ROAST STUFFED GOOSE WITH APPLES & PRUNES IN ARMAGNAC

This is quite simply the best recipe for goose that I know. It has a classic English forcemeat stuffing made with the goose liver along with pork, sage and onion, with a second spicy prune and apple stuffing, and then it’s served with prunes that have been soaked in Armagnac. All this together makes a wonderful combination of flavours. Serve it with crunchy roast potatoes (see page 65) and the sauteed red cabbage, right.

Serves 8

1 young goose with giblets, weighing 4.5kg-5.5kg (10lb-12lb 4oz) oven-ready A little wine for the gravy Salt and freshly milled black pepper

For the prunes in Armagnac

350g (12oz) no-soak prunes 150ml (5fl oz) Armagnac 50g (1¾oz) granulated sugar

For the apple stuffing

700g (1lb 8oz) Bramley apples, cut roughly into 1cm (½in) slices 225g (8oz) no-soak prunes, roughly chopped 1 large onion, roughly chopped 2 tablespoons Armagnac

teaspoon ground cloves ¼ teaspoon ground mace Seasoning

For the forcemeat stuffing

The goose liver, finely chopped 1 Cox’s apple, cored and finely chopped (no need to peel) 275g (9¾oz) minced pork or goodquality pork sausagemeat 1 medium onion, finely chopped 50g (1¾oz) breadcrumbs 1 tablespoon chopped sage Seasoning Large roasting tin with rack and skewer

Preheat the oven to 220°C/gas 7. You can prepare the prunes several days in advance.

Pop them in a saucepan with the Armagnac and sugar. Bring up to simmering point, then cool, cover and keep in the fridge.

Make the apple stuffing by mixing all the ingredients together and make the forcemeat stuffing too, by mixing all the ingredients together.

When you are ready to cook the goose, begin by placing the forcemeat stuffing into the neck flap end of the bird, pressing it in as far as you can, tucking the neck flap all round it and patting it with your hands to make a rounded shape.

Secure the flap underneath with a small skewer.

Next, place the apple stuffing in the body cavity as it is – although it looks raw and chunky, after cooking it will collapse to a fluffy mass.

Season the goose well with salt and pepper, lay it on a rack in a roasting tin, then place it in the centre of the preheated oven.

Give it 30 minutes’ initial cooking, then reduce the temperature to 180°C/ gas 4 and roast another 3 hours.

That is for a 5kg (11lb) goose plus stuffing; allow 15 minutes less for a 4.5kg (10lb) bird, 15 minutes more for a 5.5kg (12lb 4oz) one. Meanwhile, make a stock with the giblets, following the method on page 6.

When the goose is cooked the juices will run clear if you pierce the thickest part of the leg with a skewer.

Remove the bird to a serving dish, snap off the wing tips and allow to rest for 20 minutes or so before serving.

Now drain off the fat from the tin and make a rich dark gravy from the remaining residue, the giblet stock and a little wine.

Then heat the prunes gently in a frying pan and transfer them to a warmed serving dish.

After carving the goose give each person a little of each of the stuffings, and serve the gravy and prunes separately.