Colonial Goose

Colonial goose is a preparation of roast leg of lamb or mutton popular as a dish in New Zealand until the last quarter of the 20th century.

Early colonial pioneers in New Zealand had sheep aplenty, but goose was relatively scarce. To prepare dishes similar to those they had back home in the old country the pioneers were very inventive. Colonial goose is now a recognised classic, with some restaurants featuring it as a main attraction at midwinter festivities (21 June in New Zealand).

It involves the careful boning out a leg of lamb, stuffing it with honey and dried apricots, (in addition to traditional stuffing based on breadcrumbs, onion, parsley and thyme or sage) and then marinating it in a red wine based marinade which even gives it the appearance of goose when cooked.

Famous quotes containing the words colonial and/or goose:

    Are you there, Africa with the bulging chest and oblong thigh? Sulking Africa, wrought of iron, in the fire, Africa of the millions of royal slaves, deported Africa, drifting continent, are you there? Slowly you vanish, you withdraw into the past, into the tales of castaways, colonial museums, the works of scholars.
    Jean Genet (1910–1986)

    My neighbors tell me of their adventures with famous gentlemen and ladies, what notabilities they met at the dinner-table; but I am no more interested in such things than in the contents of the Daily Times. The interest and the conversation are about costume and manners chiefly; but a goose is a goose still, dress it as you will.
    Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)