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BEST ROAST GOOSE RECIPE

The Best Recipe, by Editors of Cook's Illustrated Magazine
Turning the goose in the boiling water is not necessary if you have a stock pot large enough for the goose to be fully submerged.
Serves 8 TO 10

INGREDIENTS

• 1 whole goose (10 to 12 pounds gross weight), neck, giblets, wing tips, and excess fat removed, rinsed, patted dry, and reserved in refrigerator to make gravy; wishbone removed and skin pricked all over

• 8 cups Bread Stuffing, heated
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1  recipe Giblet Gravy with Red Wine and Sherry*
 

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat large stockpot two-thirds full of water to boil. Submerge goose in boiling water. Drain goose and dry thoroughly, inside and out, with paper towels. Set goose, breast side up, on flat rack in roasting pan and refrigerate, uncovered, for 24 to 48 hours.

2. Adjust oven rack to low-center position and heat to 325 degrees. Stuff and truss goose. Season goose skin liberally with salt and pepper.

3. Place goose, breast down, on heavy-duty V-rack set over roasting pan; roast for 1½ hours. Remove goose from oven and bail out most of fat from roasting pan, being careful not to disturb browned bits at bottom of pan. Turn goose breast up, and return to oven to roast until flesh of drumsticks feels soft and broken up (like well-done stew meat) and skin has puffed up around breast bone and tops of thighs, 1¼ to 1½ hours longer. Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees; transfer goose, still on its rack, to large jelly-roll pan. Return to oven to further brown and fully crisp skin, about 15 minutes longer. Let stand, uncovered, about 30 minutes before carving.

4. Remove trussing, and spoon stuffing into serving bowl. Carve goose; serve with stuffing and gravy.
 

* GIBLET GRAVY WITH RED WINE AND SHERRY
This simple gravy starts with the Brown Goose Stock and then uses sherry to deglaze the roasting pan with the browned bits from the goose. Make the stock (steps 1 through 3) while the goose is in the oven, and then start this gravy (step 4) once the goose has been transferred to a carving board.
Makes About 2  Cups

BROWN GOOSE STOCK

• 3  tablespoons reserved goose fat, patted dry and chopped
• Reserved goose neck and wing tips, hacked into 1 -inch pieces; heart and gizzard left whole, all parts patted dry
• 1  medium onion, chopped
• 1  medium carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1  medium celery stalk, chopped
• 2  teaspoons sugar
• 2  cups full-bodied red wine
• 1/2  cup chicken stock or low-sodium canned broth
• 6  large parsley stems
• 1  large bay leaf
• 1  teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1/2  teaspoon dried thyme
 

GRAVY

• 1/2  cup sweet sherry (cream or amontillado)
• 1/2  cup chicken stock or low-sodium canned broth, if needed
• 2½  tablespoons melted goose fat from the roasting pan
• 2½  tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1  goose liver, cut into small dice
• Salt and ground black pepper
 

1. Heat fat over medium heat in large saucepan until it melts. Increase heat to medium-high; heat fat until it just begins to smoke. Add goose pieces to fat; saute, stirring frequently, until meat turns deep mahogany color, about 10 minutes.

2. Add heart and gizzard, onion, carrot, and celery; saute, stirring frequently, until vegetables brown around edges, about 10 minutes longer. Stir in sugar; continue to cook, stirring continuously, until it caramelizes. Pour in wine, scraping pan bottom with wooden spoon to dissolve browned bits.

3. Add chicken stock, parsley, bay leaf, peppercorns, and thyme. Bring to simmer, then adjust heat so that liquid barely bubbles. Simmer, partially covered, until stock is dark and rich, about 2 hours, adding a little water if solids become exposed.

4. Spoon most of fat out of roasting pan, leaving behind all brown roasting particles. Set pan over two burners on low heat. Add sherry; scrape with wooden spoon until all brown glaze in pan is dissolved. Pour mixture into goose stock; simmer to blend flavors, about 5 minutes.

5. Strain mixture into 4-cup glass measure, pressing down on solids with back of spoon; let liquid stand until fat rises to top. Skim fat, and, if necessary, add enough chicken stock to make up to 2 cups. Rinse out goose stockpot and return strained stock to it. Take heart and gizzard from strainer, cut in tiny dice, and add to goose stock. (Discard remaining solids in strainer.) Return stock to boil.

6. Heat goose fat and flour over medium-low heat in heavy-bottomed medium saucepan, stirring constantly with wooden spoon until rouxjust begins to color, about 5 minutes; remove from heat. Beating constantly with whisk, pour boiling stock, all at once, into brown roux. Return saucepan to low heat; simmer 3 minutes. Add liver; simmer 1 minute longer. Taste, and adjust seasoning, adding salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper.