Season’s-End Sausage: Apricot Tarragon Goose Sausage

After our big-game seasons end, we always turn our attention to waterfowl. For us, goose hunting is usually a large-group effort, and that means we’re dealing with lots of geese and lots of goose meat by the end of the season. I have experimented with different ways to transform that bounty into something that can be appreciated all year. I’m an advocate for using all of the meat from the birds we harvest, not just the breasts, so I also wanted to develop a recipe that would make this easy to do.

After considerable trial and error, I came up with this sweet and savory sausage preparation, which can be used with any ducks or geese you might have on hand. Perfect for a snack or appetizer, this apricot-infused sausage has all the sophistication needed to impress dinner guests, and you can enjoy it in a variety of different ways throughout the year. For hors d’oeuvres, we smoke the sausage; then we toast some thin baguette slices on a griddle, drizzle them with olive oil, and top them with chèvre goat cheese, a medallion of sausage, and a dollop of sweet and spicy pepper jelly. The sweetness from the apricots and pepper jelly pairs nicely with the creamy goat cheese, and the savory sausage finishes the appetizer perfectly.

Apricot Tarragon Goose Sausage

Preparation Time: 1 1/2 hours
Yield: 20 pounds of sausage
Equipment: sausage grinder, 3/8-inch grinding plate, sausage stuffer

INGREDIENTS

• 15 pounds goose meat
• 4 pounds pork butts or 50/50 trim (50 percent fat and 50 percent meat), partially frozen
• 1 pound bacon, frozen
• 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh tarragon leaves
• 4 cups dried whole apricots
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 teaspoons pink salt #2
• 1 1/2 cups cognac
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons white pepper
• 3 teaspoons nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
• 1 tablespoon New Mexico chili powder
• Natural pig casings

PREPARATION

1. Dice goose meat into grindable chunks (smaller than 2 inches in diameter). Dice pork butts or 50/50 trim to about the same size. Coarsely dice bacon. Mix all meat together and grind with a meat grinder through a 3/8-inch plate.

2. Combine the tarragon and whole apricots. Then blend this evenly with the ground meat and run the entire mixture through the grinder again with the 3/8-inch plate.

3. Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl, mix thoroughly, and add to the ground meat mixture.

4. Using the sausage stuffer, load the meat and begin filling the casings slowly. Pop any bubbles in the casing with a toothpick. You can make either links or round coils for packaging. I prefer coils, and I usually stuff approximately 24 inches of casing for each coil.

5 .Coil the sausage links tightly in preparation for wrapping and sealing. Tightly wrap each coil in plastic wrap with as little air as possible, then wrap in freezer paper and place in the freezer. You can also vacuum-seal the coils before freezing.

About the Author

Rick Matney is a passionate wild game chef and the owner of Chrome Chasers, a premier fishing lodge located in Wrangell, Alaska. A dedicated big game and bird hunter, Rick founded Wild Game Chef to inspire fellow hunters to make the most of their harvests. His culinary approach emphasizes sustainability and respect for nature, encouraging others to appreciate the full bounty of their hunting and fishing experiences. Rick spends much of his time guiding trout anglers in Montana and at his Alaska fishing lodge. Visit his websites at wildgamechef.com, chromechasers.com, and rickmatneyoutdoors.com.