Roast Goose with Apples and Cider GravyServes 6

5kg oven-ready goose

1 medium onion, peeled and quartered

3 bay leaves, plus extra for garnish

3 small red eating apples, such as Cox or Discovery

flaked sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

Stock

goose giblets (not the liver) These should come with the goose

1 medium onion, peeled and cut into large chunks

2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped into roughly 2cm pieces

1 celery stick, chopped into roughly 2 cm pieces

2 bay leaves

small bunch fresh thyme

1 litre water

Apple and sage stuffing

2 tbsp goose fat (reserved from cooking the goose)

2 medium onions, finely chopped

1 medium cooking apple (Bramley)

1 tsp caster sugar

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage leaves, plus extra sage leave to garnish

1 goose liver (if available)

100g fresh white breadcrumbs

500g good-quality sausage meat (squeezed out of sausages if you like)

Cider gravy

2 heaped tbsp plain flour

300ml giblet stock (see above)

250ml dry cider

FOOD FACTS Traditionally, geese were eaten during

Whitsun celebrations in May, at Michaelmas on 29 September and at Christmas. The birds were usually reared in Lincolnshire and East Anglia and then driven on foot to London markets.

Goose with Sauce Madame is a medieval recipe of roasted goose stuffed with quince, pears and grapes. Once cooked, the stuffing is then blended with wine and spices to make the fruity sauce.

Historical facts provided by Monica Askay, Cook and Food Historian

① Remove the goose giblets and the neck from the bird. Make sure the goose is thoroughly thawed if previously frozen. Preheat the oven to 200C/fan oven 180C/Gas 6. Place the goose on a rack over a large sturdy roasting tin and prick with a skewer a few times down each side just below the wing – you’ll see a fatty pillow under the skin on each side. (This will help release the fat.) Season the goose well with salt and pepper.

② Put the quartered onion and 3 bay leavers into the goose body cavity and cover the legs with folded triangles of foil. Roast the goose for 20 minutes per kg, plus an extra 20 minutes if you like your goose well done. A 5kg goose will need 2 hours.

③ While the goose is cooking, prepare the stock and stuffing. Separate the liver from the rest of the giblets – it will be the larger, pale and softer. Pat dry on kitchen paper and cut into small pieces, discarding any sinew or damaged parts. Put in a small bowl, cover and chill until ready to use.

④ Put the rest of the giblets into a big pan with neck cut into 3 or 4 pieces. Add the onion, carrots, celery stick, bay leaves, thyme and seasoning. Pour over the water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat slightly and simmer gently for 1 ¼ hours. Put a lid on the pan for the last 30 minutes so the stock does not evaporate too much. (You are aiming to be left with around 300ml liquid.) Strain through a sieve into a measuring jug.

⑤ After the goose has been cooking for 1 hour, take it out of the oven and put on a board. VERY carefully drain the fat from the roasting tin into a large heatproof bowl. Reduce the oven temperature to 180C/fan oven 160C/Gas 4. Return the goose to the rack and continue cooking for a further 1 hour, removing the foil after 30 minutes so the legs can brown. (If your goose is very fatty, you may need to remove it from the oven and drain the fat one more time during the last hour of cooking. This will prevent the fat spluttering inside your oven or popping in the base of the tin.)

⑥ To make the stuffing, heat 2 tbsp of the reserved fat in a large non-stick frying pan and fry the onions for 5 minutes or until softened and lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Peel the cooking apple and cut into quarters. Discard the core and cut the apple into small pieces. Scatter the apple into the pan with the onion and sprinkle with the sugar. Cook for a further 3-4 minutes, until lightly carameslised. Add the goose liver and fry for a further 1-2 minutes until browned. Tip into a large bowl and leave to cool.

⑦ Stir the breadcrumbs, sausagemeat and sage to the onions, apple and liver once cooked. Season with lots of salt and pepper and mix well. Grease a 20x30cm shallow baking tin with a little more of the reserved goose fat. Spoon the stuffing mixture into the tin and spread evenly. Cover and chill until ready to bake.

⑧ To check that the goose is cooked, pierce the thickest part of the thigh with a skewer, then press the skewer against the leg and check the juices that run out. When the goose is cooked, the juices should run clear. Also, when you wiggle the legs, they should move fairly freely. (If not, pop back into the oven for a few more minutes. )

⑨ Take the goose out of the oven and transfer to a warmed serving platter. Cover loosely with foil and a couple of dry tea towels. Leave to rest for 25-30 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 220C/fan oven 200C/Gas 7. (If your oven door is splattered with a little goose fat, give it a quick wipe before increasing the temperature.)

⑩ Cut the eating apples in half horizontally through the middle and put on the baking tray with the stuffing balls. Brush the cut side of each apple with a little more oil. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 20 minutes or until the stuffing is golden brown and cooked throughout and the apples are tender.

While the stuffing balls are baking, make the gravy with the giblet stock and cider. Hold the roasting tin with a dry tea towel at one end, so all the cooking juices run to the corner. Spoon off as much of the goose fat as possible into a bowl. Try to retain plenty of the cooking juices and sediment as these will add lots of flavour to your gravy.

Place the roasting tin on the hob over a medium heat and stir in the flour until thoroughly combined. Slowly stir in the cider and 300ml of the goose stock. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly and scraping up the sediment from the bottom of the pan. Pour into a saucepan and return to a simmer, stirring with a whisk to break up any floury lumps. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally then season with plenty of salt and pepper. Strain though a fine sieve into a warmed jug.

Remove the tea towel and foil from the goose. Place the apples around the goose and garnish with a few sage or bay leaves. Serve the stuffing and gravy with the goose at the table.

FOOD FACTS The Discovery Apple was first grown in

Essex, around 1949, from a Worcester Pearmain pip. Ripening early, it is best eaten straight from the tree. The apple has creamy white flesh that’s often tinged pink, with a hint of strawberry flavour.

Cider making was first introduced to Sussex and Kent by the Normans in the 12th century. In the Welsh borders and West Country ciders have traditionally been made from specific cider apple varieties.

Historical facts provided by Monica Askay, Cook and Food Historian