Roast goose with shallot, sage and potato stuffing

Serves 8

Goose, being such a fatty bird, is also excellent served cold. You could cook this the day before and then the vegetables on the day, for a very relaxed Christmas.

For the stuffing

— 2kg potatoes (chippers or a variety good for mash), peeled and halved

— 50g butter

— 4 shallots, peeled and

finely sliced

— 2 garlic cloves, peeled and

sliced

— 6 sage leaves, thinly sliced — 2 apples, cored and

chopped into small pieces

For the goose

— 1 oven-ready goose — 6 strips unsmoked

streaky bacon

For the gravy

— mixed vegetables (such as an onion, a celery stick, a carrot and a leek), chopped

— a bundle of herbs (including thyme, rosemary, parsley stalks and 2 bay leaves)

— 2 garlic cloves

— 500ml wine or port — 250g redcurrant jelly — cornflour, as needed

To make the stuffing, boil the potatoes in salted water until very soft – 20-30 minutes. Drain well, season and mash throughly, then leave to one side.

In a pan, heat the butter and gently cook the shallots with the garlic, sage and apple. When softened and coming together, after about 15 minutes, add the mixture to the mashed potato, and season well. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 180C/ gas mark 4.

Empty the cavity of the goose. Keep any offal to make a stock for the gravy. Put the goose neck and giblets into a pan with the vegetables, herbs and garlic, and cover with two litres of water. Bring to the boil and simmer for about two hours, then strain the stock and skim the top.

Meanwhile, with a carving fork or other sharp utensil, prick the skin of the goose all over. Pour boiling water over the bird, then pat dry thoroughly.

Stuff the cavity of the goose with the potato mixture, packing it in well. It should bulge out slightly. Use rashers of bacon to encase it.

Rub salt into the skin of the goose and set it on a rack in an oven tray – this will prevent it from stewing in its juices. Roast for 10 minutes then turn the oven down to 150C/gas mark 2 and cook for a further hour and 20 minutes. The skin should be crisp, and when pricked the flesh should have some give.

Carefully drain off and reserve the fat and juices. Allow the bird to rest for 30 minutes before carving.

Separate the reserved goose fat from the juices (goose fat is a joy to cook with, especially potatoes as they will soak it up). Add the wine or port to the juices, stir in the redcurrant jelly, and reduce a little on the hob.

Add this to your stock and reduce down further to make a gravy – if it needs thickening, mix a little cornflour into a little stock separately, then pour this back into the main batch and stir.

Serve the carved goose with gravy and mashedpotato stuffing.