...Gourmet cooking on a budget
For those cooking on a greatly reduced budget, here are a couple of substitutions for that Silver Palate recipe a few posts back.
A friend of mine sent me this orange liqueur recipe that is a cheap (but just as tasty) substitute for Grand Marnier. It will produce about 2-3 bottles of Grand Marnier substitute for about 1/2 the cost. Her proviso is that if you use decent liquor (picked up on sale, natch) and let it age properly*, you will not be able to tell the difference at all between this and the top shelf stuff.
Orange Liqueur
1 fifth of brandy
1 fifth of orange Caracao
3/4 cup sugar
peel from one orange (avoid all white pith as that will make it bitter)
Combine everything in a one-gallon glass jar or wine bottle. Shake and stir and then store in a cool, dark place for a week, stirring occasionally. After a week, strain into glass bottles. Let age a minimum of a month before serving or using. The longer it ages the mellower and better it gets.
Grand Marnier cheap is also good as a substitute in any recipe that calls for orange juice, such as cranberry bread or cranberry sauce.
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ADVISORY NOTE: The instructions below were NOT provided by my friend, whom I am quite sure has never bum-rushed a goose.
Bum-Rushed Goose
1 bag cracked corn, of sufficient amount to attract waterfowl
1 bottle rot gut booze
1 urbanized park area where Canada geese congregate (such as the greenbelt along the Chena), preferably with bushes, or bridge underpasses to provide cover.
large concealing bag
knife
Thoroughly soak cracked corn with rot gut booze (the cheaper the better). Allow to sit in bag until corn has absorbed all liquor. Select open area that is attractive to geese (this presumes prior scoping to ascertain that there are indeed geese/ducks in area). Scatter corn, select hiding place, and wait. Allow sufficient time for geese to consume corn and to exhibit signs of serious intoxication. After making sure there are no cops or others that may get excited about poaching in vicinity, approach birds with stealth, grab goose, and dispatch (this takes some effort, as even an intoxicated goose may put up a fight). Promptly put in bag and retreat; clean and dress in a private, non-public place. Prepare and stuff as desired.
* this might be a problem for some who have trouble letting any liquor or beer or wine reach any age of significance in their house....
2 comments:
Of course, FBH is not advocating the poaching of geese or anything.
Nor have I ever even so much as contemplated the activity. And I always figured that it would be a great way to get beat up by a goose, which would mean a major loss CabinDwelling points.
But getting the geese loaded first? Genius.
When I lived in Seattle, the damn geese would invade all the parks and leave their St. Bernard-sized turds everywhere. Barefoot in the park? I think not.
And I agree with CabinDweller, getting the things drunk is a great idea. But does it affect the taste of the meat? Should one perhaps use the fake Grand Mariner? Sort of a pre-marinade?
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