.1 (a specific type of monounsaturated fatty acid) which can lower blood cholesterol levels. Goose fat contains on average 58% oleic acid, C18.1, and is generally higher in comparison to other animal fats.

Great Sally! Anyway, the comparisons are all related to other animal fats. I would prefer olive oil. And also I cannot forget "Pavarotti", the goose I befriended and fed during my last stay at the "Mulino" (see my photo album). I am still worrying about his survival after the heavy rain in October. Not to mention the recent snow and rain... Certainly, this year I will not eat stuffed goose...... I don't think I would be able to do that ever again. Nobody has offered me "foie gras" as yet and I am not ready to go and buy it. Amazing what can happen to you when you are in close contact with another creature. I think I am turning vegetarian.....

I doubt you will turn vegetarian. You love cooking too much!!! I recognise your sentiment though. I was having dinner on the terrace in the hotel overlooking the Lima in Bagni Di Lucca a few years ago. I had ordered duck with "Forest Fruits" As I took my first mouthful, three ducklings swam past me ..... Did I finish the meal??? Can't remember. lol

Try this as well

Peel and cut the potatoes as normal, then par boil, just a little time shorter then you would normally.
Then tip them out on to a board and put them on the there backs little mountains ( I cant describe it better then that,sorry ) Take a sharp knife and cut through about 50 percent of the potato lenght ways, in thin lines, so you should get about 10 cuts per pot.
Then lots of olive oil, salt and pepper, and cook in the normal way ( note to self , find another word for normal LOL )
When they are cooked, the outsides are really chrispyand the insides are mash.........yummmmmmmmmyyyyy..........good luck.........and if you need any more advise please PM me as normal ,,,ahhhhhhhhhhhh stop it :eeeek:

[quote=Gala Placidia;105480] I think I am turning vegetarian.....[/quote]

Quick, someone send Gala a Chorizo and a good Salami, that should fix things. :bigergrin:

[quote=Sally Donaldson;105483] I was having dinner on the terrace in the hotel overlooking the Lima in Bagni Di Lucca a few years ago. I had ordered duck with "Forest Fruits" As I took my first mouthful, three ducklings swam past me ..... Did I finish the meal??? Can't remember. lol[/quote]

Of course you did Sal, just as you were thinking how fresh the duck tasted. :eeeek:

Hello,
Enough with all the babble about the nutritional value or not of goose fat, his question was can he get it in Italy?
The answer is "YES" although it will be determined by how much you want it.
Most butcher's here don't sell goose fat as a normal item, but that doesn't mean you can't get it.
I would suggest going to any butcher's that's "Macelleria" and asking for "Lardo de O'ca".
They then can tell you where you can buy some.
Hope that helps

Lardo d'oca o grasso d'oca. :laughs:

Gosh I never thought that such an innocent question would cause such discussion!!!!

If I were in the uk doing Christmas for a large number (usually 16) we would have a goose as well as a turkey and save the fat (enough to last a year or so as we don't often have roast potatoes) but there will only be four of us in Italy so really not worth doing goose (esp as children don't like it). I think i will bring some with me (driving so airport security is not a problem).

As for some of the comments - can't believe them - goose fat has been popularised by many tv cooks and so all the supermarkets now sell it & why just because someone shops at asda (which might be because that is the only supermarket near to them if they are in a rural area) shouldn't they like good food. It simply makes the best roast potatoes, although duck fat is a good substitute (oil just is not an alternative). As for health concerns - if you only have it a couple of times a year it isn't going to cause health problems (even my husband who has high cholesterol agrees)

Chris

Jepson - don't worry, the comments about shopping in Asda made by Charles were tongue in cheek - of that I have no doubt. I shop at Asda not only because I find it good value, but also because I like to slum it now and again! :bigergrin:

Everyone knows anything produced in my kitchen is sublime - wherever I source the ingredients. :yes:

This looks a great recipe.

