Christmas Roast Goose with Haskap Berry Sauce Recipe
By: Tristan Guilbeault
Instagram: @tristangcooks
It's the Christmas season, snowflakes are falling, temperatures are dropping, gifts are being bought and dinners are being planned. Here in Canada turkey is always the star of the dinner table. Its sheer size dominates but not so much its flavour. It can take a lot of work to get a lot of flavour into such a big bird, so the majority of the time it ends up dry and quite plain. For those looking for something different to serve, a goose is a fantastic option. It's perfect for those families who fight over the dark meat at the holiday table and the meat always stays juicy! This recipe takes a little bit more effort than a turkey but it is well worth the reward. It can even be cooked the day before and reheated, so the sides can be focused on the day of. The family may love it so much that they’ll beg for it next Christmas! And a new tradition will begin!
Roasted goose dates back to the late 1500s, when Queen Elizabeth the 1st started the trend in England. While it may seem odd to eat goose these days, especially in Canada, it was actually very common until the 1940s. Geese are the most delicious in the early summer when they are young and in the winter when they are fattest. Which made them prized for both their meat as well as their fat. There are a couple of reasons why the majority of us have never seen goose on a holiday dinner table. In the 1940s, refrigeration was becoming more and more popular meaning that the fatty goose that could be left out for days was no longer necessary. Turkey farming had a boom and the average cost of turkey per pound was and still is cheaper than goose. Geese are also not widely farmed and take more time to reach adulthood. Here at Amaranth, we have brought in these lovely birds from the local Lone Pine Colony (L.P. Farm Fresh Chicken) for your family to enjoy this holiday season.
In this recipe, we have done a twist on the classic pairing. Instead of cranberry, we are going to be using a delicious, healthy & local superfruit; Haskap. In my childhood home, Haskap was our local berry; we called them honeyberries. They are oblong and very blue, with a slightly sweet, tart taste. They are stronger in antioxidants than blueberries which are noted by the deep purple stains they can leave. They are meant to grow here, just like saskatoons they thrive in our climate and seldom need human intervention besides the occasional prune. Here at Amaranth, we are proud to be carrying whole frozen berries from the fantastic local Rosy Farms. We also carry haskap jams, juice, shots and even powder!
Christmas Roast Goose
Recipe from Tristan Guilbeault
Prep Time: 2 Hours | Rest Time: 1 day minimum to 3 days | Cook Time: 2-3 hours
Feeds: 4-6
Ingredients
● 1 whole Goose (we recommend Lonely Pine Colony - L.P. Farm Fresh Chicken)
● Salt
● 2 large white Onions, cut in half
● 4 medium Beets, Carrots or Parsnips
● 4 medium Potatoes, red, yellow, fingerlings or sweet potatoes
Five-Spice Glaze
● 1 tbsp Chinese Five-Spice (we recommend Spice Merchant)
● 2 tbsp Honey or Maple syrup
● 1⁄2 cup Water
● 1⁄2 Orange squeezed
● 1 tbsp fresh Thyme, taken off the stem
Fruit Stuffing
● 1 large Apple, diced
● 1 large Orange peeled, diced
● 1 large Pear or Persimmon, diced
● 10 sprigs Thyme, whole
Garnish
● Fresh sprigs of Thyme
● 1 Orange, sliced
Instructions
1. Begin by removing the goose from the plastic. Lay it on a tray with a wire rack underneath so it can dry. Let air dry in the fridge for 1-3 days depending on the time available.
2. Remove the goose from the fridge. Using a knife, fold out the wings, in between the joint of the wing and wing tip, cut, twisting until it comes off. Do the same on the other side. Next, cut the neck off, cutting along both sides of the bones, twisting, until it comes off. Next cut off the tail and any extra fat along the cavity. Reserve for stock. Now look if any pin feathers are sticking out, remove them with tweezers or burn them off with a blow torch. Take a sewing needle, cake taster or fork and at an angle poke the skin of the goose all over, ensuring that the meat underneath the skin is not being touched. This poking will significantly help the fat render. Using fine salt, lightly cover the whole goose. Let the goose rest in the fridge for an hour or up to a day if time.
3. Make the glaze, combine the water, honey, five-spice and orange juice. Bring to a simmer and whisk until honey is dissolved. Take off the heat, add 1 tbsp fresh cut thyme, and let cool in the fridge.
4. Make the stuffing. Take one orange, one apple, and a persimmon or pear if available. Remove the skin of the orange, and cut the individual segments in half. Cut the apple and persimmon/pear into large cubes. Add to a bowl. Season with salt and add 10 fresh sprigs of thyme.
5. Plan out the cook. Take the goose out of the fridge 2 hours prior. Set the oven to 425. Cut the vegetables; cut the onions in half and cut the root vegetables in half if they are abnormally large, if not keep them whole. Add them to the bottom of the roasting pan. Take the goose and place on a wire rack in the roasting pan, breast side up. Add the stuffing into the cavity. Lightly brush the glaze all over the goose. Add 1 cup water to the bottom of the pan. Add the roasting pan to the middle rack of the oven. Cook for 30 minutes at 425, then lower the oven to 325.
6. After the first hour of cooking, flip the bird grabbing the legs with oven mitts or use tongs. Baste the backside with the glaze. After the second hour, flip the bird for the final time, and add the rest of the glaze. Roast for 30 minutes or until the breast hits 160. If the skin is not crispy enough, increase oven to a low broil around 450 for 3-5 minutes. Keep an eye out so the skin does not burn.
