Roast goose with black pudding apple and sage

Method

1. Remove the goose from the fridge 1-2 hours before you intend to cook it.
   Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.
2. For the stuffing, pick the leaves from half the sage and roughly chop. Peel and core 2 apples, then cut into 1cm pieces. Put in a bowl with the shallots, black pudding and lemon zest. Season, then use clean hands to work the ingredients together.>
3. Pull the wings and legs away from the goose so the heat can circulate around the bird, then put in a large roasting tin.
4. Put some of the stuffing mixture into the neck cavity, pressing it in as far as you can, tucking the neck skin all around it and shaping it nicely with your hands as you go. Secure the skin underneath with a skewer or a few cocktail sticks. Put the remaining stuffing towards the front of the body cavity, then rub the goose all over with the soft butter and season well. Roast in the middle of the hot oven for 30 minutes.
5. Carefully baste the bird after 30 minutes and turn the oven down to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Cook for a further 2 hours, basting occasionally and carefully draining away the fat that comes out during roasting (see tip).
6. Remove the goose carefully from the oven and spoon out the excess fat. Halve the remaining apples from stalk to base, then nestle them into the tin around the goose. Tear over the remaining sage, then baste and season the apples and return the whole tin to the oven for a final 30 minutes.
7. The goose is cooked when you pierce the thickest part of the leg with a skewer and the juices run clear. Remove the bird and apples to a large serving dish, then leave to rest for 20 minutes.
8. To make a quick gravy, spoon off the excess fat from the surface of the roasting juices in the tin, then set it over a medium heat. Add the plain flour and whisk into the remaining fat and juices. Cook gently for a moment, then add enough stock and a splash of cider or wine to make the gravy your desired consistency. Bring to a simmer, stir, then season to taste. Pass the gravy through a fine sieve and keep warm, adding the resting juices to the gravy.
9. To carve, use a sharp knife to slice down each side of the breastbone and ease the breasts away from the goose, then slice them across the grain into thick pieces. Cut the legs off at the base of the thigh.
10. Serve the goose with the stuffing, baked apples, roast potatoes, gravy and some buttered greens, as you wish.