Growing up, one of my favorite dishes was stir fried beef with Thai basil and tomato. The dish was heavily seasoned with black pepper and a little soy sauce, which gave it a deep, rich umami flavor. But the tomatoes and Thai basil were what really made it stand out. The fragrant notes of the basil and the slight tanginess of the tomatoes complimented the rich beef and bold soy and black pepper flavors. But as much as I love this dish, I don’t make it very often. It's usually around the end of summer when we have a pile of tomatoes and I’m clipping buds off the Thai basil that the idea strikes me. And at that time of the year, we’re usually eating a lot of fish instead of red meats.

This season, I was able to go on an early goose hunt in September, which is something I have only done a handful of times. It felt a little strange working birds in 90 degree weather, but the excitement of seeing geese circle the ‘X’ was the same, regardless of the heat. I ended up with a handful of giant resident birds after the hunt. Due to the warm weather, I opted to skin out the birds instead of plucking them, which left me with a bag full of legs and a sheet pan of very large goose breasts. With the fridge full of goose and the countertop covered in ripe tomatoes, the idea to make this childhood classic with goose came to fruition. 

This recipe is extremely simple: slice and marinate the goose breasts, then stir fry with tomatoes, Thai basil, and add a little slurry to thicken. The high heat and short cook time makes for a quick summer dinner, but also keeps the meat from over cooking. It won’t be medium rare, but if done right, will be closer to a medium doneness. 

The dish comes together in less than 10 minutes. The only steps that takes any time are marinating the meat and cooking the rice. 

We like to serve this dish with jasmine rice and some fresh Thai basil on the side.

Thai Basil & Tomato Goose Breast Recipe

Servings: 2-4

Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

2 goose breasts, skinned, trimmed of connective tissue, sliced crossgrain ~¼”

3 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp black pepper, coarse ground, fresh

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp cornstarch

2 tbsp water

~2 cups sliced tomatoes

¼ cup of thai basil leaves

~½ cup water

Method:

Mix the soy sauce, black pepper and oil. Pour over the sliced goose breasts and mix to evenly coat. Cover and marinate for 30 minutes to an hour.

Preheat a wok or wide heavy bottomed saute pan over high heat.

Mix 2 tbsp water and cornstarch to make a slurry, set aside.

When the pan is heated, add a thin layer of oil to the pan, then the marinated goose breasts. Allow to sear for ~30 seconds, then stir for 30 seconds to evenly brown.

Add sliced tomatoes and stir. Cook for 30 seconds. Carefully pour in about half a cup of water and stir, cook for another half minute. 

Add in slurry and stir to thicken liquids in the pan. Stir in thai basil. Remove from heat, serve immediately.