GOOSE with GOOSEBERRIES
1 goose (8 pounds)
Salt
Pepper
2 large onions
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 cups dry vermouth
2 cans (1 pound each) gooseberries
2 cups mandarin orange sections
If the goose is frozen, let it defrost completely in the refirigerator. Remove the package of giblets and neck and discard. Wipe the bird with damp paper towels, then sprinkle the inside with salt and pepper. Put the onions, garlic and thyme in the cavity. Close the vent and truss the bird. Put it breast side down on a rack in the roasting pan and place in a 325 degree oven. Cook this like a duck, turning it over on all sides and pricking well to release the fat. Allow about 30 minutes on each side. Then pour off the fat.
Start basting the goose with the vermouth. When the vermouth is all used continue to baste with the pan juices. About 30 minutes before the goose is done, drain off the syrup from the gooseberries. Baste the goose with the syrup. Mix the berries with the orange sections. Lift out 2 cups of the pan juices and heat the fruit in the juices. When the goose is tender and well glazed, open the cavity and let all the juices run into the pan. Discard the cavity stuffing. Transfer the goose to a platter and spoon some of the mixed fruit and pan juices over it. Serve the rest in a gravy boat. The remaining pan juices can be defatted, thickened if you like and served as additional gravy. An 8 pound goose should be well roasted in 3 1/2 hours, but test the drumstick to be sure. It is impossible with frozen birds to gauge their age or tenderness before cooking. Makes 4 servings. |
