Roast Goose with Potato Stuffing

Ingredients

• 1 goose
• 6 thin strips fat salt pork
• salt
• pepper
• watercress
• cranberries (fresh)
• Apple Sauce

Method

Singe the goose over a flame to remove any remaining feathers, then pluck out pinfeathers by hand. Wash in hot soapy water, draw the giblets from the cavity, rinse in cold water, and pat completely dry — moisture on the skin will steam rather than crisp during roasting.

Pack the cavity loosely with Potato Stuffing; overstuffing restricts air circulation and leaves the centre undercooked. Truss the bird tightly with kitchen string, crossing the legs and securing the wings to the body. This maintains shape and ensures even cooking. Season the exterior generously with salt and pepper, then lay six thin strips of salt pork across the breast. The pork acts as insulation for the delicate white meat, which would otherwise dry before the thighs — naturally fattier — finish cooking. The rendered fat bastes the bird as it cooks and seasons the skin.

Set the goose breast-up on a rack in a roasting pan and roast at 200°C. The poultry will take roughly 2 to 2.5 hours depending on size; the meat is done when the thigh juices run clear and the thigh meat pulls easily from the bone. Baste every 15 minutes with the fat collecting in the pan — this is the mechanism by which the skin crisps and browns evenly. Remove the salt pork strips during the final 30 minutes to allow the breast skin direct contact with heat and to prevent the fat from becoming rancid.

Transfer the goose to a warm platter and remove the trussing string and skewers. Let it rest for 10 minutes — carryover cooking continues, and the juices redistribute into the meat fibres, keeping it moist when carved. Garnish with fresh watercress and bright cranberries, which provide both visual contrast and acidic sharpness against the rich, gamey meat. Serve with Apple Sauce on the side. The acidity cuts through the fat and balances the savoury depth of the stuffing and meat.