Roast goose with roast apples and onions and potato stuffing

Roast goose with roast apples and onions and potato stuffing

You won’t miss the turkey with this fabulous roast goose recipe, perfect for Christmas Day. Stuffed with a herby potato stuffing and served on a bed of sweet, caramelised apples and onions, this festive main is truly outstanding – especially with our incredible gravy!

Roast goose with roast apples and onions and potato stuffing

  • Serves icon Serves 8
  • Time icon Hands-on time 3 hours, oven time 2 hours 40 min to 3 hours 20 min, plus overnight chilling

You won’t miss the turkey with this fabulous roast goose recipe, perfect for Christmas Day. Stuffed with a herby potato stuffing and served on a bed of sweet, caramelised apples and onions, this festive main is truly outstanding – especially with our incredible gravy!

Nutrition: per serving

Calories
678kcals
Fat
32.2g (6.7g saturated)
Protein
42.1g
Carbohydrates
46.7g (19.2g sugars)
Fibre
0.7g
Salt
0.7g

Ingredients

  • 1 oven-ready goose (about 5kg)
  •  Salt for rubbing into the skin
  • 4 red apples
  •  2 red onions, cut into chunky wedges
  •  A few whole sage leaves
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

For the stuffing

  • 1-1.5kg floury potatoes (maris piper or king edward), peeled, cut into large chunks and rinsed thoroughly
  • 2 tbsp light olive oil
  • 2 red onions, coarsely chopped
  •  2 red apples, chopped
  •  Bunch spring onions, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh sage leaves
  • Grated zest 1 lemon
  • Fresh rosemary, thyme and sage tied together to make a bouquet garni

For the gravy

  •  1 goose neck, coarsely chopped (optional; if you have the goose giblets)
  • 2 celery sticks, chopped
  •  250ml sweet wine
  • 1.5 litres strong chicken stock
  • 2 tbsp redcurrant jelly
  • 2 tbsp cornflour, mixed to a smooth paste with a little cold water
  •  Roast carrots and parsnips to serve

You’ll also need… 

  • Wire rack that fits inside a large roasting tin
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Method

  1. The day before roasting, remove any giblets from the goose cavity (you can use the neck for the gravy; see step 6) along with any excess fat (discard). Prick the skin all over with the tip of a sharp knife. Put the goose in the sink and pour over a kettle of boiling water. Pat dry with kitchen paper, then put in a roasting tin, uncovered if possible, in the fridge away from other food that will be eaten raw.
  2. The next day, rub salt all over the goose skin and leave the bird to come up to room temperature.
  3. Meanwhile, for the stuffing, boil the potatoes in cold salted water until tender (about 15 minutes), then drain and mash. Heat the 2 tbsp oil in a frying pan, then cook the chopped onions and apples with a pinch of salt until lightly golden (15-20 minutes). Add the spring onions and garlic for the last few minutes. Stir into the mash along with the chopped sage, lemon zest and plenty of black pepper. Pack the mixture into the goose cavity, then the bouquet garni. Heat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas 7.
  4. Put the goose on the wire rack in the roasting tin and roast for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and pour off any fat into a heatproof bowl. Turn the oven down to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4 and cook for a further 2-2¼ hours or until the juices run clear when you pierce the thickest part of the leg. There’s no need to baste the goose, as it’s so fatty. You’ll need to pour away the fat from the tin every half hour or so. (Leave to cool, put in a jar and keep in the fridge; it’s excellent for roasting potatoes.)
  5. Twenty minutes before the end of the goose cooking time, score the 4 apples around the middle using a sharp knife and put in an ovenproof dish with the onion wedges, sage leaves and 2 tbsp olive oil. Season well and roast for 30-40 minutes.
  6. Meanwhile, make the gravy. Brown the goose neck (if you have it) in a pan with a splash of goose fat, add the celery and cook for 8-10 minutes. Add the sweet wine (see tip), bring to the boil and simmer until syrupy. Stir in the chicken stock and redcurrant jelly and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve into a clean pan. Let the gravy settle, spoon off any fat from the surface then, over a medium heat, whisk in the cornflour/water and cook the gravy until thickened to your liking. Keep warm.
  7. Once the goose is cooked, rest it in a warm place for 20 minutes or so, then carve and serve with the roast onion/apples, stuffing, gravy and roast veg.

Nutrition

Calories
678kcals
Fat
32.2g (6.7g saturated)
Protein
42.1g
Carbohydrates
46.7g (19.2g sugars)
Fibre
0.7g
Salt
0.7g

delicious. tips

  1. Use a good quality sweet wine for the gravy, which will help cut through the richness of the meat.

  2. Start the goose recipe the day before you want to roast for a moist, tender result. Make the stuffing the day before, cover and chill.

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  1. Been cooking the Nigella mashed potato, sage and fried onion stuffing for many years in our goose. Not added Apple as we serve homemade apple sauce separately. Looks delicious though. Goose always a winner in our house

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