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. Goose is the ultimate special occasion bird, and a world away from chicken. This classic choice for Christmas dinner is enjoyed around the world, and throughout history. Read on for recipes that will make you an expert at roasting a goose.
A fine roasted goose can be a feast for king and peasant alike, according to the French writer Honoré de Balzac. 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 before you get started (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.
The Basic Roasted Goose
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 is employed to render fat and par-cook the bird. After poaching, only a half-hour of high-heat roasting is needed before serving.
Apple and Chestnut Stuffed Goose Slovenian Style
We searched the internet for goose recipes from around the world, 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.
A Goose for the Best Chef in the World
This recipe from Nadine Levy Redzepi (yes, she’s the wife of chef René Redzepi) appeared in the December 2017 issue of Food & Wine. Turns out she does most of the cooking in their home, and her cookbook called Downtime details how the Redzepis dine day-to-day. Try her inspired Goose Stuffed with Apples and Armagnac-soaked Prunes for a taste of what the world’s best chef might be eating on Christmas.
Stuffed Goose à la Julia Child
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.
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