Roast Christmas Goose Stuffed with Brandied Figs, Chestnuts and Rye Bread
- One 10-to 12-pound goose
- ½ cup Cognac
- 1 cup dried figs, preferably Turkish, cut into quarters
- 6 ounces smoked bacon, chopped into ½-inch dice
- 1½ cups cooked and peeled chestnuts, broken into large pieces
- 2 medium onions, chopped into ½-inch dice
- 8 celery stalks, chopped into ½-inch dice
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 3 cups ½-inch cubes dry rye bread (trimmed of crusts)
- 2 cups ½-inch cubes dry white bread, (trimmed of crusts)
- 1 cup diced cranberries
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- ½ cup chopped fresh sage
- Wing tips, neck, and gizzard from the goose
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ½ carrot, chopped
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 4 shallots, chopped
- 1 cup dry vermouth
- ½ cup Cognac
- 4 cups Chicken Stock or 8 cups high-quality canned low-sodium chicken broth, reduced to 4 cups
- 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions:
Goose meat has an undeserved reputation for tasting greasy—it doesn’t, or at least no more than a well-marbled steak does. In this recipe much of the fat is rendered before the goose even begins to roast. Then the goose is roasted at a low temperature, to prevent smoking.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. The pot should be large enough so that you can submerge at least half of the goose in the boiling water.
- Meanwhile, cut the neck flap and any excess fat off the goose. Remove the sack containing the neck and giblets and refrigerate until ready to make the sauce. Using a sturdy knife or poultry shears, clip off the wing tips and reserve for the sauce. Carefully pierce the skin all over with a sharp fork or skewer, to allow the fat to render more efficiently. Jab the skin at a sharp angle so that you poke through the skin into the layer of fat without penetrating into the meat. If you pierce the meat, it will dry out during cooking.
- Using rubber gloves, carefully lower one end of the goose into the boiling water. At least half of the goose should be submerged in the water. After 1 minute, carefully withdraw the goose and submerge the other end. Take care not to spill any hot water from the goose cavities on yourself. After 1 minute, remove the goose from the pot. Drain any water from the cavities, pat dry, and refrigerate, uncovered, for 24 hours.
- Pour the Cognac over the figs and let them steep for 20 minutes.
- In a large frying pan, cook the bacon over medium heat until most of the fat is rendered. Remove the bacon and set aside. Leave the fat in the pan. Add the chestnuts and cook over medium heat until they start to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer them to a large bowl.
- Add the onions and celery to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook over medium heat until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, another minute or two. Add the figs, with the Cognac, and cook until most of the liquid is gone, about 4 minutes. Let cool.
- Add the sautéed vegetables, bread cubes, cranberries, bacon, 1 tablespoon of the sage, and thyme to the bowl with the chestnuts; toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Season the goose inside and out with salt and pepper. Poke the bird all over once again, taking care not to penetrate the meat. Fill the cavity of the goose loosely with stuffing. Secure the legs with string. Rub the outside with ½ cup of chopped sage. Set the bird breast side down on a V-rack in a roasting pan, preferably both nonstick. Add ½ inch of water to the pan. Roast for 1½ hours.
- Turn the goose breast side up and roast for an additional 2½ to 3 hours. Telling when a goose is done can be a little tricky. Using an instant-read digital thermometer at the thickest part of the thigh, as you would for a turkey, is misleading. Theoretically, a reading of 170°F would indicate that the goose is cooked, but in my experience, if you pull the goose out of the oven at this point, the meat is cooked but still very tough. You need to let the goose roast for at least another 45 minutes beyond this point. When the skin starts to pull away from the breastbone, there’s a good chance the goose is done; the skin on both the breast and legs should also be puffed out. If you squeeze the legs, the meat should feel soft, almost as though it were braised and falling apart, not intact. As a final test, prick the skin at the base of the thigh—if the juices are clear (or there are no juices at all), the goose is probably done. If the juices are pink, continue roasting. Begin making the gravy during the final roasting phase.
- Using a cleaver or sturdy knife (don’t use your favorite knife—chopping bones can ruin the edge), chop the wing tips, gizzard, and neck into 3-inch pieces. Heat the vegetable oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. Add the wings, neck, and gizzard to the pan and cook until well browned, about 15 minutes. Remove from the pan and discard. Pour off any excess fat. Add the carrot, celery, and shallots. Cook until well browned, 5 to 6 minutes.
- Off the heat, add the vermouth and Cognac. Return the pan to medium heat and cook until the liquids reduce to a glaze, 10 to 12 minutes. As the liquids reduce, use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan so the crispy bits dissolve in the liquid. Add the chicken stock and reduce until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, about 35 minutes. Strain. (There should be about 2 cups reduced stock.) Set aside until the goose finishes roasting.
- I’m quite picky about crispy goose skin and I’ve found that the skin acquires an appealing crackly texture in the normal coarse of roasting. If you want the skin even crisper, when the goose is done, increase the oven temperature to 400°F. Transfer the goose, still on its rack, to another roasting pan, and return it to the oven for 15 minutes. (If you don’t use a new pan, the goose fat in the old one will start to smoke.) Set the first pan aside for gravy. Whether you go through this last step or not, allow the goose to rest for 30 minutes before carving.
- To finish the gravy, pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the roasting pan. Save the goose fat for another day when you need a treat (see box). Be careful not to pour off the caramelized drippings. Put the roasting pan on top of the stove over low heat. Sprinkle the flour into the pan. Using the back of a slotted spoon, stir the flour about the pan, scraping the crispy bits of drippings loose. Cook until the flour starts to brown, about 5 minutes. Add 1 cup of the reduced stock and stir until the flour and crispy bits are as mixed with the sauce as possible (some might not dissolve—that’s okay). Add the remaining stock and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.
- Scoop the stuffing out of the goose. Present the goose at the table, along with the stuffing and gravy. If you’re brave, you can carve at the table, but I like to carve goose or turkey in the kitchen. Removing the drumsticks is an untidy task made easier if you fiip the bird onto its side. I also prefer to remove each side of the breast whole, then slice each half crosswise. Arrange the meat on the platter, garnish with sage, and serve.