Smoked Goose Pizza with Balsamic, Mushrooms, and Goat Cheese

Goose season has arrived, and I’m back to coming up with creative ways to utilize this lean, red meat. This savory, specialty pizza is loaded with flavor and toppings—complete with a creamy parmesan balsamic sauce, caramelized mushrooms and red onions, freshly harvested smoked Canadian goose breast, baby arugula leaves, and mozzarella + goat cheeses.

This idea spawned as I was thinking up a menu for my father-in-law’s birthday dinner that I was hosting. Knowing my father-in-law, not only does he love all food, but he especially appreciates home-grown, self-harvested, fresh-caught ingredients. Since goose season had just begun, I wanted to incorporate a honker into the meal; an ingredient to pique my father-in-law’s interest. And since I just so happened to be craving pizza that week, I decided a goose pizza it will be! Now we just had to actually get a goose…

After days of wading through the muck and cattails of our 3 acre pond while praying for a goose, we ended up having some luck with hunting ducks, but still… no goose. With the birthday dinner quickly approaching, it looked like I would be modifying the recipe to a duck pizza rather than goose pizza. Then, Saturday evening, the day before the birthday get-together, with 3 minutes left to spare before sunset, my hubby scored not one but TWO geese flying over the pond as I paddled him around in our canoe. Our golden retriever, Barley, jumped out of the canoe and proudly retrieved the geese. And so we had our goose pizza!

Ingredients

For the goose:

• (1) Canadian goose breast

• Water

• 1/3 cup black cherry balsamic vinegar

• 2 tbsp. rubbed sage

• 1 tbsp. garlic powder

• 1 tbsp. onion powder

For the pizza dough:

• 3/4 cup + 3 tbsp. water, heated to 80-90 degrees Fahrenheit

• 2 tsp. active dry yeast

• 1/2 tsp. sugar

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 2 tbsp. olive oil

• 2-1/2 cups flour

For the creamy balsamic sauce:

• 2 tbsp. olive oil

• 2 tbsp. butter

• 1/2 onion, minced

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 2 tbsp. black cherry balsamic vinegar

• 2 tsp. chicken powder or bouillon granules

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

For the mushrooms and onions:

• 8 oz. baby portabella mushrooms, sliced

• 1/2 red onion, sliced into thin strips

• 4 tbsp. butter

• Garlic powder

• Fresh cracked pepper

Remaining toppings/assembly:

• 1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella

• 1-4 to 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese

• 1/4 to 1/2 cup fresh baby arugula leaves

• Drizzle of balsamic reduction or glaze

Instructions

For the goose:

• Place your cleaned goose breast in a dish or bowl and add enough water so that the breast is covered. Add the black cherry balsamic, rubbed sage, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and fresh cracked pepper. Gently stir to distribute the seasonings.

• Cover and refrigerate the goose in the brine for 24-48 hours.

• Pat dry the goose breast and let rest for 2 hours before placing on the smoker.

• Inside, on the grate of the smoker, place an oven-safe dish or pan full of water. This will create moisture within the smoker to help your goose from completely drying out.

• Prepare your smoker so that it ranges between 200-250F. Smoke goose for approximately 2-3 hours or until internal temperature is between 140-150F. Keep in mind, the goose will cook more when cooking the pizza.

  • Note: I recommend using apple wood for smoking goose

We smoked both breasts and thighs from the goose but only used one of the breasts for the pizza.

• Remove goose from smoker, wrap in foil, and let rest for 15 minutes. Then cut the goose breast into 1/4” slices, checking for BB’s ;) , then pull slices apart into small pieces using your fingers. Set aside until assembling the pizza.

For the pizza dough:

• Preheat oven to 400F

• To a medium sized bowl, add the water. Microwave for 30-45 seconds. Check the water temperature and make sure it is between 80-90F. Add in the active dry yeast and let sit for 5 minutes before stirring to dissolve.

• Stir in the sugar, salt, and olive oil. Add in the flour then knead until mixture forms into dough. It will be slightly sticky. Let dough rest for 10 minutes, then roll out on a lightly floured surface until dough forms a 12-14” circle.

• Place on a greased pizza pan, prick with a fork to prevent bubbling, and pre-bake for 7 minutes in the preheated oven.

• Set aside until you’re ready to add toppings.

For the creamy balsamic sauce:

• Heat olive oil and butter in a small pan over medium heat. Add in the minced onion and sauté for approximately 5 minutes, until onion has caramelized to a golden brown.

• Add the balsamic and cook for another minute. Then stir in the chicken powder/bouillon and heavy cream. Bring to a simmer and allow to reduce for 5-10 minutes, until thickened, then turn off heat and stir in the Parmesan. Set aside until assembling the pizza.

