Serves 8
Ingredients:
1 x 5.4kg/12lb oven ready goose
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons red currant jelly, warmed
1 tablespoon port or red wine
Grated rind of 1 orange
Apple and Cranberry Stuffing:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 eating apples, cored and cut into thin slices
1 tablespoon chopped thyme
350g/12oz sausage meat
75g/3oz breadcrumbs
100g/4oz dried cranberries
4oz chopped walnuts
Method:
Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Fry the apples for 3-4 minutes until softened and golden. Transfer to a bowl and leave to cool.
Add remaining ingredients. Mix well and season with salt and freshly milled black pepper.
Preheat oven to 200 ° C/fan 180 ° C/Gas 6. Place the goose on a rack. Set over a roasting tin. Pour a kettle full of boiling water over the top. Drain off water. Use two thirds of the stuffing to fill the neck cavity of the goose. Fold the flap of the skin over. Secure with a skewer.
Rub the salt all over the skin. Press the remaining stuffing into base of 450g/1lb leaf tin. Weigh the goose. Roast for 15 minutes per 450g/1lb plus 15 minutes. Drain off excess fat every 30 minutes. Reduce oven to 180 ° C/Fan 160 ° C/Gas 4 after one hour.
Remove the goose from the oven 30 minutes before the end of cooking. Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of fat. Mix together the redcurrant jelly and port or wine. Brush over the goose.
Return the goose, trimmings and extra stuffing to the oven for the final 30 minutes. Allow goose to stand for 10 minutes before carving. Remove fat. Serve the goose with trimmings, stuffing and thyme.
Trimmings:
2 apples, cored and cut into wedges
100g/4oz cranberries
Fresh thyme to garnish
Tip:
Covering the goose with boiling water before cooking, shrinks the skin slightly and helps remove excess fat.
