How to Roast a Goose

“Gooses! Geeses! I want my geese to lay gold eggs for Easter.” Every time I think of geese I think of Veruca Salt singing that song just before she gets dumped in the trash along with all the other bad eggs. At the time I was smart enough to know that geese can't lay golden eggs. I was, however, convinced that a river made of chocolate was completely feasible. Even now as a grown up. I believe that chocolate rivers are possible. It might just be the last of my childhood dreams. The others, like flying a house over the rainbow, finding the bridge to Terabithia, learning to fly, and living in Narnia, were all crushed.

What does this have to do with roasting geese? Nothing. I just like to talk about myself. Geese, as it turns, out are quite tasty. I had no idea. Because up until I roasted one for this article, I have never tasted one. They are somewhat similar to duck. Their primary similarity to one another is that they are fatty and the meat is dark. They also don't taste like chicken. The fat of a duck and especially a goose is very sacred stuff. Don't throw it out. Cook potatoes or root veggies or wilt some greens with it. You will be very pleased with the results.

Goose Roasted with Chinese Five Spice and Mint

1. Buy yourself a goose. The goose should come with the giblets, neck, and some extra fat tucked away inside the cavity. Don't throw any of that away. Use the fat to cook with the potatoes or other side vegetables. Use the giblets, neck, and wings to make a goose broth for the gravy. Fry them in a stock pot with some carrot, onion, and a few herbs until browned. Drain off any fat and cover with water. Simmer on low heat for 4 hours or until the goose is done. Then strain and combine with the drippings from the roasting pan. Back to the main event—preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Prep the goose for roasting. First, trim the first two joints of wing off the bird. Use the wings to make broth with the other ingredients in the previous step. Trim away any excess fat you can get your knife to. Next rinse the bird under cool water and dry with paper towels. Using a skewer or toothpick, carefully poke holes into the skin without penetrating the meat underneath. These holes help with fat rendering. Tie the legs together with twine and season the goose liberally with salt, pepper, and Chinese Five Spice inside and out. Stick the mint inside the cavity. Put the bird into the roasting pan breast side down and place in the oven for 15 minutes.
3. Continue roasting the goose. After the first 15 minutes of roasting, flip the goose over onto its back and roast for another 15 minutes. Then reduce the heat of the oven to 350 degrees F, and roast the goose until the meaty part of the thigh reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees F. Most recipes will tell you to cook it past 160 or even 180 degrees F in some cases. To me, this is wrong; it's playing it safe, but it's wrong. If you cook the bird to 140 degrees F,it will be around medium, which means still bloody. But it will also still be tender, which is the most important part. Use an instant-read digital thermometer.
4. Rest the roast goose. Make sure to put it on a cutting board that has a well running around the perimeter to catch the runoff. Loosely cover the roast with foil, and let it rest for 25 minutes. Use this time to finish the gravy. Drain the fat from the roasting pan and reserve it for confit. Heat the roasting pan on the stove and deglaze with 1–2 cups white wine and 2 minced shallots. Meanwhile, drain the goose broth and combine with the pan drippings. Thicken with the cornstarch slurry and adjust the salt. Serve the goose with the gravy on the side and the meat sliced thin.

Tips for Roasting a Goose

• Don't throw away the fat. Cook some potatoes or something in it.
• Lots of things go well with goose, most notably sour berries and pears.
• Chinese Five Spice is a combination of ground fennel, cloves, cinnamon, star anise, ginger, and sometimes Szechuan peppercorns.
• Make sure to season the cavity heavily with salt and spice.
• When you tie the legs together, leave some space between them. They don't have to be touching. Mostly you are just concerned with keeping them from spreading apart during cooking.
• Stuffing the cavity will only delay cooking time and dry out the meat.
• Use a toothpick to fasten the skin flap to the back.
• Use a needle-nose pliers to pull out any feathers left still in the bird. These feathers will be especially obvious once you have roasted the bird.
• Rough chop the giblets for the gravy before you fry them.
• Don't boil the giblets; just simmer them lightly.
• The breast meat is very easy to remove from the goose. Use a good, sharp knife to cut along the edges and then just peel it off the smooth rib cage. Don't be afraid to get your fingers in there.
• If you poke holes through the skin and into the meat, it's not the end off the world. It just lets some blood out and stains the skin.