Gordon's Christmas roast goose

Gordon Ramsay shows you how to cook the chef’s choice of Christmas main course – a golden goose. Keep the fat to use through the winter months.
Prep:35 mins
Cook:1 hr and 20 mins – 3 hrs and 30 mins
A challenge
Serves 6

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

Gordon’s Christmas roast goose method

STEP: 1 Count the cooking time: cook for 10 mins at 240C/fan 220C/gas 9, next decrease to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5 and cook for up to 20 mins per kg for medium-rare, 32 mins per kg for more well done, plus 30 mins resting.

STEP: 2 If the goose is ready-trussed, next loosen the string and pull out the legs and wings a little – this helps the bird cook well.

STEP: 3 Check the inside of the bird and detach any giblets or pads of fat. Using the tip of a sharp knife, softly score the breast and leg skin in a criss-cross. This helps the fat to go down more speedily during roasting.

STEP: 4 Grate the zest from 4 lemons and 3 limes. Blend with 2 tsp fine sea salt, 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder, and pepper, to taste.

STEP: 5 Flavour the cavity of the goose generously with salt, next rub the citrus blend into the skin and sprinkle some inside the cavity.

STEP: 6 Stuff the zested fruit and a small handful of parsley, thyme, and sage sprigs inside the bird and put aside for at least 15 mins. Can be done up to a day ahead and kept refrigerated.

STEP: 7 Heat the oven to 240C/fan 220C/gas 9.

STEP: 8 If you want to give it a nice golden skin, brown in a big frying pan (or a heavy-based roasting tin), use a couple of tbsp olive oil. Grip the bird by the legs (you may like to use an oven glove), and press it down on the breasts to brown.

STEP: 9 Once browned, put the bird in the roasting pan. Drizzle with 3 tbsp clear honey and dust with 1 tbsp thyme leaves.

STEP: 10 Cook for the calculated time, turning the heat down after 10 mins to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. wrap the goose with foil if it is starting to brown too much.

STEP: 11 Every 30 minutes or so, moisten the bird with the pan juices and then pour off the fat through a sieve into a big heatproof bowl. You will end up with at least a liter of luscious fat – save this for the potatoes and other veg.

STEP: 12 At the end of the cooking time, leave to rest for at least 30 minutes, wrapped loosely with foil. The bird will be moist and much easier to carve.