Recipes

Roast Goose Stuffed with Prunes and Apples

James Beard

Author and Educator

"There is a great deal of fat on a goose. Therefore it should be roasted slowly and on a rack so that the bird will crisp while the fat drips down into the roasting pan. I like to roast potatoes in the goose fat, for they become rather crispy and thoroughly saturated with flavor. Reserve the fat for future cooking. It can be used for many dishes. I always like to serve a large bowl of watercress with goose. It is so refreshing and seems somehow to offer an appropriate contrast of flavor as well as color." –James Beard

Ingredients

  • 1 goose
  • 18 pitted prunes that have been soaked in sherry or Madeira for 4 days
  • 6 to 8 apples, peeled, cored and halved
  • Nutmeg and lemon slices
  • Salt and pepper
  • 6 potatoes, peeled and quartered lengthwise

Method

Stuff the goose with the prunes and the apples, which have been lightly salted and dusted with a bit of nutmeg. Here and there add a lemon slice. Place the goose on a rack in a rather deep pan, and cover lightly with foil. Roast at 325ºF. At the end of 2 1/2 hours remove the foil and baste with the drippings. Continue roasting till browned and tender. A large goose should take about 3 or 3 1/2 hours to cook.

Add the potatoes to the bottom of the pan 1 hour after the goose is placed in the oven. They will be ready with the goose—delicious, crisp, and rich as can be!

Yield

6 servings