This year we decided to cook a goose for the holidays. We had never cooked one before so this was new territory. Our inspiration came from one of the farmers at the San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, Lagier Ranches, who had geese for sale this year. We ordered an 8-pounder in advance and picked it up a few days before Christmas. We decided to cook it for our Christmas Eve meal. I read a lot about cooking a goose before we started so had a good idea of what to expect. We have several dozen satsuma oranges on our tree this year so we decided to use a couple as stuffing. I think the roasted goose turned out great – tender and full of flavor. The best things to both of us, though, were the half pint of goose fat that we skimmed from the roasting pan and the three quarts of goose stock that we got from cooking the carcass afterward with aromatic vegetables.
Ingredients
1 8-12 lb. goose, cleaned and ready to cook
2 medium-sized onions, coarsely chopped, divided in half
2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped, divided in half
2 satsuma oranges, unpeeled and quartered
2 sprigs fresh parsley
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2-3 Tablespoons coarse grey sea salt
Freshly-ground pepper
1 teaspoon aleppo (or favorite) chili powder
2 cups boiling water
For the glaze:
4 Tablespoons goose fat
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 Tablespoons cointreau or grand marnier liqueur
You will also need:
Piece of kitchen twine
1 large roasting pan
1 mixing bowl
1 small saucepan
Brush
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
Remove the giblets from the goose. Rinse the goose and remove any remaining feathers or pin feathers. Dry with paper towels, inside and out. Pierce the fat in several places, but be careful to avoid the breast area.
Mix together half of the onions, half of the celery and the satsuma orange quarters. Stuff them loosely inside the goose. Stuff the sprigs of parsley inside, as well. Generously salt and pepper the inside. Tie the legs together with the twine.
Rub the outside with the olive oil. Then generously rub with the sea salt. Grind pepper over the top. Sprinkle with the aleppo chili powder.
Scatter the remaining onions and celery in the bottom of the pan. Put the goose on top. Pour the boiling water into the bottom of the pan.
Roast for approx. 20 minutes per pound, or until the thickest part of the goose registers 170 degrees Fahrenheit using a meat thermometer . Baste every 20 minutes with juices from the pan.
Just before taking the goose from the oven, take about 4 tablespoons of goose fat from the roasting pan and put it into a small saucepan. Add the brown sugar. Mix well and cook for about a minute over medium-high heat. Add the liqueur and cook for about 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat and set aside.
When the goose comes out of the oven, increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Brush the goose with the glaze and then put it back into the oven for about 5-7 minutes, until browned. Remove it from the heat and let it sit at least 20 minutes before slicing.
We served our goose with sauteed collard greens, leek and chestnut mashed Yukon gold potatoes and roasted delicata squash.
