Roast Goose with Gravy

Ingredients:

• 1 whole goose
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 4 slices crusty bread
• 3 onions
• 2 stalks celery
• 2 carrots
• 250ml (9 fl oz) boiling water
• 250ml (9 fl oz) dry white wine
• 4 tablespoons tawny port
• 5 tablespoons plain flour
• 750ml (1¼ pints) chicken stock

Preparation method:

1.Discard loose fat from goose. Remove neck, cut into large pieces and reserve. Rinse goose inside and out and pat dry. Pierce skin of  goose all over and season with salt and pepper.

2.Loosely pack neck cavity with enough bread to fill. Fold neck skin under body and fasten with a small skewer.

3.Quarter 1 onion and all the celery, and place inside the body cavity of the goose. Tie legs together loosely with kitchen string or insert legs through slit in lower skin flap. Transfer goose breast side up to a rack set in a deep roasting tin.

4.Cut remaining 2 onions and carrots into large pieces. Scatter onion and carrot, neck pieces and giblets in roasting tin. Roast goose at  220 C / Gas mark 7 in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes.

5.Reduce temperature to 160 C / Gas mark 3. Carefully pour boiling water over goose; juices may splatter. Continue roasting goose, skimming  off fat and basting with juices using a metal bulb baster every 20 minutes. Cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours more, or until a meat thermometer inserted in fleshy part of thigh registers 80 C. When done, the juices should run clear when thigh is pierced with a fork.

6.Transfer goose to a heated platter. Remove skewer and discard string. Keep goose warm and loosely covered with aluminium foil until ready to serve.

7.With a slotted spoon, discard vegetables, neck pieces and giblets from tin. Spoon off fat from pan juices and reserve. On top of the hob, deglaze the tin with white wine and port over moderately high heat, stirring to scrape up brown bits. Add chicken stock and boil mixture until reduced by about half.

8.In a 3 litre heavy saucepan, whisk together 4 tablespoons reserved fat and flour; cook roux over moderately low heat, whisking to prevent lumps. Whisk wine mixture into the roux. Bring gravy to the boil, whisking constantly. Turn down heat. Simmer gravy, whisking frequently, for 5 minutes or until thickened. Season gravy with salt and pepper. Transfer gravy to a heated sauceboat.