Ginger runs right through Hairy Bikers roast goose, from the stuffing balls and the glaze to the ginger wine in the gravy. From the official website, a 5.5 to 6kg bird takes about 4 hours all told, at a rough 1,335 calories a plate by my guess.
One goose gives “six good portions”, as they put it, though the cavity only holds quartered oranges and bay leaves. So the stuffing becomes 18 balls, baked separately in three spoonfuls of goose fat so the bird itself doesn’t dry out.
Halfway through, at the 1½ hour mark, the goose comes out so the fat can be poured off into a bowl. That fat is worth keeping, since their tip is to roast potatoes in it, and I’d do exactly that.
Hairy Bikers Roast Goose
Description
A big oven-ready goose is pricked, seasoned and filled with quartered oranges and bay, then roasted with its legs under foil. Then it gets a ginger glaze for its last 5 minutes, and the sausage stuffing balls bake in the reserved fat while it rests.
Ingredients
For the goose
For the stuffing balls
For the ginger glaze
For the gravy
Instructions
- Prepare the goose: Make sure the goose is thoroughly thawed if frozen, then remove the giblets and neck, keeping the liver, and preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Then set the goose on a rack over a large roasting tin and prick the skin a few times on each side below the wings.
- Season and fill: Season the goose, then zest the oranges and set the zest aside. Quarter the oranges and push them into the cavity with the bay leaves, then cover the legs with triangles of foil.
- Roast: Roast for 30 minutes per kg, adding 20 to 30 minutes if you like it well done, so a 6kg goose needs about 3 hours.
- Make the stock and stuffing: Meanwhile, trim the liver and simmer the neck and remaining giblets into stock. Fry the onions in the oil for about 5 minutes, add the chopped liver for 1 to 2 minutes, then cool.
- Shape the balls: Mix in the ginger, breadcrumbs, sausage meat, thyme and orange zest, season well and shape into 18 small balls. Then chill them until needed, and bring the glaze ingredients to the boil in a small pan before setting it aside.
- Drain the fat: After 1½ hours, or 2 hours for well done, lift out the goose and pour the fat into a heatproof bowl. Then return it to the oven for a further 1½ hours, taking the foil off the legs after 30 minutes.
- Check and glaze: Pierce the thickest part of the thigh, and once the juices run clear and the legs move fairly freely, brush over the glaze. Return it for 5 minutes until glossy, but no longer or the glaze will burn. Then take it out and turn the oven up to 200°C/Gas 6.
- Rest and bake the stuffing: Rest the goose on a warm platter under loose foil and a tea towel for 20 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, spoon 3 tbsp of the reserved fat over the stuffing balls and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, turning once.
- Make the gravy and serve: Skim most of the fat from the tin juices and stir the flour into a little of it over the heat. Then gradually add the ginger wine and giblet stock, simmer until smooth and season. Serve the goose with the stuffing balls around it, a few bay leaves and the gravy in a warm jug.
FAQs
How long does a goose take to roast?
Their rule is 30 minutes per kg at 180°C, so a 5.5kg goose needs about 2¾ hours and a 6kg one about 3 hours. For well done, add another 20 to 30 minutes, which also pushes the fat-draining stop back to the 2-hour mark.
Their website lists 2 hours, but its own method gives a 6kg goose about 3 hours in the oven. So I’d plan on nearer 4 hours all told. And with a 5.5kg bird the two 1½ hour stages run past the rule, so the thigh test is what decides.
What should you do with the goose fat?
Three spoonfuls go over the stuffing balls, and potatoes roasted in the rest are their suggestion. For those, their goose fat roast potatoes need 100g of it, with semolina for the crunch.
If you only have one oven, they suggest creamy mashed potatoes instead, since the goose and the roasties would be fighting for space.
Can you get ahead the night before?
Yes, they say the stuffing, the giblet stock and the glaze can all be made the night before. Then on the day the balls only need their fat and a quick bake while the goose rests.
Keep the stuffing balls covered in the fridge, as the recipe already has you chill them until they go in the oven. But I’d roast the goose itself on the day, because the timings run straight on from oven to table.
Are there other Hairy Bikers goose recipes?
On BBC Food there is a second roast goose of theirs, so there are at least two Hairy Bikers goose recipes to choose from. And for a smaller festive roast, their roast turkey crown method is the nearest alternative.
If goose feels like too much, a glazed gammon ham also feeds a crowd, and it can be cooked the day before. That leaves the oven free for the goose and its potatoes.
What goes with roast goose?
Roast potatoes in the goose fat are their pick, with the ginger wine gravy in a warm jug alongside. But something sharp helps cut the richness, so I’d add their red cabbage braised in cider.
The Food Standards Agency says leftovers go in the fridge within one to two hours, then get eaten within 48 hours or frozen. So cold slices with a dab of leftover stuffing would make a good Boxing Day sandwich.
