Quick and easy

“Goose is a favourite dish during the festivities, especially during christmas.”

Usually mom would make a glazed honey orange ham for christmas day but this year we decided to try something different and experiment with Jamie Oliver‘s christmas special.

You will need:

1 organic goose (approximately 4-5 and a half kilos)
Giblets (heart, neck, liver, gizzard)
1/2 a packet of five spice blend
Fennel seeds (optional)
1 onions
A whole clove of garlic
4-5 sprigs of rosemary
A handful of olive oil
1 orange
1 lemon zest
1 ginger
1 tablespoon of goose fat (optional)
4 parsnip
4 carrots
3 celery sticks
3 potatoes
1 packet of brussel sprout
1 packet of bacon

Separate roast:

5-6 roughly chopped potatoes

Garnished with:

Rocket salad drizzled with olive oil seasoned with pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees, start by grating and chopping all the vegetables, place them on a tray with a few garlic clove with the skin on, crushed ginger, picked rosemary, seasoned with salt, pepper and lemon zest.  Add goose fat and randomly place the giblets in-between the vegetables.
With your knife gently poke around the skin of the orange and place it into the cavity of the goose with some rosemary sprigs. Turn your goose to it’s side and lift the wing before poking the fat where the “armpit” is situated. Turn the goose back to it’s back and rub some olive oil, five spice powder then salt. With a cooking string, tie the legs together and wrap the thighs with some tin foil, this prevents it from burning or over cooking that part of the meat. Place the vegetable tray at the bottom of the oven and the goose above the tray, during the cooking the goose dripping will drip into the vegetables giving extra flavour. The goose usually takes up to three-four hours, depending on the size of the goose, for a more accurate reading with the use of a thermometer it has a reading of 85 degrees. Leave the goose to rest with a tin foil over it, leaving it to cool for an hour. In a small pan add the vegetables with the goose fat, slow cook it for 5-10 minutes and  mash the vegetables till it becomes a enriched thick gravy. If it still has a lot of lumps, pass it through a blender.

For the brussels sprouts, pan fry the bacon then chop some garlic, slice the brussels sprouts and stir fry it with a teaspoon of goose fat, seasoned with salt and pepper. In another tray, roast some potatoes or baby potatoes garnished with picked rosemary, seasoning and drizzled n olive oil.

Carving of the goose, pull off the wings and legs with your hands, carve off the breasts with a knife and slice the meat and separately roll then slice the skin. Shred the rest of the meat off the bone with your fingers. Transfer the meat and skin to a large, deep earthenware dish or bowl and garnish rocket salad drizzled with olive oil seasoned with pepper.