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Not only can you eat goose eggs, but once you try some of these goose egg recipe ideas, you’ll always want to keep those eggs on hand!
Article by Kirsten Lee Nielsen – What do you do with an egg that’s two or three times the size of a chicken egg, with roughly a 1 to 1 ratio of yolk to white and a thick, hard-to-break shell? You’ve got a goose egg, and while it’s not commonly seen on menus, it’s the main ingredient in some delicious recipes.
Unlike chickens and ducks, geese are seasonal layers that only produce 50 to 100 eggs per year, depending on the breed of geese. These eggs are laid in the spring, approximately from February to May, and require some skill to collect, as geese are known to be very protective of their nests. Once safely in your kitchen, a goose egg is a scary thing to do. It can weigh up to 200 grams, compared to a chicken egg’s 50-70 grams. When cracked, the yolk is bulky and deep orange in color, and the white is thicker and harder to beat than other eggs.
Can you eat goose eggs?
Everything is bigger in a goose egg. These eggs contain more protein, calories, and vitamins than their chicken counterpart. They also have a stronger flavor; The size and dark orange color of the yolks means they will make a colorful batter, and the density of their whites means that using them in a batter will create a thicker, denser batter.
While it may seem like getting 50 to 100 eggs in the spring isn’t much if you have geese, you’ll be surprised at how quickly geese eggs can overwhelm you. So, what do you make with this delicacy? The following recipes are some of my favorite things to make with goose eggs.
In addition to our goose egg recipe ideas, goose eggs can be fried just like traditional breakfast eggs! It can be hard-boiled too, taking 10 to 13 minutes compared to a 5-minute chicken egg. Include them in any recipe that calls for eggs—just keep in mind their size.
Goose eggs recipe ideas
So, not only can you cook with goose eggs, but you will find that recipes can be richer and more delicious. Plus, it’s always fun to explain these eggs and show guests their huge shells before delighting them with homemade custard or pasta. Don’t let a good goose egg go to waste!
One goose egg omelette
One goose egg is the perfect size for making one omelet. You can mix any tasty toppings into your omelet that you like.
Yield: 1 serving.
ingredients
- 2 tablespoons of butter, divided
- 1/2 chopped onion
- 1/2 cup sliced ​​mushrooms
- 1 goose egg
- 2 ounces of grated cheddar cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
directions
- In a cast iron skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Sauté onions and mushrooms until brown, then remove from heat.
- Using a clean skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the butter. When the butter has melted, crack the goose eggs into a small bowl and whisk until well combined.
- Pour eggs into skillet and cook until edges come together. Add onion, mushroom and cheese mixture to ½ egg. Add salt and pepper and cook 1 to 2 minutes.
- Use a spoon to fold and serve the omelet. Enjoy with a side salad.
Goose Egg Custard
Perhaps the tastiest goose egg recipe, this melt-in-your-mouth custard is delicious.
Yield: 1 custard.
ingredients
- 4 cups of full fat milk
- 2 goose eggs
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- a pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon of vanilla
directions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, place a large baking sheet in the oven with about 1 inch of water in the pan to warm in the oven.
- Heat the milk in a saucepan, stirring regularly, until it starts to boil.
- Mix the goose eggs, maple syrup, salt, and vanilla in a large bowl. Very slowly, pour the egg mixture into the hot milk, stirring constantly.
- Pour the mixture into an 8-inch pie pan or prepared ramekins. Carefully place the custard on a baking sheet in the water. Bake for 40 minutes, or until custard has set and is flaky.
Goose Egg Pasta
Goose eggs are especially prized by pasta makers, because their colorful yolks make bright yellow pasta. Here is a simple goose egg noodle recipe at home using a single goose egg.
ingredients
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour
- salt 1/2 tsp
- 1 goose egg
- 3 tablespoons of cold water
- 1/2 cup of olive oil
directions
- Whisk the flour and salt together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the water and olive oil to the eggs and mix them together.
- Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture. Mix the mixture until it forms a stiff dough.
- Pour the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes. Cover the dough and let it rest for 20 minutes.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and use a rolling pin to flatten it, letting it rest periodically, until the noodles are very thin. Let it rest again, preferably over a pasta dehydrator, for 45 minutes.
- Finally, cut the noodles into thin slices (depending on your preference). Pour pasta into boiling salted water, cook 3 to 4 minutes, and serve.
Uses of goose eggshells
When you’re done with the goose egg recipe, what do you do with all those shells?
The other unique feature of the goose egg is how thick its shell is. You will notice when trying to open a goose egg that it takes a lot more effort than opening an ordinary chicken egg or even a duck egg. Close examination will also reveal a more open porous structure on the shell. These features make goose eggs desirable to those who practice the art of egg carving.
Eggshells hold up very well when carved, and their larger size means they can show more intricate designs. Carved eggs can be an Easter tradition or make beautiful decorations on a Christmas tree. Additionally, due to their porous shell, goose eggs hold dye better than chicken or duck eggs and are sought after in the Ukrainian Easter tradition. Pysanky– Decorated eggs with exquisite details using the hot wax technique.
Kristen Lee-Nielsen is a writer and farmer in Liberty, Maine, where she and her husband are restoring a 200-year-old farm and raising Nigerian dwarf goats and babydoll sheep. She is the author of two books about homesteading, The Modern Homesteader’s Guide to Keeping Geese and So You Want to Be a Modern Homesteader, and she shares farming knowledge via her Hostile Valley Living website and social media, as well as giving occasional tutorials.
Originally published as “Cooking with Goose Eggs” in the March/April 2023 issue of Grit Magazine.