Roast Goose
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs 30 mins
Total Time
2 hrs 45 mins
Everything you need to know to roast and carve a classic Christmas goose in this surprisingly simple roast goose recipe.
Recipe Type:
Dinner
Ingredients
- one goose (chilled but not frozen), 10 - 12 pounds
- sea salt
- black pepper
Instructions
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2 hours before you plan to cook the goose, remove goose from fridge to get it up to room temperature. Check cavity and remove giblets. The goose has probably had the oil glands (which can give the meat a bad taste) removed when it was processed, but if it still has a tail, remove that (which will take care of the oil glands). If you have a culinary torch, use it to singe off any pin feathers. Otherwise, use tweezers.
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
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While oven is heating, massage goose firmly to weaken the fat so it will render more easily while it cooks. Prick skin all over on both sides with a fork, paying special attention to breast. You’re creating a way for rendered fat to escape, so you just want to prick the skin while taking care not prick the meat. To best avoid puncturing the meat, try going in at an angle.
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Rub a generous amount of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper all over goose skin. Salt cavity as well.
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Truss goose as you would a turkey and place it breast-side down in a roasting pan. When oven is up to temperature, slide roasting pan in.
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After 20 - 25 minutes, pull goose and prick the side facing up with a fork again. Use a baster to suck out any fat that has rendered thus far and save it in a jar.
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After another 25 - 30 minutes, the back should be getting brown. If not, leave it in a little longer. Otherwise, remove more of the fat from roasting pan and reserve. Flip goose (I used a pair of tongs and an oven mitt), prick breast again, and put goose back in oven.
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Every 20 - 25 minutes, pull goose and remove some of the fat. For beautifully browned skin, brush some of the fat over goose skin. Pull goose when a thermometer inserted where the thigh meets the breast reads 170 degrees F, after roughly 2 1/2 hours total cook time.
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Rest goose for at least 20 minutes, so that it’s cool enough to handle. Remove trussing twine. Using a knife or poultry shears, cut thighs and legs away from the breast. Then cut drumstrick away from the thigh. Cut off wings and set them aside for making stock.
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Use a sharp knife to cut down the center of the breast, then cut each side of breast away from rib cage. Take the two halves of the breast and cut them into medallions as you would a duck and serve.