Traditional Roast Goose

A rich, crisp-skinned roast goose with apple, onion and sage, plus plenty of fat for roast potatoes.

TIME BREAKDOWN
Prep: 30 min
Cook: 3 hr
Total: 3 hours 30 minutes
Vegetarian
❌
Nuts
❌
Serves
6 people
Difficulty
Medium

Ingredients

  • 4.5kg oven-ready goose, at room temperature
  • 2 tbsp coarse sea salt
  • 2 eating apples, quartered
  • 2 onions, quartered
  • 1 orange, quartered
  • 6 sprigs fresh sage
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan)/gas mark 7. Remove any loose fat from inside the goose.

  2. Prick the skin all over with a skewer, taking care not to pierce the flesh, then pour a kettle of boiling water over the skin and dry thoroughly with kitchen paper.

  3. Rub the skin with the salt and pepper and fill the cavity with the apples, onions, orange and sage.

  4. Stand the goose on a rack in a deep roasting tin and roast for 30 minutes.

  5. Reduce the oven to 180°C (160°C fan)/gas mark 4 and roast for a further 2 hours 30 minutes, carefully draining off the fat every 45 minutes. Save the fat.

  6. The goose is cooked when the juices run clear from the thickest part of the thigh and a probe reads at least 75°C.

  7. Rest, covered with foil, for 30 minutes before carving.