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 For the big day itself why not try goose? Peter’s mouth-watering recipe is so delicious it’ll leave you wondering why you cooked just one!! Partnered with the wines from our Critic’s Choice World Pinot Noir it makes for a celebration to remember.
To drink: the winedirect Critic’s Choice World Pinot Noir Case
To eat: Roast Goose with Sage and Onion Stuffing.
Ingredients (serves 6 - 8 people)
For the goose
1 young goose weighing 4.5 - 5.5kg
50g butter, slightly softened
2 teaspoons English mustard
a good pinch each of salt and cayenne pepper
1 glass of Port (or two if you'd like one to drink while you're cooking)!
For the stuffing
2 large onions, peeled and finely chopped
450g freshly made white breadcrumbs (use a two-day old loaf, and whiz in a food processor)
2 tablespoons of dried sage
salt and freshly ground black pepper
freshly grated nutmeg
350ml chicken stock
Method
Begin by making the stuffing. Boil the chopped onion in slightly salted water for ten minutes and then drain through a sieve. Put the breadcrumbs in a mixing bowl and add the sage, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Mix together with the onions. Gradually add the stock and mix until the stuffing just begins to cling together.
Wipe the goose inside and out with a clean damp cloth and fill the body with the stuffing. Tie the bird up tightly at both ends with kitchen string. Take a sharp skewer and make a few stabs through the skin of the goose, around the back and through where the thighs meet the body. This will help the fat to run away during roasting. Mix together the butter, mustard, salt and cayenne and smear this all over the breast and legs of the goose. Set the bird on a rack over a pan to catch all the dripping fat and roast in the centre of the oven at 180 degrees (gas mark 4) for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. At the end of this time, remove the pan from under the bird and decant the hot fat into a bowl. Keep this, it's precious. Goose fat makes the finest roast potatoes and stored in a sealed container it will keep for months in the fridge. The goose will yield about a litre of fat during cooking, so you’ll need to do this at least a couple of times.
Put the pan back under the bird. Douse the skin of the goose with the Port and turn the heat up to 220 degrees (gas mark 7) for about 15 minutes. When the skin is crisp the bird is ready. Place the bird on a carving dish and allow to rest for half an hour. Serve with potatoes and parsnips roasted in goose fat, mountains of dark winter greens or Brussels tops and accompany with apple sauce and gravy.
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