Tomo-1 Posted December 21, 2015 Report Share Posted December 21, 2015 I was shooting clays with some fellow wildfowlers at the weekend when I was talking about cooking wildfowl. One particular gentleman said " Have you heard about the Greylag and brick method? Clean your goose, insert a clean heat brick into the goose. Cook in the oven. Remove the brick from the goose. Throw away goose. Eat the brick!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6.5x55SE Posted December 21, 2015 Report Share Posted December 21, 2015 I was shooting clays with some fellow wildfowlers at the weekend when I was talking about cooking wildfowl. One particular gentleman said " Have you heard about the Greylag and brick method? Clean your goose, insert a clean heat brick into the goose. Cook in the oven. Remove the brick from the goose. Throw away goose. Eat the brick!" That saying has been doing the rounds for over 50 year's that I know of and is Total Rubbish. Cooked right any Wild Goose is Very good eating. Over the years I've had far worse Steak from a Super Market Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomo-1 Posted December 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2015 (edited) I didn't say it was right. It just made me laugh! It's a shame to think that this may put people off of eating wild goose. I speak to various people day to day and I get the impression that 'Mr Average' thinks that wild goose is tough and poor tasting when compared to a farm raised domestic goose (which I know started life as a grey; in evolutionary terms!). I agree with the Super Market analogy. I have cooked a really nice piece of steak and managed to make it tough as old boots........easy to do! Edited December 21, 2015 by Tomo-1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richie10 Posted December 22, 2015 Report Share Posted December 22, 2015 If I hear that joke said once more...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjimmer Posted December 22, 2015 Report Share Posted December 22, 2015 I think it was coined around Brent and Coot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pushandpull Posted December 22, 2015 Report Share Posted December 22, 2015 It isn't true about Brent and Coot either. It's one of the silliest pieces of so-called wit ever, yet you hear folk, (especially those who are shooting "ditch-chickens"), trot it out as if it were sparkling and original time after time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted December 22, 2015 Report Share Posted December 22, 2015 I think it was coined around Brent and Coot. Going back to when I first started to bring any thing I shot home to eat in the 60s , the only thing I can ever remember dumping after it was cooked was a Curlew , even the brick and the oven went into the skip . A goose was a luxury to eat , apart from a Brent ( which we didn't shoot , or wernt suppose to ) , anything else was good food , we even dined on a Cygnet once , and I must say it was better than some of the geese I have eaten since those far off days . How did I get the Cygnet ? , it hit the telegraph wires on a foggy night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TONY R Posted December 22, 2015 Report Share Posted December 22, 2015 It isn't true about Brent and Coot either. It's one of the silliest pieces of so-called wit ever, yet you hear folk, (especially those who are shooting "ditch-chickens"), trot it out as if it were sparkling and original time after time. OK.. What exactly is a ditch chicken --- That is a new one on me but i have led a very sheltered life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackpowder Posted December 22, 2015 Report Share Posted December 22, 2015 I have never experienced a pinkfoot or greylag which was not delicious when properly cooked. Blackpowder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richie10 Posted December 22, 2015 Report Share Posted December 22, 2015 Some say Brent tasted OK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougall Posted December 22, 2015 Report Share Posted December 22, 2015 i thought it was originally aimed at Canadas......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandalf Posted December 22, 2015 Report Share Posted December 22, 2015 (edited) I started fowling in the 50's and was told that ridiculous 'joke' on the first flight I ever went on. Any goose can be cooked to perfection if the cook knows what they are doing. (Still makes people laugh though)! Edited December 22, 2015 by Grandalf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penelope Posted December 22, 2015 Report Share Posted December 22, 2015 Shelduck I think. i thought it was originally aimed at Canadas......