ingredients
serves 6
11 pound goose, with giblets
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons Butter, plus extra to grease
3 red-skinned apples
4 sage sprigs, plus extra to garnish
2 tbsp golden superfine sugar
GRAVY
1 tablespoon butter
1 onion, peeled and cut into quarters
1 celery stick, sliced
1 tsp black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
bouquet garni (parsley and thyme sprigs)
2 tbsp All purpose flour
1/4 pint red wine
2 tbsp redcurrant jelly
STUFFING
1/2 cup wild rice
1/2 pound rindless fatty bacon, cut into short strips
2 red onions, about 1/2 pound, peeled and finely chopped
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1 medium egg, beaten
method
1. To make stock for the gravy, put the giblets, except the liver, into a large pan with the butter. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden. Add 3 pints cold water and bring slowly to the boil, skimming the surface. Add the peppercorns and herbs. Simmer, partly covered, for 1-2 hours or until well flavoured. Strain the stock and set aside; there should be about 1 pint.
2. To make the stuffing, put the wild rice into a pan, add 1 1/2 pints cold water and 1/4 tsp salt, and bring to the boil. Simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes or until the rice is cooked. Drain and cool.
3. Dry-fry the bacon in a large skillet until lightly browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and put into a bowl. (If you want to use the goose liver, cook it in the same pan for 2 - 3 minutes, cool, chop finely, then add
to the bacon.) Add the onions to the skillet and cook gently until softened. Add the cranberries and cook for 1 - 2 minutes, then add the mixture to the bacon and leave to cool. Add the cooked rice and egg, season with salt and pepper, then stir thoroughly to combine.
4. To make the goose easier to carve, remove the wishbone from the neck by lifting the flap and cutting around the bone with a small knife, then take out. Using your fingers, ease the skin away from the flesh to make room for the stuffing, Put the goose on a tray in the sink and pour a generous amount of just-boiled water over it. Pat dry with kitchen paper.
5. Pack the neck of the goose with half of the stuffing and secure the opening with skewers, or using a trussing needle threaded with fine string. Wrap the remaining stuffing in a buttered sheet of foil. Season the goose cavity, then put in one whole apple and the sage sprigs.
6. Stand the goose on a rack placed in a roasting tin and season generously with salt and pepper. Roast at 230°C (210°C fan oven) mark 8 for 30 minutes, basting occasionally with the fat that is rendered, then remove and reserve the excess fat.
7. Lower the oven setting to 190°C (170°C fan oven) and cook for a further 2 1/2 hours, removing the excess fat every 20 minutes. About 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time, put the parcel of stuffing into the oven. To test whether the goose is cooked, pierce the thigh with a skewer - if it's cooked, the juices will run clear.
8. Remove the goose from the oven and put on a board. Cover with foil and leave to rest in a warm place for at least 20 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the other 2 apples into thick wedges, removing the cores. Heat the butter in a heavy-based skillet until it is no longer foaming. Add the apple wedges with the sugar and stir-fry over a high heat for 4-5 minutes until caramelised; set aside.
9. To make the gravy, drain off all but 3 tbsp fat from the roasting tin. Add the flour and stir to make a smooth paste. Add the wine and boil for 5 minutes, then stir in the stock and redcurrant jelly. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Strain before serving.
10. Carve the goose and serve garnished with sage, and accompanied by the stuffing and apples.
note; Keep the excess goose fat in the fridge - it's perfect for roasting potatoes.
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