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Christmas: Goose with Chestnut Stuffing and Port Sauce

Source of Recipe

From "Saveur Cooks Authentic American"


List of Ingredients

• One 10-pound fresh or fully thawed frozen goose
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For Stuffing:
• 3 Tbsp butter
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 10 mushrooms, sliced
• 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 2 cups roasted chestnuts, peeled and chopped
• 5 cups fresh bread crumbs
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• ¼ cup chicken stock

For Sauce:
• Goose neck and giblets, minus liver
• 4 stalks celery, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 4 sprigs fresh parsley
• 5 black peppercorns
• 1 cup ruby Port
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper


Recipe

Preheat oven to 450°F. Wash, drain, and dry goose with paper towels, then rub inside and out with salt and pepper.

For stuffing, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Cook onions and garlic until soft, about 15 minutes. Add celery and cook 5 minutes more, then transfer to a bowl. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in the same pan, add mushrooms and thyme, and cook 7 to 8 minutes more. Combine mushrooms with onion mixture, then add chestnuts, bread crumbs, egg, and stock, and mix well. Set stuffing aside.

For sauce, put neck, giblets, celery, garlic, onions, parsley, peppercorns, and 6 cups water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce heat to low, skim off foam, and simmer for 2 hours. Strain, reserving stock and giblets. Discard remaining solids. Peel and finely chop giblets and set aside.

While stock cooks, loosely pack body and neck cavity of goose with stuffing. Tie legs closed with kitchen string. Prick legs and thighs with a fork. Roast on a rack in a roasting pan for ½ hour. Lower heat to 325°F and cook for 1½ to 2 hours more or until thigh juices run clear. Transfer goose to a platter and allow to rest for 15 minutes, then remove stuffing and carve.

While goose rests, put roasting pan with drippings on top of stove (use two burners if necessary) over medium heat. Skim and discard fat from juices. Add port and deglaze, scraping brown bits from bottom of pan. Add giblets and stock and reduce liquid by half, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve sauce with goose and stuffing.

Serves 6