Goose is an all dark meat fowl with a wonderful intense flavor. If you buy the goose frozen, let it defrost in a pan in your fridge for 2 days. Remove the giblets and cut off the neck skin and tail if it has not already been done. Now, there’s gonna be pods of fat when you open the bird’s cavity. These pods are easily detached and should be pulled out of the goose, but don't throw it out! Put the fat in a container, freeze it, and use it to render later.
Roast Christmas Goose
Recipe by: Bobbi Jo Lathan
Recipe type: Entree
Cuisine: Traditional Holiday
Serves: 6 to 8 people
PREP TIME
10 mins
COOK TIME
2 hours 45 mins
TOTAL TIME
2 hours 55 mins
INGREDIENTS
1 12-pound goose /which will serve 6-8 people (set giblets and liver aside*)
3 garlic cloves (thinly sliced)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
8 red or golden delicious apples (cut in half or wedges)
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
6 tablespoons sugar
¼ cup apple brandy (Calvados)
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
INSTRUCTIONS
Move your rack to the bottom third of your oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
Rinse your goose inside and out and pat dry with some paper towels. Sprinkle the inside and outside of your goose with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Using a sharp knife, cut some little slits in the goose skin all over, and place them garlic slices into the slits.
Now get yourself a large roasting pan and place a rack inside the pan. Put your goose, breast side down, on the rack.
Roast your goose for about 2 hours and 45 minutes, basting it every so often, with drippings in the roasting pan. (If there’s lots of excess fat, you can remove some, leaving mostly drippings.)
Remove about 6 or 7 tablespoons of the fat and set aside in a bowl for the caramelized apples, later.
After about 1 hour and 15 minutes, turn your goose over on the rack. Then roast it until brown and a thermometer inserted into thickest part of the goose thigh says 175°F.
Then, keep basting it for the last 45 minutes.
While your goose is cooking for the last 45 minutes, git yourself a big bowl and toss your apple halves or quarters in the lemon juice.
Pour those removed 6 tablespoons of the goose fat into a long baking pan (I use my Pyrex 9x12).
Using a slotted spoon and transfer the apples to the baking dish with the goose fat in it.
Toss the apples in the goose fat.
Add the sugar, the apple brandy and cinnamon to the apples and toss the mixture real good until well coated.
Bake them apples alongside the goose for the last 45 minutes until they’re all tender and golden.
Take your beautifully browned goose out, and let it rest on a wooden board for about 10 minutes before carving.
Serve with the warm, caramelized apples drizzled in their apple brandy drippings. YUM!
NOTES
* You know those giblets and liver we set aside? You can boil the giblets and use for gravy. Or you can chop up the giblets and liver, then cook and sautéed them with some wild mushrooms as a side dish! YUM!
3.2.2925
To smoke or roast? That’s the question!
One year my Momma and her friend Mz. Langford couldn’t decide if they wanted to serve duck or goose for their annual Christmas dinner party. So, they sent Daddy and Colonel Langford off on a huntin’ trip, and said that whatever they came back home with… that’s what they’d serve. As it turned out, the menfolk returned home after a few days of huntin’, each holding up their own big, fat goose. The decision had been made.
Time To Go Huntin’
Now, as Daddy and Colonel Langford were drinkin’ their martinis and cleanin’ their respective birds, the conversation turned to which cookin’ method was better; to roast them geese or to smoke ‘em? Colonel Langford swore there was only one way to cook a goose and that was to roast it in the oven ‘til it was nice and tender. Whereas, Daddy, swore up and down there was nothin’ in this world tastier than a good ol’ smoked goose.
After listenin’ to their menfolk goin’ back and forth about which method was better, Momma had heard enough and said, “Since you boys are so busy braggin’ about whose bird’s gonna be the tastiest… the two of you can just smoke and roast your own geese for the Christmas party!” And, with that, the contest was on!
The night of the Christmas dinner party arrived and the whole house was filled with holiday cheer. A big wreath hung on the front door, a huge decorated Christmas tree sat sparkling in the corner, and pots of fresh poinsettias were placed everywhere. In the dining room, a big red velvet bow hung atop the gold-framed mirror, and the long dining table was dressed in a festive red linen tablecloth. Momma had set the table with her best sterling silver flatware, china and etched crystal wine and water glasses. And, the whole room was aglow with the soft, cozy light coming from the lit tapered green and red candles nested in the arrangement in the center of the table.
The guests all arrived and soon the living room was filled with noisy chatter, the clinking of glasses, and even the singing of carols. Then, before long, Momma rang a bell and announced “Your Christmas goose is served !” And everyone was ushered into the dining room for dinner.
The table was beautiful. It was filled with baskets of freshly-baked rolls still hot from the oven, dishes of oyster dressing, bowls of fresh green beans with sliced almonds, and trays of twice-baked potatoes. Then, to everyone’s “Oohs!” and “Ahhs!” in walked Daddy and Colonel Langford carrying their respective platters of carved Christmas goose. Daddy placed his smoked goose at one end of the table and Colonel Langford placed his at the other . Daddy said, “Ya’ll will have to decide which you like best. My fabulous smoked goose or that man’s roast goose!” To which, a burst of laughter came up from the table as the menfolk reached into their wallets and began placing wagers as to who had the right way of cookin’ their goose!
Once everyone’s plates were served, it became quiet as the guests tasted the two versions of their Christmas dinner. Daddy tried the roast goose and Colonel Langford tried the smoked goose. Finally, Daddy blurted out, “Well, I’ll be darned! I thought I was right and Colonel Langford thought he was right. But, I think the only one right here is the goose himself! Smoke him or roast him! It doesn’t matter. I raise my glass…to our Christmas goose!” And they all raised their glasses in laughter as everyone dug into the best Christmas dinner, ever.
P.S.- Don’t tell Daddy… but I’m partial to roast goose.