Roast Goose with Apple-Poblano Stuffing

Goose meat is dark. 
It looks more like roast beef than poultry 
and has a rich flavor that is hard 
to get enough of. 
The hot and sweet stuffing 
is a wonderful counterpoint 
to the dark, moist goose meat.
Roast goose with apple-poblano stuffing 
may not be a tradition at your house now, 
but don't be surprised if your family starts 
demanding this savory combination every year 
once they've tasted it. 
I have added one hot and spicy innovation 
at my house 
- we've discovered that roast goose goes great 
with cranberry-habanero sauce.


1 7-8 pound goose
1 cup vegetable oil
5 small cooking apples, 
peeled and cut into eighths
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup raisins, soaked in water
1 poblano pepper, roasted, stemmed, 
seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
Hot sauce
Sherry (optional)
1 package plain bread stuffing


1. Rinse the goose and remove the giblets, 
goose neck and wing tips from the cavity. 
Mince the goose liver, heart and gizzard.
2. In a large sauté pan, heat the oil and 
sauté the apples and onions for 5 minutes.
3. Add the minced giblets 
and cook another three minutes.
4. Add the raisins, poblano, parsley 
and thyme and cook for two more minutes.
5. Correct the seasonings with salt and pepper.
6. Combine the sautéed mixture 
with the stuffing bread.
7. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
8. Stuff the goose and sew it shut. 
Put the goose neck and wing tips 
in a roasting pan 
with 1 cup of water. 
Place the stuffed goose 
breast side down on a rack 
in the roasting pan and place in the hot oven.
9. After 1 1/2 hours, 
prick the goose all over 
with a toothpick to allow fat to escape and 
turn the goose over breast side up. 
Continue to prick the skin every 20 minutes. 
Add water to the roasting pan 
if needed to prevent scorching.
10. After three hours, check for doneness 
with a meat thermometer 
or by wiggling the thigh. 
When the thigh moves easily, the goose is done.
11. Remove the cooked goose from the oven 
and put it on a carving board to rest.
12. To make gravy, 
pour off the goose fat from the roasting pan 
being careful not to lose the pan juices. 
(Goose fat is wonderful for cooking, 
you can reserve some in the refrigerator 
and tender it for later use.)
13. Add 2-3 cups of water to 
the pan juices and gently scrape up 
the bits of meat 
that have stuck to the pan. 
Strain the pan juices and water into 
a sauce pan and bring to a boil.
14. Remove the meat from the neck and wings. 
Mince the meat and add to the gravy, 
discard the bones. 
Skim off any fat that forms on top of the stock.
15. Put 2 tablespoons of flour into a cup 
and slowly add warm tap water while stirring 
until all the cornstarch is dissolved.
16. Add the flour and water mixture 
to the pan juices a little at a time, 
stirring constantly until the gravy reaches 
the desired thickness. 
Season with salt and pepper, 
and a healthy splash of 
hot sauce and sherry, 
if you desire.
17. Carve the goose and serve with potatoes, 
red cabbage, cranberries and gravy.