ROAST GOOSE WITH SAGE & ONION STUFFING

I can understand why turkey overtook goose as the preferred bird for Christmas in the 19th century – turkeys are much meatier – but I wonder if we’re not missing a treat. The flavour of goose, particularly of the fat, is so much more interesting. I’ve tri

roasting tin. Roast for 30 minutes, then remove from the oven and lower the temperature to 180°C/ fan 160°C/gas 4.

Using two wooden spoons, lift the goose on to a board (you don’t want to pierce the skin). Pour off the excess fat from the roasting tin, then replace the goose on the rack. You can keep the fat for future roast potatoes, if you like. Put the goose back in the oven and roast for a further 1½-2 hours, or until the juices run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced with a skewer.

Halfway through the cooking time, pour off any excess fat if necessary.

Meanwhile, to make the stuffing, fry the onions in 75g of the goose fat you removed and sieved in the beginning, until soft and very lightly browned. Put the lemon zest, breadcrumbs, sage and parsley in a bowl, add the onions and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the beaten egg to bind the mixture together. Spoon the stuffing into a well-greased terrine dish or loaf tin, cover with a lid or foil and set aside.

To make the giblet stock for the gravy, fry the bacon, giblets and vegetables in a little goose fat until golden brown. Pour off the excess fat, add 1.2ltr (2pt) water and the

Not being a neat carver, I like to do it in the kitchen and take slices to the table on a warm plate, along with the gravy and stuffing, apple sauce (right), roast potatoes (p42) and veg. bay leaves and peppercorns, and simmer for 1 hour. Strain through a sieve and set aside.

When the goose is cooked, take it out of the tin and transfer to a board, cover with foil and leave to rest for at least 20 minutes. Place the stuffing in the oven for about 25-30 minutes.

To finish the gravy, set the goose roasting tin on the hob and stir in the flour. Add the giblet stock and deglaze the tin by rubbing with a wooden spoon. Season to taste, then pass through a sieve into a warm gravy boat.