Christmas Goose With Stuffing Recipe

Ingredients

For the Stuffing

8 oz. bacon, cut into 1/4″ cubes
8 oz. Brussels sprouts, quartered
2 cups minced celery
1 large yellow onion, minced
1 lb. cooked chestnuts, roughly chopped
4 1⁄2 oz. country white bread, cut into 1/2″ cubes (about 4 cups)
4 cups cooked wild rice
1 cup chicken stock
16 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted, plus more for buttering casserole dish
1⁄2 cup finely chopped parsley
2 tbsp. finely chopped thyme
2 tbsp. finely chopped sage
2 tart apples, chopped
Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste

For the Goose and Gravy

1 (12-lb.) goose, wing tips, neck, and giblets reserved
Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 lemon, halved
8 sprigs thyme
4 sprigs sage
8 cups chicken stock
2 celery, roughly chopped
2 small yellow onions, chopped
1 large carrot, roughly chopped
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 oz. baby carrots, peeled
1 lb. baby beets, peeled
1 lb. small potatoes, halved
6 cipolline onions, peeled
2 large parsnips, peeled and cut diagonally into 1″ slices
1 celery root, peeled, halved, and cut into 1″ slices
1 head garlic, cloves peeled
1 sprig rosemary
1⁄4 cup flour

	PREP TIME 30m	COOK TIME 3h	TOTAL TIME 3h30m
YIELD 8 servings

Instructions

Make the stuffing: Render bacon in a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Add sprouts, celery, and onion; cook until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in chestnuts, bread, rice, stock, butter, parsley, thyme, sage, and apples; season with salt and pepper; set aside.
Roast the goose: Prick skin all over with a fork; season with salt and pepper; squeeze lemon juice over skin.
Place spent lemon halves in cavity along with 3 sprigs each thyme and sage. Place goose on a rack in a roasting pan; heat pan on stove over high heat.
Add stock; boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover with foil, and steam (to render goose fat) for 1 hour. Discard lemon and herbs. Heat oven to 325°.
Uncover goose; remove it with rack. Pour pan liquid into a measuring cup; let sit until fat rises to top. Skim off fat; reserve for another use.
Add 2 cups pan liquid to roasting pan along with celery, onion, and large carrot; reserve remaining pan liquid. Return goose and rack to pan.
Stuff goose with some of the stuffing (place remaining stuffing in a buttered casserole; heat alongside goose the last 15 minutes of cooking); tie legs together with kitchen twine. Place goose breast side down; cover with foil. Roast for 1 hour.
Begin the gravy: Heat butter in a 6-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat; add wing tips, neck, giblets, and 2 sprigs thyme; cook until browned, about 15 minutes.
Add reserved pan liquid; boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook until reduced by half, about 1 hour. Strain goose stock; set aside.
Increase oven temperature to 475°. Uncover goose; turn breast side up. Roast until golden and temperature of stuffing is 180°, about 70 minutes.
Meanwhile, roast the vegetables: Toss remaining thyme and sage, oil, carrots, beets, potatoes, onions, parsnips, celery root, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper on two baking sheets.
Roast, stirring, until golden brown, about 45 minutes; keep warm.
Transfer goose to a cutting board; let rest for 15 minutes. Strain pan liquid into a measuring cup; let sit until fat rises to top.
Skim off fat (about 1⁄4 cup), and return to pan with the celery, onion, and carrot. Heat over medium-high heat; brown vegetables for 8 minutes. Add flour; cook for 4 minutes.
Add strained pan juices and goose stock; boil. Cook until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Strain gravy; season with salt and pepper.
Remove stuffing from goose; carve goose. Serve with gravy and roasted vegetables on the side.