IRISH-IN-UK-L Archives

From: ConnorsGenealogy <>
Subject: Cook a goose for Christmas, recipe
Date: Thu, 23 Dec 2004 10:58:23 -0800

This is for the whole meal, thanks again to George of the Irish Heritage
Newsletter

MAKE SURE YOUR GOOSE IS COOKED
By John McKenna

DEVOTEES of the firm, fleshy flavour of goose will have no other bird when it
comes to Christmas, the blandishments of a well cooked turkey failing to
distract them from their devotion to the majestic, toothy taste.

It is easy to understand their affection for the noble goose. It is more
flavoursome than a turkey, it is somewhat easier to cook, it, produces useful
leftovers, thanks to its high fat content, and adapts beautifully to
stuffings.

This year, our master class on the Christmas bird comes from those most
imaginative and festive minded cooks, Herb and Christine Quigley, of
Ballycormac House, Co Tipperary. Christine recommends you calculate one lb
per person when buying the goose (as opposed to half a pound per person for
turkey). Source your goose carefully, she says, as geese that have been
raised outdoors are far less fatty. The first preparation, then, is to prick
the goose all over and then and this is very, very important make a one inch
slit between the wing and the breast, just under the wing, to drain off the
fat while the bird is cooking.

Start the oven at 425F/220C for 15 minutes and then continue - roasting at
350F/180C, counting 15 minutes per pound. Add another half an hour at the end
of cooking if the bird is stuffed. Cooking juices will run clear when the
bird is cooked. Remove the fat, regularly during cooking, using a spoon or a
baster, so as to avoid all that splattering and steaming. You should get at
least a quarter of the fat off," assures Christine, and this fat can be used
to roast potatoes.

Salsify and Poached Oyster Soup, Kale Stuffed Onions and Cranberry Chutney
all form part, of the Christmas meal at Ballycormac, and here are Herb and
Christine's recipes for the goose gravy, a fruity stuffing (never stuff a
goose with any sort of sausage meat stuffing it, would be far too greasy) and
a dazzlingly simple, sweet toothed recipe for Candied Sweet Potatoes.

Goose Cider Gravy

1 cup apple cider
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
6 tablespoons flour
4 cups goose stock
Skim all the fat from the goose roasting pan juices. Add the cider and
vinegar to the pan and deglaze over moderate heat, scraping up the brown
bits, and boil until reduced by half. In a sauce pan combine one third of a
cup of goose fat with the flour and cook, stirring for two to three minutes.
Add the cider mixture and goose stock, stirring. Bring to the boil and simmer
for five minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. This also works well
with turkey.

Apple Chestnut Stuffing

8 cups white bread, cut into half inch cubes
2 onions, chopped
4 ribs of celery, chopped
Quarter cup minced fresh sage or 1 tablespoon dried
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon minced fresh savoury or 1 teaspoon dried
Half cup butter
2 cups whole canned chestnuts, chopped course (or 1 lb fresh)
2 cups Armagh apples, cored, chopped coarse three quarters cup
chopped parsley
1 egg beaten
Goose stock or cream
Spread the bread on baking sheets and bake at 325F/177C/gas mark 4 for 15 to
20 minutes, until golden. In a large skillet, cook the onions, celery, sage,
thyme, rosemary and savory in the butter until softened, about 10 minutes.
Add the chestnuts and apples and cook, stirring for three minutes. Add the
vegetables to the bread, tossing well and stir in the parsley, egg, salt, and
pepper to taste. Lightly moisten with stock or cream.

Stuff the goose. Any remaining stuffing can be baked in a casserole, covered
for an hour at 350F/177C/gas mark 4. Baste with some of the goose dripping
for added flavour.

Maple Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes
Butter
Brown sugar
Maple syrup
Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into one inch pieces. Steam over boiling
water for about 10 minutes, until not completely tender. Arrange in a
buttered gratin dish and dot with pieces of butter. Sprinkle lightly with
brown sugar and drizzle with maple syrup. Bake at 350 F/177C/gas mark 4 for
30 to 45 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and glazed with the sugar and
syrup.


--
Pat Connors, Sacramento CA
http://www.connorsgenealogy.com
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