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted December 22, 2015 Report Share Posted December 22, 2015 A myth reiterated by those who can't cook more than ready meals and such Canada. Greylag or pink all taste great in the right hands As with all wild feeding quarry you do get an odd strange one as it depends on what they have been eating Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperGoose75 Posted December 22, 2015 Report Share Posted December 22, 2015 I have even heard this across the pond although although it was Snowgeese that it was reffered too,Whereas the Whitefronts/specks were reffered to as The ribeye of the Sky. I have an old game cook book where there is a recipe for an Old Goose called "Grander Gander" were it basically gives a recipe for vegetable soup and then says carefully wrap the goose in newespaper and put all the veg peelings around it and dig a Hole in the Garden and by the time your finished go back and enjoy the soup and forget all about the buried Goose. People Shouldnt forget that in the days of the Market gunners all wildfowl was eaten and appreciated from Swans ,Brent waders of all sorts to seaducks.I think overtime peoples palates/tastes have changed with so much options available to eat. I have never thrown anything out that I have shot apart from a Canada goose I shot many yeras ago but thats another Story. I have eaten Curlew in curries and it was not at all that bad. Im taking it that your "Fellow Wildfowlers" were only having a laugh and it was a bit tongue in cheek' but as far as i would be concerned if anyone really believed this old wifes tale and thought that about any Goose species then they should not be shooting them in the first place.! Heres another old Saying,Although not at all in anyway Funny but i still think Holds true. There are Many people who shoot Ducks and Geese but they may not be all be Classed as Wildfowlers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomo-1 Posted December 22, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2015 I certainly agree with you SupeerGoose, if so called Wildfowlers are shooting Goose roosts. This is my first year in a fowling club, and I have spent a lot of time enjoying what I consider to be one of the last remaining wilderness areas in this country (while not having a single shot most of the time, which is not a problem as I won't starve), which I consider a privilege to be able to shoot over. So........how do you cook a Wild Goose to perfection? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subsonicnat Posted December 22, 2015 Report Share Posted December 22, 2015 Penelope was partly correct SHELDUCK,,,Also included BRENT.. Ate one 50 odd years ago.. You Wouldn't eat another... Shelduck were used as a warm seat. To keep you off the damp mud..lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reabrook Posted December 22, 2015 Report Share Posted December 22, 2015 OK.. What exactly is a ditch chicken --- That is a new one on me but i have led a very sheltered life. As no one else has answered your question Ditch Chicken = Pheasant! Or it is in our part of the world anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aister Posted December 22, 2015 Report Share Posted December 22, 2015 I have 4 kids, youngest 18 months, eldest 9 years old and they all devour any fowl I shoot....nothing more needs to be said haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjimmer Posted December 22, 2015 Report Share Posted December 22, 2015 we even dined on a Cygnet once , and I must say it was better than some of the geese I have eaten since those far off days . Cygnets reared for the table should not be allowed to get into salt water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjimmer Posted December 22, 2015 Report Share Posted December 22, 2015 i thought it was originally aimed at Canadas......... It was probably doing the rounds before there were any Canada geese in Britain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted December 22, 2015 Report Share Posted December 22, 2015 Cygnets reared for the table should not be allowed to get into salt water. Apparently its not illegal to eat Swans , the sticky bit would be getting one in the first place to eat . they used to say the Queen owned the Swans but I think I read somewhere she only own the Mute Swans . although the others are still protected . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clanchief Posted December 22, 2015 Report Share Posted December 22, 2015 I heard it was a Cormorant you stuffed with a brick marinated with diesel for two days and buried for a week before cooking up. You eat anything when you're hungry. Chiefy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjimmer Posted December 22, 2015 Report Share Posted December 22, 2015 they used to say the Queen owned the Swans but I think I read somewhere she only own the Mute Swans . although the others are still protected . Not quite right. My grandfather's cousin used to rear cygnets for his employer's table. They were never allowed to get into salt water,not sure what they were fed on, grass or Zostera. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjimmer Posted December 22, 2015 Report Share Posted December 22, 2015 A chap told be that coot should be soaked in heavily salted water for 24hrs, the water is then poured away and the procedure repeated before cooking. He is the only person that takes any of the coot drive bag home to eat. We even gave some to the Russians who were on board the 'klondikers' processing fish that local boats caught. Next day, dozens of coot were washed up on beaches nearby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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