Friday Feast: Scott Leysath's Savory Christmas Goose

Christmas Eve is tomorrow! Which for many means our kitchens, homes and lives are soon to be filled with loved ones and food! This joyful time of the year can also be stressful. We all know that getting the entire family in one spot can be a challenge so why strain yourself about cooking, too? The Sporting Chef Scott Leysath has a stress-free holiday goose recipe that will allow you to kick back and enjoy your family this Christmas without any additional fuss. It’s also pretty delicious!  

Christmas Goose

Photo courtesy of Heritage Food USA

Ingredients:
1 Goose
Olive Oil 
Chopped celery, carrots and garlic 
Chicken broth and/or white wine 
Gravy
Sliced mushrooms
Herbs
Finely diced vegetables
Cornstarch and water

Directions:
1. Let’s start by removing the legs at the body. We’re going to cook those at least two hours longer than the body. 

2. Rub the legs with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, place them in a roasting pan and throw in some chopped celery, carrots, onion and garlic. 

3. Add enough chicken broth and/or dry white wine to almost cover the legs. 

4. Cover with foil and place in a preheated 425 degree oven for one hour. 

5. Then, flip them over, replace cover and cook for another hour. Check them for doneness. The meat should start to pull away from the bone with minimal effort. If not, stick them back in the oven, making sure that there’s still about an inch or so of liquid in the pan, and keep cooking until tender. When ready, carefully remove the legs from the pan and set aside. Discard the stuff left in the pan.

6.  Repeat the process for the body. Start by rubbing with olive oil, you know, just like the legs. Place them in a roasting pan, BREAST SIDE DOWN, with fresh chopped celery, etc. and add about one to two inches of chicken stock and/or dry white wine. 

7.  Cut a few wedges from an apple and place under the breasts to keep it from falling over onto its side in the pan. Cover with foil or lid and place in a preheated 325 degree oven for about twenty-five minutes or, and this is really important, the internal temperature of the breast is 130 degrees. After about fifteen minutes into the cooking, add the cooked legs to the pan and replace foil or lid. When done (130 degrees), remove the goose parts and let stand for a few minutes.

8. Now, it’s gravy time. Pour the contents of the pan through a colander and into a saucepan. Bring liquid to a boil. Add some sliced mushrooms, herbs, finely diced vegetables, etc. if you like. Thicken gravy with a mixture of equal parts cornstarch and cold water. Add a little at a time while stirring until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

9.  To serve, remove the whole breast halves from the carcass. Slice and arrange on a platter with the legs. Garnish with apples and oranges. Serve with gravy on the side.

We hope you enjoyed this recipe from the one and only Sporting Chef Scott Leysath. Share your holiday recipes with us @NRABlog or in the comments below! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!