7. Take the goose out of the oven and let it rest for 30 minutes. Strain the fat off into a bowl and put it into the fridge. Once the fat has hardened an hour to overnight. The fat will be on top and the jus on the bottom, separate the fat and add it into a container. Reserve in the fridge.
8. Carve the goose and serve with the stuffing, roasted vegetables and haskap berry sauce. Enjoy!
Haskap Berry Sauce
Ingredients
● 1lb whole Haskap Berries (we recommend Rosy Farms, frozen)
● 3 tbsp Honey or Maple syrup
● 1 tsp Chinese Five-Spice (we recommend Spice Merchant)
● 1 tbsp Lemon juice
● 1⁄2 Orange, squeezed
● 1 cups Water
● 1⁄2 tsp Salt
● Leftover drippings from Goose (optional)
Instructions
1. In the final hour of cooking, the Haskap berry sauce can be started. Take the haskap berries, add water, lemon juice, orange juice, honey, salt and five-spice. Bring to a light boil on medium-high heat.
2. Turn heat to medium-low and let it slowly reduce for around 45 minutes. The sauce should start to thicken as the berries break down and the pectin is activated. It should be the consistency of a runny cranberry sauce.
3. Taste. Haskap berries can be quite tart so add more honey or salt to adjust as needed.
(Optional) If the goose has been made ahead and the fat strained. A small amount of jus from the bird should be left behind. Add this along with a tablespoon of goose fat for an even more luscious version of this sauce.
Goose fat & uses
This recipe will yield approximately 500ml of rendered goose fat. Which is worth about twenty dollars compared to the commercial brands of duck fat such as King Cole or Brome Lake. The time that is invested into the goose, rewards you with a delicious meal and fabulous cooking fat. Goose fat is a high-heat cooking lipid high in monosaturated fats, making it a “heart-healthy” option. The fatty acid contained in goose fat is oleic acid; it has a similar ratio to olive oil which is known as one of the healthiest cooking oils. Research shows that oleic acid actually has anti-inflammatory, and immune-enhancing properties. The flavour of goose fat is spectacular as well, it is not quite gamey but adds a beautiful nutty flavour to any food it is cooked with. I would use goose fat for frying of any kind. It's also great for cooking eggs, potatoes, rice, meats, vegetables and even pastries like pies will greatly benefit from its buttery richness.
TECHNIQUE
This recipe contains a couple of odd techniques that aren’t necessary with a typical turkey that I want to further explain. First, let's talk about crispy skin. It is necessary and brings so much to the dining experience. These extra steps are here to maximize the rendering process; which just means help draw out fat. So to start, letting the goose rest in the fridge for a day or more helps the skin dry and let any liquid drain from the bird. Next, removing the pin feathers ensures that no feathers are being eaten at the dinner table. Pricking the skin (a lot!) with a sewing needle or fork creates holes where the fat underneath the skin may render, helping us avoid a chewy bite of fat. Finally, salting the bird helps to draw out any excess moisture and gives us that beautiful golden brown during cooking.
Cooking time
A note on cooking times. Roast the bird for 35-40 minutes per kilogram. My bird was 4 kg so I cooked it for 2 hrs and 20 minutes. Monitor the temperature with a meat thermometer, the goose can be pulled when the breast hits 150-160, while the legs need to hit around 180.
Cooking ahead
This goose recipe is special compared to a turkey because the fat allows the goose to stay juicy so reheating is a great option. My technique for roasting a day ahead is quite simple. Follow this recipe the same but forgo the browning at the start. Cook at 325 for 2 hours, or more depending on the bird. When the day comes to serve, de-bone the goose, and set an oven to 425. Add the meat to a baking dish, skin side up with a tablespoon of goose fat if desired. Cook for 20-30 minutes, until skin is crisp and goose is warm.
Goose Stock
Don’t throw out those bones! Save the wing tips and neck from earlier in the recipes as well as the whole carcass, bones and vegetable trim. Add to a large pot and cover with water, bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook for an hour and a half to two hours. Strain off the stock and use it in place of chicken broth in any recipe! If it seems very fatty, use a ladle and skim off the fat adding it to the container from earlier.
Side Dishes
As mentioned before, goose fat is a very malleable fat that can be added to many dishes as a substitution for butter or olive oil. Any Christmas dish that is a family favourite can be made even better with the addition of goose fat! I have compiled a list below.
● Buttery Mash: take your favourite mash potato recipe and substitute all of the butter for goose fat.
● Smashed Potatoes: boil fingerlings or baby potatoes, smash with potato masher, season and fry with goose fat.
● Fried Brussels: a healthier side dish, clean and halve sprouts, steam until tender, season, and fry in a pan with goose fat.
● Roasted Sweet Potatoes: oven bake whole until soft in the middle, take off skins, fold in maple syrup and goose fat, season with salt & cayenne.
● Stuffing: take your favourite stuffing recipe and substitute the fat for goose fat.
● Oven-roasted carrots: cut carrots in half and to a bowl with a tablespoon of goose fat and preferred seasonings, grease a sheet pan with goose fat, and place carrots cut side down, roast until fork tender.
● Creamed spinach, follow your favourite recipe, adding goose fat instead of butter and olive oil.
● Tuscan Roasted Butternut Squash: peel squash, cut in half, remove seeds, cut into cubes, season sheet tray with goose fat and season squash, roast until fork tender and combine with toasted nuts, herbs, cheese, and croutons. Roast until flavours are well combined. Here’s a recipe I like: (https://www.cookingitalianwithjoe.com/tuscan-style-roasted-butternut-squash)
Please enjoy this recipe, wishing you and your families a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Looking forward to more recipes in 2024!