Throw a lavish Victorian Christmas dinner inspired by Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol with this succulent and show-stopping Christmas roast goose with port wine gravy.
There is perhaps no more iconic food associated with Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol than a luscious and tender roast goose! With golden, crispy skin and tender dark meat, a slow roasted goose is the perfect crowning glory for a Victorian Christmas feast. A homemade giblet broth adds rich savoury flavour to the Port wine gravy. Be sure to save all that delicious rendered goose fat for the best roast potatoes!
There never was such a goose. Bob said he didn't believe there ever was such a goose cooked. Its tenderness and flavour, size and cheapness, were the themes of universal admiration.
- A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens
Ingredients
Goose: Unless you are lucky enough to find fresh goose, more than likely you will need to use frozen. Thaw completely before using. Rinse the goose inside and out, removing the giblet bag from the cavity. A 6-pound goose will feed about 4 people.
Giblets: Giblets refers to the organ meats, or offal, of poultry. They typically include the heart, gizzard, kidneys, and liver. Often, the giblets are placed in a small bag and left inside the cavity of the bird. Though they may look strange, they can certainly add a lot of flavour to a stock or gravy. I like to make a broth with the giblets and neck to use in the pan gravy. I typically discard the liver as I find the flavour to be too strong for my liking, and use instead the heart, gizzard, and kidneys. If your goose does not include the giblets or a neck, you can use a store bought chicken broth for the gravy instead.
Aromatics: While you can certainly stuff the cavity of your goose with a traditional stuffing, I prefer to bake mine separately. This gives you the opportunity to add more flavour to your goose by stuffing it with aromatics. Onion, fresh oranges, and a bundle of herbs add delicate flavours to the goose and, later, the pan gravy.
Port Wine: This fortified red wine has a rich, sweet flavour and is made by blending red wine with additional spirits. The most common types are tawny port and ruby port. I typically prefer to use tawny port.
How to make Roast Goose with Port Wine Gravy
Prepare and roast the goose
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a roasting pan with a rack and spray lightly with non-stick spray. Rinse the goose inside and out and pat dry. Remove the giblets and neck from the cavity if they are present and reserve for later. Place the goose in the roasting pan. Trim any excess fat from around the cavity.
Tie the sage, half the thyme, and 2 bay leaves into a little bundle and cut the orange half into quarters. Stuff the goose with the onion, herb bundle, and orange quarters. Use twine to tie the legs tightly together. Prick the skin of the breast several times with a sharp knife being careful not to puncture the meat underneath. Drizzle the goose with a little olive oil and rub all over. Sprinkle the goose generously with kosher salt.
Roast the goose at 425°F for 25 minutes and then turn the heat down to 325°F. The goose will take about 2 1/2 to 3 hours to roast.
Remove the fat
Check the goose after one hour, there should be a lot of rendered fat in the roasting pan. Carefully drain the fat from the roasting pan into a bowl before returning the goose to the oven. Separate the fat from any drippings by spooning it off. The drippings will look darker than the fat. Keep both the fat and drippings to use later. Repeat this process once or twice more during the roasting time.
Make the giblet broth
While the goose is roasting, make the giblet broth. Rinse the gizzard, heart, kidneys, and neck and place in a medium saucepan. Add the chopped onion, celery, and carrot. Tie the remaining thyme and bay leaf into a little bundle and add to the saucepan along with the peppercorns.
Add the water and bring to a simmer. Turn down the heat and let simmer on low for an hour to an hour and a half. The broth should be golden in colour and half the volume, about 2 cups. Strain the broth and reserve for the gravy. Discard the solids.
Make the Port wine gravy
The goose is fully cooked with the juices run clear and a thermometer inserted into the thick part of the thigh registers 165°F or higher. When done, transfer the goose to a serving platter and tent loosely with foil. Pour off the remaining fat and drippings from the roasting pan. As before, skim the fat from the drippings.
In a small bowl, stir together the flour and 3 tablespoons of reserved goose fat. Set aside. Save the remaining goose fat for roasting potatoes!
Place the roasting pan on the stovetop over medium heat. When the pan begins to sizzle, add the Port. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the brown bits stuck to the pan. Allow the Port to reduce by half. Add 2 cups of the giblet broth and bring to a boil. Whisk the flour mixture into the broth and bring to a boil. Cook until thickened.
Taste the gravy and adjust the seasoning by adding kosher salt and pepper to taste. Strain the gravy and keep warm until serving.
Serve the Roast Goose with Port Wine Gravy
To carve the goose, begin by removing the legs. Cut down through each leg joint to remove the whole legs. Separate the thighs from the drumsticks. To remove the breasts, slice down the middle of the breast bone and then down each side of the rib cage. Cut off the wings if desired, although there is little meat on them. Cut the breasts into 2 or 3 pieces depending on size. Reserve as much of the crispy skin as you can.
Arrange the meat on a serving platter and serve with the Port wine gravy. Enjoy!
