Roast Christmas Goose

Serves 8 - 10

Ingredients

For the stuffing:

225g/8oz white rice
4 red onions, finely chopped
2 tbsp toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
2 sticks of celery
Large handful of parsley, finely chopped
2 cooking apples
50g/2 oz butter

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
• To make the stuffing:
  Cook the rice in boiling water until tender. Drain. Sauté the onions and celery with the apples until soft. Mix into the rice, add the parsley, hazelnuts and butter, season well. Allow to cool. The stuffing must be absolutely cold before it can be used to fill the goose.
• Season the cavity of the goose with salt and pepper. Grate the ginger finely and mix with the butter. Smear this all over the skin of the goose, this is best done the day before to allow the flavour to sink in. Place in a large roasting tin and sprinkle the fresh rosemary on top. Stuff the goose loosely with the stuffing.
• Cook for 1½ hours, then pour the port over the goose and replace in the oven. This will help to crisp up the skin and make delicious gravy!
• Cook for a further ½ hour or until the juices run clear when pricked.
• Remove the goose from the oven, transfer to a serving dish and allow to rest for at least 20 minutes in a very low oven.
• Make the gravy by pouring off the fat and heating up the juices again. Add some red wine (approx.½ bottle) and chicken/goose stock (approx.570ml/1pt). Reduce by half and then stir in some butter (approx.75g/3oz).
• Serve with the stuffing.