GOOSE ROAST GOOSE WITH APPLE STUFFING
Preparation 20 minutes, plus resting Cooking 3 hours 15 minutes Serves 6 Before turkey became fashionable in the Victorian period, goose was the bird of choice for the celebration table.
FOR THE STUFFING 250g ready-to-eat stoned prunes 225ml port 25g unsalted butter 450g Bramley apples, peeled, cored and diced 1 tbsp caster sugar 2 tbsp finely chopped sage leaves FOR THE GOOSE 4.5kg goose, with giblets peanut oil FOR THE GRAVY 1 tsp plain flour 100ml port 400ml chicken stock
For the stuffing, place the prunes in a small pan with the port. Bring to the boil, then simmer over a low heat for 15-20 minutes until all but 1 tbsp of syrupy liquid remains. At the same time, melt the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat, add the apples and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring, until lightly coloured and just beginning to lose their shape. Sprinkle over the sugar and cook for a minute or so longer until you have the beginnings of an apple sauce, with whole pieces still evident. Combine the prunes and remaining syrup with the apples in a bowl, cover with a plate or clingfilm and leave to cool. Stir in the sage, and chill if preparing more than a few hours in advance. Heat oven to 220°C (200°C fan oven) gas mark 7. Place a rack in a baking tray that has a few millimetres of water in the bottom. Put 2 large sheets of foil on top of the rack, overlapping widthways, and pierce so the fat can drain through. Remove any surplus fat at
the entrance to the body cavity of the goose. Leaving the bird trussed, spoon the stuffing into the cavity, pushing it well back. Rub the goose all over with oil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Prick the skin and fat gland under each wing. Cover the legs with some of the surplus fat and wrap in foil. Place the goose, breast-side up, on the foil and wrap into a parcel. Cook for 16-17 minutes per 500g (2½ hours for 4.5kg). Roast for 30 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 200°C (180°C fan oven) gas mark 6. A third of the way into cooking, unwrap and remove the foil, leaving legs covered. Drain off any excess fat, reserving it for later, turn the bird so the breast faces down and roast for another third of the total time. Turn it breast-up again, draining off excess fat, and roast for the remainder of the cooking time. Transfer the goose to a warm serving plate, loosely cover with foil and leave to rest for 30 minutes. For the gravy, skim all but 1 tsp fat from the roasting dish, stir in the flour, dispersing lumps with the back of the spoon. Once it’s boiling, gradually stir in the port and simmer on the hob until reduced. Gradually add the chicken stock and simmer for 15 minutes, adding more stock or water if necessary. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then pass through a sieve into a warmed jug. Carve the goose and serve with a spoonful of the stuffing Serve the gravy separately.