Roast goose with herb stuffing

Roasted poultry is a given at any British Christmas and this roast goose is sure to be a hit. Pair with Sir Winston Churchill’s favourite drop of Champagne Pol Roger Brut for guaranteed to bring Christmas cheer.

• serves

  8

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  4 hours

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 3 kg whole goose (see Note)
• 125 g butter, chopped
• 2 leeks, white part only, sliced
• 250 g rindless bacon, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 140 g (2 cups) fresh breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp chopped thyme 
• 1 tbsp chopped sage
• 500 g can chestnuts, drained, chopped
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 250 ml (1 cup) dry white wine
• 500 ml (2 cups) good-quality veal or beef stock
• 75 g (½ cup) plain flour
• bread sauce and vegetables roasted in goose fat, to serve

Refrigeration 3 hours

Drink match Champagne Pol Roger Brut ($65) or 2009 Simonnet-Febvre Chablis ler Cru Vaillons ($42).

Instructions

Trim fat from inside of goose and reserve for roasting vegetables or discard. Pat skin and cavity dry with paper towel, then rub with 1 tbsp salt. Place in a bowl, cover and refrigerate for 3 hours. Remove from fridge 30 minutes before cooking.

Preheat oven to 190°C. Melt butter in a frying pan over medium heat, add leeks and cook for 15 minutes or until golden. Add bacon and cook for 5 minutes or until browned. Add garlic and breadcrumbs, and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until crumbs are golden. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. Stand for 10 minutes, then stir in herbs, chestnuts and eggs.

Spoon stuffing into goose cavity, bring legs together and secure with string. Place in a heavy-based roasting pan with wine and 250 ml (1 cup) water. Roast for 3 hours or until juices run clear when the thickest part of a thigh is pierced. Transfer goose to a plate, cover loosely with foil and rest for 15 minutes. Reserve pan with juices.

To make gravy, heat stock in a saucepan over medium heat. Place roasting pan with juices over medium heat, add flour and stir for 3 minutes or until mixture starts to brown. Gradually add stock and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until mixture thickens. Season.

Serve roasted goose with gravy, bread sauce and roasted vegetables.

Note
• Whole geese are available from selected poultry shops and butchers. If frozen, defrost in refrigerator overnight. 

Photography by John Laurie.

As seen in Feast magazine, December 2011, Issue 4. For more recipes and articles, pick up a copy of this month's Feast magazine or check out our great subscriptions offers here.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.