This recipe for roast goose comes from executive chef Brian Alberg of the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. This recipe first appeared in our December 2011 issue along with Francine Prose's story The Glories of Goose.
Ingredients
For the Stuffing
- 8 oz. bacon, cut into 1/4″ cubes
- 8 oz. Brussels sprouts, quartered
- 2 cups minced celery
- 1 large yellow onion, minced
- 1 lb. cooked chestnuts, roughly chopped
- 4 1⁄2 oz. country white bread, cut into 1/2″ cubes (about 4 cups)
- 4 cups cooked wild rice
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 16 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted, plus more for buttering casserole dish
- 1⁄2 cup finely chopped parsley
- 2 tbsp. finely chopped thyme
- 2 tbsp. finely chopped sage
- 2 tart apples, chopped
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
For the Goose and Gravy
- 1 (12-lb.) goose, wing tips, neck, and giblets reserved
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 lemon, halved
- 8 sprigs thyme
- 4 sprigs sage
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 2 celery, roughly chopped
- 2 small yellow onions, chopped
- 1 large carrot, roughly chopped
- 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 oz. baby carrots, peeled
- 1 lb. baby beets, peeled
- 1 lb. small potatoes, halved
- 6 cipolline onions, peeled
- 2 large parsnips, peeled and cut diagonally into 1″ slices
- 1 celery root, peeled, halved, and cut into 1″ slices
- 1 head garlic, cloves peeled
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1⁄4 cup flour
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Instructions
Step 1
Make the stuffing: Render bacon in a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Add sprouts, celery, and onion; cook until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in chestnuts, bread, rice, stock, butter, parsley, thyme, sage, and apples; season with salt and pepper; set aside.
Step 2
Roast the goose: Prick skin all over with a fork; season with salt and pepper; squeeze lemon juice over skin. Place spent lemon halves in cavity along with 3 sprigs each thyme and sage. Place goose on a rack in a roasting pan; heat pan on stove over high heat. Add stock; boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover with foil, and steam (to render goose fat) for 1 hour. Discard lemon and herbs. Heat oven to 325°. Uncover goose; remove it with rack. Pour pan liquid into a measuring cup; let sit until fat rises to top. Skim off fat; reserve for another use. Add 2 cups pan liquid to roasting pan along with celery, onion, and large carrot; reserve remaining pan liquid. Return goose and rack to pan. Stuff goose with some of the stuffing (place remaining stuffing in a buttered casserole; heat alongside goose the last 15 minutes of cooking); tie legs together with kitchen twine. Place goose breast side down; cover with foil. Roast for 1 hour.
Step 3
Begin the gravy: Heat butter in a 6-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat; add wing tips, neck, giblets, and 2 sprigs thyme; cook until browned, about 15 minutes. Add reserved pan liquid; boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook until reduced by half, about 1 hour. Strain goose stock; set aside.
Step 4
Increase oven temperature to 475°. Uncover goose; turn breast side up. Roast until golden and temperature of stuffing is 180°, about 70 minutes.
Step 5
Meanwhile, roast the vegetables: Toss remaining thyme and sage, oil, carrots, beets, potatoes, onions, parsnips, celery root, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper on two baking sheets. Roast, stirring, until golden brown, about 45 minutes; keep warm.
Step 6
Transfer goose to a cutting board; let rest for 15 minutes. Strain pan liquid into a measuring cup; let sit until fat rises to top. Skim off fat (about 1⁄4 cup), and return to pan with the celery, onion, and carrot. Heat over medium-high heat; brown vegetables for 8 minutes. Add flour; cook for 4 minutes. Add strained pan juices and goose stock; boil. Cook until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Strain gravy; season with salt and pepper. Remove stuffing from goose; carve goose. Serve with gravy and roasted vegetables on the side.
Pairing Note: For this rich dish, try a red that balances full fruit with acid, like Amayna Pinot Noir 2008 ($26).
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