Roast Stuffed Goose
Serves 6 to 8.
By Dennis W. Viau; modified from Le Cordon Blue at Home.
Goose is expensive here in the USA. At $50 to $60 per goose, to serve only 6 to 8 people, you wouldn’t want to purchase one often. In fact, you usually won’t find them in stores until around the Christmas holiday. I roast a goose once every 2 to 3 years. The meat is all dark because, unlike chickens and turkeys, geese fly. They use their breast muscles; therefore, their breast meat is as dark as their leg meat.
Ingredients:
1 goose, 9 to 10 pounds (about 4kg)
About 20 to 25 chestnuts in the shell (canned shelled chestnuts are a lot easier)
4 bagels, preferably stale
3 cups (700ml) homemade chicken stock (or canned broth)
4 ounces (113g) uncooked wild rice
2 cups (475ml) water or chicken stock
1 one-pound (450g) chub pork sausage meat
1 medium onion; chopped
½ cup finely chopped fresh Italian (flat leaf) parsley
9 to 10 fresh sage leaves; finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
The goose will probably be frozen. Place in the refrigerator to thaw 2 to 3 days before roasting.
Cut an X in the rounded side of each chestnut and place in a shallow roasting pan. Roast 30 to 45 minutes in a 350°F (175°C) oven. Remove and let cool until comfortable to handle, but still hot. Remove the shells and skin. Set aside. Or purchase canned shelled chestnuts and spare your fingers.
Cube the bagels and arrange evenly on a baking sheet. Place in a 275°F (135°C) oven 30 minutes to an hour, until dry.
While the chestnuts are roasting and the bagel cubes are drying, cook the wild rice in 2 cups water or chicken stock in a medium saucepan, covered, simmering about 45 minutes, until not quite tender. Drain. Sauté the sausage meat in a large skillet over medium-high heat until thoroughly cooked, about 5 to 6 minutes. There is no need to brown the meat. Remove from the skillet and add the chopped onion. Cook the onion until tender and translucent, 6 to 7 minutes.
Place the dry bagel cubes in a large bowl and add the stock. Allow to sit, stirring occasionally, until the bagels have absorbed all the liquid, about 10 minutes. Add the cooked wild rice, sausage meat, onion, parsley, and sage. Mix well.
Remove the gizzards and other additional parts from the goose cavity. (The gizzards can be cooked and chopped and added to the stuffing if preferred.) Rinse the bird and pat dry with paper towels. Fill with stuffing, leaving the tail end of the bird open to allow the stuffing to expand. Place on a rack in a roasting pan. Pierce the skin several times in several places with a skewer or carving fork to allow the extra fat to escape. Place remaining stuffing in a covered casserole dish. Place the casserole dish in the oven about an hour before the goose is done.
Roast in a 350°F (175°C) oven about 2 hours until an internal temperature of 155°F (68°C) to 165°F (74°C); check with a digital thermometer. Pierce the meat where thickest with a slender knife. The juices should run clear. Remove from the oven and allow to rest 15 to 20 minutes. The finished temperature should reach 170°F (77°C) to 180°F (82°C), a safe temperature at which to serve fowl. Carve and serve with stuffing and your favorite vegetables. Can be accompanied with baked potatoes or yams, squash, etc., whatever winter vegetables are readily available in the grocery stores.
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