Recipe by a friend of the Food Afield Podcast, Jeff Benda. Jeff is a wild food aficionado, chef, and recipe creator in North Dakota. His recipes are so approachable and always taste amazing!
Made-from-scratch Alfredo sauce is one of the best things I ever made for my wife when we were first dating. She loved it when I made this dish! There is nothing better than pasta drenched in a delicious and creamy sauce and served with shredded goose meat and broccoli. Pasta, wild game, and veggies all in one! I love this recipe because you can let the Canada Goose cook and get tender in the crockpot all day while you are at work. Then when you get home, you can whip up the rest in just 30 minutes. The whole family will enjoy this pasta dish with its creamy, homemade Alfredo sauce. It is super easy to put together. Just toss broccoli florets and shredded goose meat with a tangle of cooked fettuccine. Shower it with grated Parmesan and serve. Grab a fork and get ready to indulge in one of my family's favorite comfort foods!
INGREDIENTS
Crock Pot Canada Goose
skinless legs and thighs from 1 Canada Goose
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Fettuccine Alfredo
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 head of broccoli, chopped (about 2 cups)
1 pound fettuccine noodles
2 Tablespoons butter
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup grated Parmesan, and a little more for garnish
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
Crock Pot Canada Goose
In the crockpot, whisk together the chicken broth, salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, and thyme.
Place the goose legs and thighs in the crockpot. Cover and cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours or on High for 5 to 6 hours, until the meat easily shreds with tongs or a fork. Discard the bones.
Fettuccine Alfredo
Bring a large pot of water to a bowl. Season the water with a pinch of salt.
While waiting for the water to boil, heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and broccoli, season with a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook the broccoli uncovered for about 3 minutes until bright green. Add in 2 Tablespoons of water and cook uncovered for about 3 more minutes until the water has evaporated. Transfer the cooked broccoli to a small bowl.
Add the fettuccine to the pot of boiling water and cook according to package instructions.
In the same skillet you cooked the broccoli, add the butter and onion and sauté for about 3 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and sauté another 1 minute.
Add the heavy cream and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the skillet. Add the grated Parmesan and cook until melted and just starting to bubble. Turn the heat to low.
When the pasta is done cooking, reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta from the water, then add the cooked pasta to the skillet with the Alfredo sauce and black pepper and toss to coat the noodles. Add in the broccoli and 1 1/2 cups of the cooked & shredded goose meat, then toss to combine. If necessary, add a little pasta water to thin the sauce to desired consistency. Garnish with parsley and more grated Parmesan and serve immediately.
Note from John: Canada Geese are so plentiful across most of the US and Canada. It does not take a lot of effort to start hunting them, to be honest. I actually haven't talked about waterfowl hunting very much on the show. It used to be a focus for me actually. Growing up in an agricultural setting, with our farmhouse overlooking a huge marsh in the valley, I was almost continually surrounded by waterfowl. Guiding for ducks and geese was actually one of my first gigs in the outfitting world. I will talk about it on the show sometime soon for those that are interested.