Ingredients for Goose
- 1 goose, 6 to 8 pounds
- 2 apples
- 1 carrot
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 3 onions
- 2 slices applewood-smoked bacon
- 1 celery stalk
- 3 sprigs fresh parsley
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Ingredients for Stuffing
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon thyme, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon sage, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped
- 1 cup dried apricots, chopped
- 2 1/2 cups crumbled stale bread
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
Directions:
Goose
1. Soak the cleaned and plucked goose overnight, in well-salted water. (If wild goose is not available, commercially raised goose may be substituted.) Rinse and dry the goose, then stuff with the 2 apples and 2 onions. Cut the apples and onions into quarters before stuffing them into the goose
2. Place the goose, breast side up, in a roasting pan. Place two strips of thick-sliced bacon on top of the goose and cover with a lid. (Use foil if lid is not available.) Brown in a 475 degree oven until bacon is crisp. Remove the fat from the drippings in the bottom of the roasting pan, and discard. Also remove bacon and discard.
3. Add to the pan: 1 onion, the carrot, celery, bay leaf, parsley, thyme, chicken stock and red wine. Re-cover the pan and continue roasting in the oven at 375 degrees. Roast for about 2 hours, basting often. The goose is done when the meat easily pulls off the bone.
4. Uncover and brown for 20 minutes at 475 degrees. Remove goose from roaster. Discard apples and onions. Strain the pan drippings into a sauce pan. Over low heat, thicken the mixture with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons of water. Serve with seasonal vegetable and Apricot Stuffing (recipe below).
Stuffing
1. In a skillet, sauté chopped onions and chopped celery with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Cook until the vegetables are translucent.
2. In a large bowl, mix sautéed vegetables, chopped garlic, chopped apricots, thyme, parsley, sage and bread. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and the chicken stock, then pour over the stuffing and mix.
3. Pour mixture into a greased casserole dish, and bake at 375 degrees.
4. Cook for 45 minutes or until the center is hot.