Roast goose with two stuffings
- Preparation and cooking time
- Total time
- Plus 20 minutes resting time
- More effort
- Serves 8
Ingredients
- One 4-5.5kg/9-12lb young, free-range goose
For the outside-in stuffing
- 110g/4oz dried cranberries
- 60ml/2fl oz ruby port
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 rashers unsmoked back bacon, cut into strips
- 45g butter
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 450g/1lb sausagemeat/minced meat
- 85g/3oz fresh white or brown breadcrumbs, from a good quality loaf
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- ½ tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
- 150g/5oz peeled, cooked chestnuts, roughly chopped
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
For the shallot, sage, hazelnut and orange stuffing
- 350g/12oz shallots, thinly sliced
- 60g/2oz butter
- 15g/½oz caster sugar
- 1 orange, finely grated zest and juice only
- 3 heaped tbsp fresh sage, chopped
- 85g/3oz roasted, skinned hazelnuts, roughly chopped
- 150g/5oz fresh white breadcrumbs, from a good quality loaf
- 1 egg, beaten
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Method
- STEP 1To make the outside-in stuffing, soak the cranberries in the port for an hour. Fry the onion and bacon gently in the butter until the onion is tender and the bacon cooked. Add the garlic and fry for another minute or so. Cool slightly then mix with the remaining ingredients, including the cranberries and port, adding enough of the egg to bind. Fry a small piece of stuffing to test seasoning and adjust accordingly.
- STEP 2To make the hazelnut and orange stuffing, fry the shallots gently in the butter until golden, then add the sugar and the orange juice. Simmer until the liquid has virtually all evaporated leaving a delicious jammy mass of shallots. Pour boiling water over the sage, leave for one minute, then drain and squeeze dry. Add to the shallots, along with all the other ingredients. Fry a small piece of stuffing to test seasoning and adjust accordingly
- STEP 3Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5.
- STEP 4To prepare the goose, trim the excess fat from inside the goose. Pack the 'outside-in' stuffing into the neck end of the goose, pressing it firmly and then tucking the flap of skin neatly down around it. Secure firmly underneath with wooden cocktail sticks or a metal skewer.
- STEP 5Fill three-quarters the stomach cavity with the hazelnut and orange stuffing.
- STEP 6Prick the skin of the goose all over with a fork. Season with salt and pepper. Lay some of the fat removed from the cavity over the thighs to keep them moist. Cover with foil and place on a rack in the oven with a tray underneath so that you can empty out the fat regularly.
- STEP 7Roast a 4kg/9lb goose for three hours, a 4.5-5kg/10-11lb goose for three-and-a-half hours and a 5.5kg/12lb goose for four hours.
- STEP 8Remove the foil for 30-40 minutes before the end of the cooking time so that the skin can brown and crisp. To test it is cooked, pierce the fattest part of the thigh with a skewer. If the juices run clear then the bird is done.
- STEP 9Rest for 20-30 minutes, oven turned off with the door ajar, before carving.
