A taste of the West: roast goose with ease - includes recipe

Sunset, Dec, 1995 by Jerry Anne di Vecchio

Mrs. Cratchit put up with Scrooge, but she drew the line at roasting the Christmas goose in her own kitchen. She let the baker do it.

Nowadays, bakers rarely provide such service. This makes it even more amazing that in days long past, my own mother, who viewed cooking as a boring nuisance, often tackled goose for a holiday meal. She did it, she said, because dark, firm goose meat tastes so good, and the crisp skin makes it all the more worthwhile. Valid points. However, the first time I cooked goose, the house caught fire. There was no relationship between the two incidents (the clothes dryer malfunctioned), but it was a night to remember.

If this preamble suggests that I'm a bit tentative about urging you to cook your own goose, I admit that this was once the case. But no more. By accident, I made a great discovery. We were photographing a goose for a story and got a late start. By the time we were done, everyone else had gone home. So I stuck the bird in the refrigerator. When I reheated the goose the next day for tasting, I was amazed at the results. The skin got crisper than it had been originally, the meat was just as moist and flavorful as anticipated, and best of all, dealing with the vats of fat a goose renders (easily a quart or more) was yesterday's chore.

In defense of the fat, it is delicately flavored and has cooking merits. It doesn't scorch readily and is great for roasted potatoes (as follows). If kept airtight and chilled, goose fat stays fresh for several weeks.

Crisp Roast Goose with

Giblet Gravy

Cooking time: 2 to 3 hours Prep time: About 30 minutes, if thawed Notes: 8- to 10-pound geese tend to be proportionately meatier than larger ones. Be sure to order ahead. Makes: 8 to 10 servings

1 goose, 8 to 12 pounds, thawed
if frozen
1 lemon, cut in half
2 onions (each about 1/2 lb.), cut
into chunks
4 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup cornstarch mixed smoothly
with 1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons brandy or sherry
Salt and pepper

I also like to add cranberries to other dishes, including meat, where their color and tang is a plus. Red cabbage gets new life with cranberries and complements roast pork, ham -- or goose.

Red Cabbage with

Cranberries

Cooking time: 1 1/2 hours Prep time: 20 to 25 minutes Makes: 8 servings

2 red cabbages (about 2 lb. total)
About 3/4 CUP red wine vinegar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup cranberries
3 1/2 cups apple juice
1/2 teaspoon caraway seed
Salt