Instructions

1. Examine the goose carefully for any small holes indicating pellets of shot. Dig them out using the tip of a paring knife or a pair of small, well-sterilized tweezers. Pluck any remaining pin feathers or hairs from the carcass with pliers, or sear them off with a match or lighter.

2. Dry the goose inside and out with clean paper towels. If your slow cooker will fit the whole goose, leave it intact. Otherwise cut through the hip joints with a sharp boning knife to remove the meaty legs, then separate the breasts from the keel bone. Reserve the carcass and tough wings for making soup or broth.

3. Strip off the skin and its thick underlying layer of fat for a low-calorie meal. If you enjoy the skin and want to leave it on, first brown it and render out as much fat as possible. Score the goose's skin with your knife or puncture it liberally with a skewer, then place it skin-side down in a hot skillet. Sear the goose on all sides, until the skin is well browned and most of the fat has rendered out. Reserve the fat for other purposes.

4. Line the bottom of the slow cooker with onions, celery, carrots or any other flavoring ingredients you prefer. Place the goose on top of these ingredients, or if you've cut it into pieces put the legs on top of the aromatic vegetables and the breasts above the legs. Season the goose pieces with salt and pepper.

5. Pour in a small quantity of water, chicken broth, goose broth or other liquid, if you wish. The goose will release some juices as it cooks, but adding 1 to 2 cups of other liquid helps keep the lean meat from drying out in the cooker.

6. Slow-cook the goose on your cooker's low setting for 6 to 10 hours, depending on the size of the bird, or until it's fork-tender. Large, mature geese can take as long as 14 hours to become tender, so allow plenty of time for cooking. The finished goose can be kept warm until mealtime or reheated, if necessary.