Gordon's Christmas Roast Goose

4.55 (40)
⏱ 245 mins 🍽 Serves 6 🌶 british ✅ A challenge 🏷 Main course

This recipe guides you through preparing a festive roast goose, a classic British Christmas dinner centrepiece. The method involves scoring and seasoning the bird with a citrus and five-spice rub before roasting. Cooking times are calculated by weight, and the process renders a generous amount of fat ideal for roasting potatoes and vegetables. The finished goose is left to rest before carving, ensuring moist and tender meat. The entire process takes approximately 245 minutes to complete.

Gordon's Christmas Roast Goose

Ingredients

  • 4-5.5kg fresh goose
  • 4 lemons
  • 3 limes
  • 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
  • small handful each of parsley sprigs thyme and sage, plus extra for garnishing
  • a little olive oil for browning, optional
  • 3 tbsp clear honey
  • 1 tbsp thyme leaves

Method

  1. Determine the required roasting duration: cook for 10 mins at 240C/fan 220C/gas 9, then lower to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5 and roast for 20 mins per kg for medium-rare, or 32 mins per kg for more well done, plus 30 mins resting.
  2. Should your goose be pre-trussed, slacken the string and gently extend the legs and wings slightly to promote even cooking.
  3. Inspect the cavity and take out any giblets or fat pads. Lightly score the skin on the breast and legs in a crosshatch pattern with a sharp knife tip to help the fat render.
  4. Remove the zest from 4 lemons and 3 limes. Combine this with 2 tsp fine sea salt, 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder and black pepper, as preferred.
  5. Liberally salt the inside of the goose, then massage the citrus mixture thoroughly over the skin and scatter a little inside the cavity.
  6. Place the zested fruit and a small handful of parsley, thyme and sage sprigs inside the bird. Allow it to sit for at least 15 mins. This can be prepared a day in advance and stored in the fridge.
  7. Preheat your oven to 240C/fan 220C/gas 9.
  8. For a golden skin, brown the goose in a large frying pan or heavy roasting tin using a couple of tbsp olive oil. Hold the bird by the legs, potentially with an oven glove, and press the breasts down to colour.
  9. After browning, transfer the goose to the roasting tin. Drizzle over 3 tbsp clear honey and scatter with 1 tbsp thyme leaves.
  10. Roast for the time you calculated, reducing the heat after 10 mins to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Use foil to loosely cover the goose if it colours too quickly.
  11. Baste the bird with the tin juices roughly every 30 mins, then pour the rendered fat through a sieve into a large heatproof bowl. You will collect at least a litre of precious fat, perfect for roasting potatoes and other vegetables.
  12. Once cooked, let the goose rest for a minimum of 30 mins, tented loosely with foil. This keeps the meat moist and makes carving simpler.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories800 kcal
Fat55 g
Saturates18 g
Carbs4 g
Sugars4 g
Protein72 g
Sodium680 mg
Salt1 g

Recipe details

Skill levelA challenge
CategoryMain course
Cuisinebritish