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Christmas: Christmas Goose

Source of Recipe


From "The Christmas Table" by Diane Morgan



List of Ingredients



• One farm-raised goose (about 12 pounds)
  
• Kosher or sea salt
  
• Freshly ground pepper
  
• 1 bunch fresh thyme
  
• 1 lemon, quartered
  
• 3 cups homemade chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
  
• ½ cup madeira
  
• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
  
• 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  






Instructions



1. Position a rack on the second-lowest level in the oven. Preheat the oven to 500°F. Have ready a roasting pan outfitted with a roasting rack, preferably V-shaped.
   
   
2. Remove the neck and giblets from the chest cavity, and save the liver to make liver pâté or another use, if desired. Discard the neck and other giblets. Remove any visible fat from the bird and cut off the wing tips. Using paper towels, pat the goose dry inside and out. Sprinkle the cavity with salt and pepper. Put the thyme and lemon wedges in the cavity. Prick the breast of the bird with a two-pronged carving fork to release any fat as it cooks. Arrange the bird, breast-side up, on the rack. Stick an ovenproof meat thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh without touching bone. Orient the thermometer so it is facing you as you put the bird in the oven.
   
   
3. Roast the goose for 45 minutes, and then turn the oven off. Do not open the door. Leave the bird in the oven until the thermometer registers 165°F, 35 to 45 minutes longer. Keep in mind that the temperature will rise to 170°F while the bird rests before carving. Remove the goose from the oven and transfer to a carving board or warmed serving platter. Tent with foil and let the bird rest for 15 to 20 minutes to allow the juices to set.
   
   
4. Spoon the fat off the top of the pan juices, and save the fat for another use. Put the roasting pan with the pan juices on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add the stock and Madeira and deglaze the pan, using a wooden to scrape the bottom to release any caramelized bits that have stuck to it. Simmer the liquid until it is reduced to 2 cups, about 15 minutes. While the liquid is reducing, use a small fork to work together the butter and flour to make a paste. When the liquid is reduced, whisk the butter paste, a little at a time, into the gravy to thicken it slightly. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
   
   
5. Carve the goose as you would a turkey. Arrange the meat on a warmed platter and serve. Pour the gravy into a warmed gravy boat and pass at the table.
   
   Serves 6