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Normandy
The blue-eyed goose, plump on grass and worm-eaten apples, which once set sail from Cherbourg for the English Christmas before taking pride of place on Norman tables for the end-of-year festivities.
Free-range poultry from Normandy.
The oie normande, known as the "blue-eyed goose", descends from the common geese that had populated Norman and Breton farmyards for centuries, resulting from a cross with the greylag goose. An indigenous breed typical of Normandy, it was originally found mainly in Manche before winning over the rest of the region thanks to the quality of its dense, exquisite meat. A variety sporting a small tuft of feathers on its head, the oie de Bavent, developed in the area around this commune in Calvados, sharing all the other characteristics of its cousin.
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Very common until the mid-20th century, the oie normande was the staple main course for Normans during the end-of-year festivities. Its culinary reputation even crossed the Channel: at the beginning of the 20th century, entire flocks, carefully reared, were shipped from Cherbourg bound for England for the British "Christmas".
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Rural exodus and post-Second World War agricultural industrialisation almost wiped out the breed, which is today reduced to a few hundred individuals and classified as "endangered" on the FAO inventory. It owes its revival to networks such as the CIVAM normands, which support its integration into farms with orchards to utilise, as well as heritage centres such as the écomusée de la Bintinais, near Rennes, which features a pair in its stock of traditional breeds.
Appearance
A solid waterfowl with blue eyes, auto-sexing from birth: the gander is entirely white, while the goose is white marked with large grey-brown patches on the wings, flanks and neck. Short, deep bill, orange like the legs. Adult weight of 4.5 to 5.5 kg for the gander, 4 to 5 kg for the goose; oven-ready, it weighs 2.5 to 2.8 kg.
Taste
Exquisite, dense meat, excellent roasted or braised — less fatty than the oie de Toulouse or oie d'Alsace due to the animal's high grass consumption.
Texture
Roasts that are low in fat owing to the grass-fed diet; meat is also prized in terrines.
short laying period, from March to late May only; white eggs weighing 80 to 120 g.
the geese are ready for consumption in time for the end-of-year festivities, with an oven-ready weight of 2.5 to 2.8 kg.
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The oie du bocage normand is eaten primarily roasted, its dense, lean meat making it a prime choice for festive meals rather than for use as foie gras. It is also well suited to being prepared in terrines. Its place is as the main course on Norman tables for Christmas and New Year's Day, continuing a tradition that once saw it board ship at Cherbourg for English Christmas tables.
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