For the mushrooms and onions:

• Heat butter in a medium sized pan over medium-high heat. Add in the red onion slices and sauté for 2-3 minutes, then add in the mushroom slices, season with garlic powder and fresh cracked pepper, and sauté for another 3-5 minutes or until onions and mushrooms begin to caramelize. Don’t overcook them as they will cook more when atop the pizza.

• Remove from heat and set aside until assembling the pizza.

Remaining toppings/assembly:

• Spread the creamy balsamic sauce onto the pre-baked pizza crust.

• Sprinkle on 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella.

• Layer on the goose pieces, mushrooms, red onions, baby arugula, and remaining 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella.

• Top with the goat cheese crumbles.

• Bake pizza at 400F for approximately 12-15 minutes.

• Let cool for 5 minutes, then drizzle on the balsamic reduction/glaze and serve!

Smoked Goose Pizza w/ Balsamic, Mushrooms, Goat Cheese

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Yield: 12-14" pizza

Author: Crystal Magiera

Prep time: 25 MinCook time: 3 Hourinactive time: 26 H & 25 MTotal time: 29 H & 50 M

Ingredients

For the goose

• (1) Canadian goose breast
• Water
• 1/3 cup black cherry balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp. rubbed sage
• 1 tbsp. garlic powder
• 1 tbsp. onion powder

For the pizza dough

• 3/4 cup + 3 tbsp. water, heated to 80-90 degrees Fahrenheit
• 2 tsp. active dry yeast
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 cups flour

For the creamy balsamic sauce

• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1/2 onion, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp. black cherry balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp. chicken powder or bouillon granules
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

For the mushrooms and onions

• 8 oz. baby portabella mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 red onion, sliced into thin strips
• 4 tbsp. butter
• Garlic powder
• Fresh cracked pepper

Remaining toppings/assembly

• 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
• 4 to 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup fresh baby arugula leaves
• Drizzle of balsamic reduction or glaze

Instructions

For the goose

1. Place your cleaned goose breast in a dish or bowl and add enough water so that the breast is covered. Add the black cherry balsamic, rubbed sage, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and fresh cracked pepper. Gently stir to distribute the seasonings.
2. Cover and refrigerate the goose in the brine for 24-48 hours.
3. Pat dry the goose breast and let rest for 2 hours before placing on the smoker.
4. Inside, on the grate of the smoker, place an oven-safe dish or pan full of water. This will create moisture within the smoker to help your goose from completely drying out.
5. Prepare your smoker so that it ranges between 200-250F. Smoke goose for approximately 2-3 hours or until internal temperature is between 140-150F. Keep in mind, the goose will cook more when cooking the pizza.
6. Note: I recommend using apple wood for smoking goose
7. Remove goose from smoker, wrap in foil, and let rest for 15 minutes. Then cut the goose breast into 1/4” slices, checking for BB’s ;) , then pull slices apart into small pieces using your fingers. Set aside until assembling the pizza.

For the pizza dough

1. Preheat oven to 400F
2. To a medium sized bowl, add the water. Microwave for 30-45 seconds. Check the water temperature and make sure it is between 80-90F. Add in the active dry yeast and let sit for 5 minutes before stirring to dissolve.
3. Stir in the sugar, salt, and olive oil. Add in the flour then knead until mixture forms into dough. It will be slightly sticky. Let dough rest for 10 minutes, then roll out on a lightly floured surface until dough forms a 12-14” circle.
4. Place on a greased pizza pan, prick with a fork to prevent bubbling, and pre-bake for 7 minutes in the preheated oven.
5. Set aside until you're ready to add toppings.

For the creamy balsamic sauce

1. Heat olive oil and butter in a small pan over medium heat. Add in the minced onion and sauté for approximately 5 minutes, until onion has caramelized to a golden brown.
2. Add the balsamic and cook for another minute. Then stir in the chicken powder/bouillon and heavy cream. Bring to a simmer and allow to reduce for 5-10 minutes, until thickened, then turn off heat and stir in the Parmesan. Set aside until assembling the pizza.

For the mushrooms and onions

1. Heat butter in a medium sized pan over medium-high heat. Add in the red onion slices and sauté for 2-3 minutes, then add in the mushroom slices, season with garlic powder and fresh cracked pepper, and sauté for another 3-5 minutes or until onions and mushrooms begin to caramelize. Don’t overcook them as they will cook more when atop the pizza.
2. Remove from heat and set aside until assembling the pizza.

Remaining toppings/assembly

1. Spread the creamy balsamic sauce onto the pre-baked pizza crust.
2. Sprinkle on 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella.
3. Layer on the goose pieces, mushrooms, red onions, baby arugula, and remaining 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella.
4. Top with the goat cheese crumbles.
5. Bake pizza at 400F for approximately 12-15 minutes.
6. Let cool for 5 minutes, then drizzle on the balsamic reduction/glaze and serve!

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