What’s n o t g o o d f o r g o o s e i s g o o d f o r d i n n e r

Thanksgiving meals come with family traditions, and while goose might not be part of the tradition, it is a tasty alternative to turkey or ham.

Add some seasonal vegetables and a pie for dessert, and maybe a new tradition will be created.

••• Use a skewer to prick the goose’s skin but not the flesh. Place goose in a large pot and fill with water 2/3 full. Bring to a boil. Turn goose and return to a boil until tiny goose bumps form on the skin.

Remove goose from pot. Place breast side up on a rack in a roasting pan. Set in refrigerator overnight. Cook the rice the night before in 5 cups water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 45 minutes. Refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt butter over medium heat, add onion and cook until tender. Mix in cooked rice, mushrooms, egg and seasonings. Fill bird cavities with stuffing and seal with kitchen yarn.

Place goose breast side down on the rack in the roaster. Roast for 1 1/2 hours without opening the oven door. Then remove from oven, baste off fat, turn bird over and roast another hour. Remove goose from oven and transfer to a larger pan. Increase oven heat to 400 degrees F. Return goose to oven so skin will crisp more and brown. Remove when golden brown and let sit uncovered for 30 minutes.

To make the gravy, place roaster on stove top, scrape pan with wooden spoon then add the dry sherry and stir. Mix in enough starch or flour to thicken. It may be necessary to add some chicken broth to get enough gravy.

Remove stuffing, slice goose and serve with roasted root vegetables or corn casserole.

••• Mix corn with crackers and eggs. Add seasonings. Add milk. Place in a greased casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes until thick as custard. Top should be golden. Mixture should be very moist when placed in the dish, thus the possible need for more milk.

••• Mix ingredients and spoon into unbaked pie shell. Bake at 375 degrees until knife comes out clean. Serve with whipped cream.

Joyce Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net