Roast Goose Recipe

Roast goose recipe

The Spruce Eats / Anfisa Strizh

Prep: 12 hrs 30 mins
Cook: 3 hrs
Total: 15 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Yield: 1 goose

One of the most memorable parts of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" is when the Ghost of Christmas Present takes Scrooge to the house of his clerk, Bob Cratchit, as the family sits down for Christmas dinner, and the roasted goose is a prominent part of the scene. This depiction of a Victorian-era English Christmas dinner has become embedded in the cultural traditions of the holiday for Americans. Take a cue from Dickens and make this an old-fashioned Christmas dinner with roasted goose and all the fixings.

The overnight brining in this recipe ensures flavorful and moist meat. Filling the cavity with fruit not only gives the roasted goose a wonderful flavor and scent—it also makes your kitchen smell divine. Also, carefully pricking the skin is the secret to a beautiful, crispy finish.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 gallons cold water

  • 1 cup kosher salt, or sea salt

  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

  • 2 bay leaves

  • 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

  • 1 (10- to 12-pound) young goose, fully thawed

  • Salt, to taste

  • Black pepper, to taste

  • 1 apple, peeled and quartered

  • 1 onion, quartered

  • 1 orange, quartered

  • 1 lemon, quartered

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for roast goose
    The Spruce Eats / Anfisa Strizh
  2. Fill a container or stockpot large enough to fit the goose and brine mixture with 1 1/2 gallons of cold water.

    Fill the stock pot
    The Spruce Eats / Anfisa Strizh
  3. Add the salt, sugar, bay leaves, and peppercorns; stir to dissolve the salt and sugar.

    Add salt and sugar
    The Spruce Eats / Anfisa Strizh
  4. Unwrap the goose and remove anything in the cavity. Rinse and trim any excess fat from the neck and/or tail end of the goose and place into the brine so that it is completely submerged. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or up to 24 hours.

    Remove things from cavity
    The Spruce Eats / Anfisa Strizh
  5. Remove the goose from the brine and pat dry, inside and out, with paper towels.

    Remove the goose from brine
    The Spruce Eats / Anfisa Strizh
  6. Sprinkle the goose cavity generously with salt and pepper. Put the apple, onion, orange, and lemon into the cavity.

    Add salt and pepper
    The Spruce Eats / Anfisa Strizh
  7. Place the goose, breast-side up, in a large roasting pan with a rack to keep the bird at least 1 inch off the bottom.

    Place goose rightside up
    The Spruce Eats / Anfisa Strizh
  8. Salt and pepper the goose to taste and add 2 cups of water into the bottom of the pan.

    Salt and pepper the goose
    The Spruce Eats / Anfisa Strizh
  9. With a small sharp knife or large needle, prick the goose skin all over, especially where you can see and feel fat under the surface. Be careful not to pierce the flesh, only the skin and fat. This will allow the fat to drain during the cooking and make for a crisper skin.

    Cut
    The Spruce Eats / Anfisa Strizh
  10. Roast at 350 F for 2 1/4 to 3 hours, until it reaches an internal temperature in the thickest part of the meat of 170 F.

  11. Remove from the oven, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for at least 25 minutes before carving. Serve and enjoy!

    Remove from the oven
    The Spruce Eats / Anfisa Strizh
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
246 Calories
4g Fat
54g Carbs
6g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 246
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4g 5%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 13mg 4%
Sodium 7677mg 334%
Total Carbohydrate 54g 19%
Dietary Fiber 8g 29%
Total Sugars 37g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 149mg 745%
Calcium 135mg 10%
Iron 2mg 9%
Potassium 601mg 13%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)