3 hrs 45 mins
Not Too Tricky
serves 8
About the recipe
If you fancy a change from turkey on Christmas day, try roast goose – rich and golden with crispy skin, it’s a real treat!
Ingredients
1 x 4kg whole goose (ask your butcher for the giblets too)
olive oil
1 clementine
½ a bunch of fresh rosemary (15g)
2 onions
3 carrots
3 sticks of celery
1 handful of fresh bay leaves
1 lug of port
2 heaped tablespoons plain flour
1 litre organic chicken stock
1 pomegranate
SPICE MIX
90g star anise
90g fennel seeds
75g coriander seeds
30g Sichuan pepper
15g cloves
60g cinnamon sticks
1 large pinch of saffron
90g soft brown sugar
60g sea salt
30g whole black peppercorns
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4.
- To make the spice mix, blitz all of the ingredients in a food processor to a fine powder. Pour through a coarse sieve into an airtight jar, then discard any woody bits left behind in the sieve.
- With a fork or the tip of a sharp knife, prick the fatty lump under the goose’s wing to help the fat melt out.
- Rub the goose all over with a little olive oil and 2 heaped tablespoons of the spice mix, making sure you get into all the nooks and crannies. Keep the remaining spice mix for another day – it’s incredible on all roasted or grilled meats.
- Prick the clementine all over with a sharp knife, then place into the goose's cavity with a few rosemary sprigs.
- Peel and quarter the onions, then chop the carrots and celery into large chunks. Place into a large roasting tray with the remaining rosemary, the bay and goose giblets. Toss well, add 150ml of cold water, then place the tray on the bottom shelf of the oven.
- Pop the goose directly on the bars above, so the juices from the goose drip into the tray, leaving you with crisp, beautifully succulent meat. Cook for around 3 hours, or until cooked through, golden and crisp. To check, insert a skewer into the thickest part of the thigh – if the juices run clear, it’s done.
- When the goose has been roasting for 2 hours, remove the veg tray from the oven and replace it with another tray. Skim away the fat from the veg tray (reserve it in a jar with a few extra bay leaves to make amazing roasties or my sweet glazed carrots), then place the tray on the hob over a high heat.
- Add the port and cook for around 3 minutes, or until reduced. Stir in the flour for a minute, then pour in the stock. Reduce to a simmer for around 10 minutes, or until thickened to a nice gravy consistency. Sieve into a medium pan, then set aside.
- When the time’s up on the goose, remove it from the oven, cover with a double layer of tin foil and a tea towel and leave to rest for 20 to 25 minutes.
- Remove the tray from the oven, skim away and reserve the fat, then pour any juices into the gravy. Warm up the gravy on a medium heat.
- Once rested, place the goose on a board and remove the skin – pop this into the oven for another 10 minutes to crisp it up nicely (keep an eye on it!).
- Carve away the legs, then shred the meat with two forks, discarding the bones. Carefully slice away the breasts, then slice up and place on a platter with the remaining shredded meat.
- Halve the pomegranate, then holding it in the palm of your hand cut-side down over the platter, bash the back with a wooden spoon so the seeds come tumbling out. Snap the crispy skin over the top, then serve with your hot gravy and all the trimmings.
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