This month’s cooking class features a lovely steamed then roasted goose.  Somewhat of a tradition of days gone by, we found roasted goose with a rich, delectable gravy definitely a contender for that very special holiday meal.  Roasted goose is better suited for a smaller guest list as the average weight of a goose is 9-11lbs.  Our goose weighed just over 9lbs. and served six.  

Goose differs from turkey and chicken in that it is all dark meat with a flavor all its own.  Our steam-roasted goose was moist and flavorful with a crispy browned skin.  Even more so than duck, the other all dark poultry, goose has a large amount of fat.  In this class, you will learn a terrific technique, ‘Steam Roasting’, that renders off the fat before the goose is roasted.

We did not stuff our goose because of the high fat content.  

If you do not see goose at your grocery store, it can usually be ordered through your butcher.

Step 1.  Making stock 

Remove the goose from its packaging and remove the bag containing liver, neck and organs.  If the goose has wing tips, cut them off and place them and the neck in a stock pot.  Save the liver and gizzard for another use or discard.  Fill the pot with water and place on stove over high heat.  This will be the stock for your gravy.  Remove the scum from the water.  Add the halved carrot, halved celery stalk, halved onion, handful of fresh parsley, a few sprigs of thyme and about 6 peppercorns.  Reduce heat to simmer and let simmer for about 4 hours.

2.  Remove all visible fat

Pull all loose fat from the goose and discard.  There will be a lot of fat in the neck area as well as around the inner thighs.  Wash well and remove any left-on pin feathers from skin.  Pat goose dry inside and out with paper towels.

3.  Seasoning

Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice inside the cavity and on the outside surface of the goose.  Season inside and out with salt and pepper.

4.  Trussing

Trussing can be done a few different ways.  If you have a skewer/trussing needle, thread butcher string through the needle and push the skewer through the shoulders; tieing the string off to secure the wings.  Next, push the skewer through the hips, pulling the string and tieing it off to hold the legs together.  You can also wrap butcher’s string around the shoulders and tie them off; and the same with the hips, pulling the string and securing it to bring the legs together.

5.  Steaming 

Prick the goose all over just through the skin (not through to the meat) to assist in rendering the fat.  Place the goose breast side up in a roasting pan on top of a rack.  The roasting pan should have a tight fitting lid and should be large enough so that the goose fits without touching the sides of the pan.  Add about 1”-2” water and place on top of the stove.  You can place the roasting pan over two burners if need be.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer and cover pan.  Let steam for 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on the size of your goose.  

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

6.  Rendered Broth and Fat

When goose has finished steaming, there will be a large amount of broth and fat in the pan.  Remove the goose from the pan and pour the liquid into a large bowl.  The fat will rise to the surface and you can skim it off and freeze it for other uses.  Save the stock for gravy, soups and sauces.

7.  Braising the Goose

Braising is cooking at a relatively lower heat for a longer period of time in liquid.

Place a double folded sheet of foil over the rack and lay the goose on it, breast-side down.  Add the chopped vegetables to the pan and add ½ cup white wine and 1 cup goose stock.  Cover roaster and braise for 1-1/2 hours depending on size of goose.  I braised our 9lb. goose for 1 hour.  Add liquid to pan if necessary and baste with juices occasionally.

8.  Roasting/Browning

The goose is sufficiently braised when the legs feel almost tender when pressed.  Remove the roasting pan from the oven and turn the goose over so it is breast-side up and baste it with pan juices.  Place it back in the oven without the cover.  Let roast until it is nicely browned and the legs feel very tender when pressed; about ½ to 1 hour.  I roasted our goose for 45 minutes.

9.  Roasted Goose

When goose is done, turn the oven off.  Transfer the goose to a carving board and place it back in the oven with the oven door ajar.

10.  Making Gravy

Remove the fat from the juices in the roasting pan by skimming them off the top.  Place roaster on stove over medium heat.  Add 2 cups goose stock to pan and deglaze pan; scraping up browned bits.  Combine port wine and cornstarch in a small bowl and add to pan while simmering.  Stir as gravy thickens.  Remove from heat and pour through a strainer, straining off vegetable solids.  Pour gravy into a saucepan and bring to a simmer.  Correct seasonings.

11.  Carving the Goose

Cut through where the thigh joins the hip.  Separate the leg from the thigh.  Cut the wings from the shoulders.  Place a knife on one side of the breast bone and cut along side the breast/rib bones; separating the meat from the carcass.  Cut the breast in half cross-wise and repeat for other side.  Place cut goose parts along with any smaller pieces of meat on the serving platter.

12.  Serve Roasted Goose with gravy.

Enjoy!

- Chef Yvonne