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Perfecting the Christmas Goose
Asked on 20 Nov 2018 by KGS
We tested the goose with prunes and armagnac recipe last weekend as practice for Christmas but with a duck because there were only 4 of us.
All went very well except I used the goose stock recipe with water for duck as per the recipe and after 2 hours on the lowest heat of our smallest hob ring with the lid on we only had about 150ml stock. Then there were no juices at all, only fat. We drained some fat off after initial cooking at a higher temp and all that was in the tin at the very end was a small amount of burnt fat. It would have smoked the house out if we hadn't removed it earlier and it was just fat. If we'd tried to use the tin for gravy the burnt bits would have been bitter. I tried adding carrot water and flour to the tiny but of stock but it just tasted like carrot water... What can we do to ensure good gravy on Christmas day?
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Hello,
It’s been a while since I made this recipe but I remember havening a lovey rich juice from the apples, prunes and goose after cooking which meant the roasting tin didn’t burn.
For the giblet stock, this can be made a day or so before. It’s a good idea to keep and eye on it as it simmers and if the water level is looking a bit low you can add some boiling water from a kettle. You can almost cover the pan with the lid and if you have it on the lowest temperature but you find that it’s still it’s simmering a bit too fast, pull the pan to one side of the heat source.
Goose (and duck) are very fatty birds and the hot melting fat will splash on the hot oven surfaces and create smoke. This happens in any oven but if you use a fan setting and or if your oven isn’t clean it will be more noticeable. Having a clean oven (and a well ventilated room) before you start helps, but you will still need to clean the oven after. If you have a fan oven you need to reduce the given temperatures by 20 degrees.
Click here to see Delia's recipe for Roast Stuffed Goose with Prunes in Armagnac
Kind regards
Lindsey