Roasting a goose may be daunting, but if your goose is well cooked, it has succulent, tender, dark meat that is rich tasting, and free of fat. A fine roasted goose can be a feast for king and peasant alike, according to the French writer Honoré de Balzac. It certainly is a classic choice for Christmas dinner.
Roasting a goose is slightly different than roasting a chicken or turkey, so it’s important to have a good recipe and an understanding of what to expect (plenty of precious goose fat to cook with, for one). Goose pairs well with various fruits and chestnuts, and the recipes below reflect that. Find one you like and go for the goose this holiday season.
Forget your fear of flabby, greasy goose with our roast goose recipe. This do-ahead method produces a succulent, flavorful bird with crispy skin. A poaching or steaming technique can be employed to render fat and par-cook the bird. In this recipe, after poaching, only a half-hour of high heat roasting is needed before serving.
We’ve been searching the internet for goose recipes, and one from Saveur for a Slovenian style stuffed goose got our attention. Served with handmade, shredded egg noodles – called mlinci – this is definitely something different.
You had us at Armagnac-soaked prunes. This recipe from Nadine Levy Redzepi (yes, she’s the wife of René Redzepi) appears in the December issue of Food & Wine. She does most of the cooking in their home, and her new cookbook called Downtime details how the Redzepis dine day-to-day.
We’re pleased to see that the Danes have a taste for Armagnac and prunes like we do (See our French Kisses). Try her inspired Goose Stuffed with Apples and Armagnac-Soaked Prunes for a taste of what the world’s best chef might be eating this Christmas.
Speaking of prunes, Julia Child used them to stuff a goose (along with pork and chestnuts) in this recipe recreated by Kay Chun at Food & Wine. Research shows that Julia made this for Christmas dinner in 1970, but the recipe does not appear in any of her cookbooks. The stuffed goose recipe at Food & Wine was developed using Julia’s goose recipes in Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and it looks like a keeper.
Are you serving goose this year? Have you roasted goose before? Tell us about your experiences right here, or on social media. Tag @dartagnanfoods on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter to talk about roasting goose or any other holiday food plans.
Every year for decades we always roast a goose for Xmas. Our hands-down favorite recipe is Julia Child’s “Steam-Roasted Goose with Port Wine Gravy” from her book “The Way to Cook”. Fabulous & fool-proof – tender, juicy, nearly grease-free, & leaves me with enough rendered goose fat in the freezer to cook with for the following year.