Perfect roast potatoes by Nigella Lawson

Serves 8

Preparation time less than 30 mins

Cooking time 30 mins to 1 hour

Ingredients
2½kg/5½lb potatoes
2 tbsp semolina
2 x 320g/11oz jars goose fat

Method
1. Preheat the oven to the hottest possible temperature.
2. Peel the potatoes, and cut each one into three by cutting off each end at a slant so that you are left with a wedge or triangle in the middle.
3. Place the potatoes into salted cold water in a saucepan, and bring them to a boil. Boil the potatoes for four minutes. Drain the excess water from the potatoes using a colander and then tip the potatoes back into the empty saucepan.
4. Sprinkle the semolina over the top of the potatoes. Hold a lid firmly on top of the pan and shake the potatoes around to coat them well and so that their edges disintegrate or fuzz and blur a little: this facilitates the crunch effect later.
5. Place the goose fat into a large roasting tin and heat in the oven until very hot. Then carefully place the semolina-coated potatoes into the hot fat and roast the potatoes in the oven for 45 mins to an hour or until they are darkly golden and crisp, turning them over halfway through cooking. If the oven is hot enough they probably will not need more than about 25 minutes a side; and it's better to let them sit in the oven (you can always pour off most of the fat and leave them in the tin) until the very last minute.

2 x 320g/11oz jars goose fat for 2½kg of potatoes!! :eeeek:

Jeez - that's a heart attack for each and every spud Sal, but thanks for the Nigella Lawson recipe - it links in nicely. :bigergrin:

Call me cynical, but I am highly suspicious of this new fangled highly promoted product. It rings to me of some goosemonger at a brainstorming session asking

'How can we maximise profitablity on these geese?'

Young blue-sky thinking whizz kid says

'Hey, got an idea - why don't we give Nigella a call and get her to flog the goose fat as a can't live without? We know what happens when some celebrity telly cook bulls up some ingredient - we get pre-orders from every Tesco and Sainsbury's, and if we pay her a big enough bonus she'll even get Asda on board'

'Fabby idea kid, now just what the heck do we do with the rest of the goose if your projected sales-figures for goose fat are to be believed.'

Can anybody answer this one - what DO they do with the 'rest' of the goose?

They make it into pate and tell the Asda "a bag for life" Nigellaphiles it's foie gras! :bigergrin:

[quote=juliancoll;105609]2 x 320g/11oz jars goose fat for 2½kg of potatoes!! :eeeek:

Jeez - that's a heart attack for each and every spud Sal, but thanks for the Nigella Lawson recipe - it links in nicely. :bigergrin:[/quote]

You are right there, JC, it is a recipe for a heart attack :laughs:

Well worth it though Girls!!! lol

Apropos these heart attacks, apparently the goose-fat mongers have got a line on essential fatty acids and all that stuff and goose fat is incredibly good for you, and doesn't increase cholesterol!

And, regarding faked up foie-gras - that I can believe (that it can be faked) - allegedly the 'mouth taste' (ugh!) of genuine foie-gras is to do with the smoothness of the liver meat, nothing a top of the range Cuisinart can't mimic!

We can all try the Atkinson's diet, minus the potatoes, of course. Now, I do not think that goose fat out of the jar would be very nice to eat. Give me "foie-gras" anytime, but the genuine one.... preferably from Périgord.

I think he was one Mr Atkins, and allegedly died weighing in at 400lbs!

Actually, I really do use goose fat for the roasties and the copious amount Nigella is quoting is crazy, but I don't suppose it really matters because the potatoes will only absorb so much anyway. I drain the hot fat leftover in the roasting pan back into the unused fat in the jar to reuse next time. It also improves the flavour if you reuse it.

Frugal or what? :eeeek:

Apparently in 2003, Robert Atkins died from a fatal head injury sustained in a fall on ice.[8] His untimely death came after a battle with a heart condition, cardiomyopathy, caused by a viral infection, which had caused noticeable weight fluctuation in his final years. - [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atkins_Diet]Atkins Nutritional Approach - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/url] Also - [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Atkins_(nutritionist]Robert Atkins (nutritionist - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/url])

[quote=juliancoll;105644]Actually, I really do use goose fat for the roasties and the copious amount Nigella is quoting is crazy, but I don't suppose it really matters because the potatoes will only absorb so much anyway. I drain the hot fat leftover in the roasting pan back into the unused fat in the jar to reuse next time. It also improves the flavour if you reuse it.

Frugal or what? :eeeek:[/quote]

Haven't tried pouring it back into the jar but I do keep it for ages in the fridge (when I have had a goose for Christmas)

Chris

You can also prepare a "confit" with either goose or duck and keep on using the fat. That is what the French do:
[url=http://www.waitrose.com/recipe/Confit_of_Duck.aspx]Confit of Duck recipe - Waitrose.com[/url]

This article might interest you Gala -

Spanish pigs give Nigella's goose fat recipe a roasting

Article from: Evening Standard - London Article date: December 4, 2007 Author: JONATHAN PRYNN More results for: mince pies goose fat substitute

GOOSE fat, Nigella Lawson's secret for perfect roast potatoes, has a rival Spanish pig lard.

While the bird lard is now in short supply because of avian flu outbreaks, there is no such shortage of its porcine equivalent.

The premium version is said to come from Iberico pigs in the Extremadura region of southwest Spain, where the herds roam freely and live on acorns.

The lard is recommended in this month's issue of foodie magazine Delicious. Editor Matthew Drennan said: "I tried the Iberico fat and fell in love with the results. The flavour was out of this world while providing the all-important crunchy potatoes with soft and fluffy insides.

[quote=Sally Donaldson;105680]......................GOOSE fat, Nigella Lawson's secret for perfect roast potatoes, has a rival Spanish pig lard.....................[/quote]

What is wrong with go old old fashioned 'dripping'?

When I was a kid, [several centuries ago], every time my mother cooked a joint of meat she would pour off the excess fat into the dripping bowl, where it was allowed to 'set', ready for use in the future.

The dripping was a delicious mixture of beef, pig and lamb fat - its make up depending on what had been cooked. The dripping was smeared over joints before thew were cooked, to add to the flavour.

At Christmas it was used to cook the spuds in. [In those days, we had Chicken for Christmas, as it wasn't the cheap mass produced cr@p we get today, - it was an expensive treat]

Obviously, the dripping bowl got fuller each week - Mum's must have held a couple of litres at least [probably more] - but the amount in it was also reduced regularly by [mainly] Dad having toast with dripping spread on it as a 'treat'. With a little salt and pepper, it is delicious

The trouble these days is that people would baulk at storing congealed fat in an open bowl in a cupboard [never tasted the same from the fridge] for months on end.

[I used to be fascinated by the way the different layers of fat built up over time. with the little lenses of 'meat jelly' trapped between them].

.

Thank you, Sally. Yes, the "Iberico" fat is considered very beneficial for the arteries and helps to control cholesterol. The only problem is that there are many products which are labelled as "Iberico" which are not the real thing. So it is most important to buy from a reliable supplier. Another interesting thing, there is a breed of pigs in Italy with the same characteristics of the Iberico. It comes from Tuscany and it is called "Cinta Senese". The animals are allowed to live in total freedom and their food are the acorns, bays and fruits from the woods around Siena. It is no ordinary pig. You have to check that what you are buying carries the label from the "Compagnia della Cinta senese" which guarantees its origin.

Here you have some further information on the "Cinta Senese".... although in Italian. But you can see that they are very special animals:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_sFAH_xzLU]YouTube - Maiale di cinta senese[/ame]

Lovely video footage.

[quote=alan h;105684]What is wrong with go old old fashioned 'dripping'?[/quote]

Here (oop north) we cook our chips in dripping.
None of your pansy vegetable oil!

8o)

[quote=Neil T;105744]Here (oop north) we cook our chips in dripping.
None of your pansy vegetable oil!

8o)[/quote]

And so much better they taste too - it is getting harder to find chip shops that do this though. It was one of the things I missed when I was in exile (London!):yes:

Chris