Easter. You might think of bunnies and egg-hunting, but for the avid waterfowler, it means spring snow goose season. Depending on what date Easter falls on and when the geese migrate, hunters can often count on fresh snow goose to prepare for Easter dinner.

Sous-vide cooking is gaining in popularity. A temperature-regulated water bath cooks meat or brings it up to a precise temperature. No moisture can escape from meat in a sealed bag, making for tremendous flavour.

Cooking goose medium or medium-rare ensures it is moist, flavourful, and most importantly, tender. Let’s make even doubters want more white geese for Easter.

Ingredients:

• 4 snow goose breasts, skinless and boneless
• 4 sprigs fresh sage
• 2 tsp poultry seasoning
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• 8 juniper berries, crushed
• 2 tbsp butter, melted
• 2 tbsp oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Rinse goose breasts with cold water and pat dry. Sprinkle with poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Gently rub in the spices so they hold tight to the meat.
2. Place goose breasts in a zipper bag or vacuum sealer bag, so they are just touching. Place a sprig of sage on each breast (or ¼ tsp of dried sage if fresh isn’t available), press garlic into the bag, and add juniper berries, so they are evenly distributed. Drizzle the meat with melted butter and seal the bags, so there is no air in them.
3. Use a large pot or plastic sous-vide cooking station and fill it with enough water to cover the bag of goose breasts. Insert the sous-vide wand and set the temperature to 140°F, with a cooking time of 2 hours.
4. After two hours, heat oil in a cast iron fry pan. Remove goose breasts from the sous-vide pot. Open the bag, remove the breasts, and place them in the hot oil to brown quickly. Cook for 1-2 minutes per side, then let rest for a couple of minutes in foil.
5. Slice the breasts and serve with cranberry sauce or jalapeno jelly.

Tip: Air in your zipper or vacuum sealer bag means it will float. To maintain even heat in the goose breasts and cook to the perfect temperature, they need to be submerged when cooking. Use a metal paperclip to hold the bag in place within your cooking vessel if necessary.