Try a twist on the traditional turkey dinner this Christmas
Goose is, in fact, more traditional than turkey, as it's the bird of Victorian Christmas rhymes and menus. It is more expensive than turkey, however, and does not give as much meat, pound for pound. But the meat is sumptuous, rich and gamey and makes a wonderful treat for a big celebration. And a goose gives you more than just meat and a carcass for wonderful stock. It offers the best kind of fat for the most sublime roast potatoes.
Guide to good goose
Preparing
- A good rule of thumb is that a 10lb bird (oven-ready weight, including giblets) will feed 8 people. Buy fresh if possible, or if you buy a frozen goose, allow 4-5 days to defrost.
- To reduce the amount of fat given off by the goose, pull off any pads of fat around the entrance to the cavity. (If you're using the goose fat to cook roast potatoes in, melt these fat pads in a pan to which you'll add the other fat that comes off the goose while cooking.)
- Prod the goose all over with the tines of a fork to puncture the skin. Then pour over it a kettle of boiling water. This helps to release the fat.
- For really crispy skin, you should dry the goose as best you can. The easiest way is to thread a string through the cavity and tie it like a parcel and make a loop of the ends. Slot a coat hanger hook through the loop and hang the goose in a cool airy place, like a cellar or outside garage, or at a window you can open without making the rest of the house too chilly. Put a dish underneath to catch the drippings. Leave the goose overnight. Alternatively, place the goose in front of a cool fan, turning it round every now and then, or leave the goose, uncovered, in the fridge overnight. If you have a morning to spare, you could lay the goose on a baking rack and go at it with a cold hairdryer while reading a book. Whichever way you choose, you know it is dry enough when the skin feels dry and papery to the touch.
Cooking
- Preheat the oven to 425°F/220°C/gas mark 7. Stuff the goose with a chestnut-and-sausagemeat or sage-onion-and-breadcrumbs stuffing.
- Rub the goose with salt and pepper and put it on a high rack in a roasting tin so it stands clear of the fat that will pour out as it cooks.
- Roast for 30 minutes. Then turn the temperature down to 350°F/180°C/gas mark 4 and cook for another 2 - 3 hours. Don't baste the goose or the skin will go soggy, but drain off the fat from the pan repeatedly during the cooking. If it overflows, you'll fill the kitchen with billowing smoke. You want to drain as much fat off as you can. (Even if you don't eat roast potatoes, who wants a greasy goose?). The fat can be stored in a screw-topped jar in the fridge.
Next: gravy and sauce
Goose gravy
If your goose came with giblets (it certainly should have done), put them in a small saucepan with 570ml water, a whole onion (leave the onion unpeeled if you want it to impart some of its colour), a peeled carrot, peppercorns and a bay leaf and simmer for at least an hour to make stock. When the goose is cooked and the pan drained of fat, deglaze it by tossing in a small wineglass of white wine or a slosh of brandy and scraping up the juices over a low flame. Then add enough stock to make a jugful of gravy.
Sauce for the goose
Goose pairs splendidly with fruit, so for a sauce that both cuts and complements its richness, soak 225g pitted prunes in apple juice or cider, and peel, core and chop the same amount of cooking apple - about one very large Bramley. When the prunes are soft, simmer them in the liquid until pulpy, then mash them down with a fork. Melt a knob of butter or goose fat in a saucepan, and gently soften a finely chopped small onion. Add the apple and cook until soft, then throw in the prunes, 2 tbsp sugar and as much of the prune cooking liquid as will make a chutney-thick sauce.
To serve
Serve with potatoes roasted in the goose fat, broccoli cooked till still slightly crisp, or some slow-cooked spicy red cabbage.
Chances are, after a feast this good, you'll never go back to turkey.