A Fowl Christmas
In the pastures and woodlands of Renfrew County, Dorthy Edwards raises more than just turkey for your holiday table.
A roast goose is historically a traditional holiday meal. Try our updated take on this classic with slow roated plums, popovers and mulled wine gravy. It may be the start of a new tradition.
Instructions
1 goose, approximately 5 to 7 lbs.
1 large carrot, cut into large pieces
1 shallot, peeled and quartered
1 bunch each rosemary and thyme (for cavity of the bird)
1/3 cup kosher salt
2 tablespoons herbs, such as rosemary, sage, thyme, chopped
Mix together salt and chopped herbs.
Bring a large pot of water to a simmer. Make sure your goose is free of feathers and giblets and submerge the goose in boiling water for 1 minute, making sure every part of it is covered. This will remove some of the excess fat and will help tighten the skin during cooking. If your pot isn’t large enough, drop half the goose in the water, remove, then the other half. Once removed from the water, pat dry with paper-towel or a cloth. Rub the goose liberally with the herb-salt mixture and place into the refrigerator overnight or for at least 10 to 12 hours. Remove the goose from the refrigerator, rinse off the salt under cold water. Pat dry, then with a sharp knife, score the skin with one-inch cuts across the entire bird.
Preheat oven to 350F.
Add the shallots, carrot and herbs into the cavity. Place the goose into a roasting pan and roast for about an hour. Remove the pan from the oven and, using a baster or spoon, remove the fat that has accumulated on the bottom of the pan (keep this fat for your popovers or potatoes).
Place the bird back into the oven and continue this process of removing the fat every half hour for another 11/2 to 2 hours or until a thermometer placed into the thickest part of the meat reads 165F. Let the goose rest for 5 to 10 minutes, and then remove from the roasting pan onto a cutting board, reserving the juices for gravy.
Oven roasted plums
12 to 15 Italian plums
2 cups red wine
1 cinnamon stick
3 pieces of star anise
3 cardamom pods, crushed
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
Wash the plums, cut them in half and remove the pits. Place the plums halves into a shallow bowl. Add the red wine and spices. Make sure the plums are covered in wine. Add more as needed. Cover the bowl in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight.
Preheat your oven to 225F.
Remove the plums from the wine and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet (reserve the wine to make plum wine gravy). Cook the plums on the middle rack for 11/2 to 2 hours. The plums should still be a little moist and will have shrunk by about half.
Remove the plums from the oven and let cool. They can be served right away or can be made ahead and stored a covered container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Mulled-wine gravy
Reserved red wine from plum marinade, strained
Roasting pan drippings
¼ cup flour
1 cup stock, chicken or other fowl
Place the goose roasting pan onto a stovetop burner. Sprinkle the flour throughout the pan. Over medium-low heat, stir the flour into the goose fat and drippings. Once the flour has been well combined with the fat, add the wine and the stock. Cook slowly for several minutes until the gravy has thickened and the raw flour flavour has been removed.
Grainy mustard popovers
4 eggs, room temperature
1½ cups milk, room temperature
1½ cups flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons grainy mustard
¼ cup butter, melted butter or reserved goose fat
Pinch of pepper
Preheat the oven to 450F. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add the flour and salt. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the milk and eggs until smooth. Pour the milk and eggs into the flour, whisking until the large lumps have been removed. Stir in the mustard, butter or fat and the pepper.
Fill each cup of a muffin tin two-thirds full. Place the filled muffin tin into the oven and cook for 30 to 40 minutes or until the tops of the popovers are fully browned.
Once cooked, remove the tin from the oven. Gently remove the popovers from the tin and serve immediately.
Leek Gratin
3 to 4 large leeks
1 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup cream
4 to 5 thyme sprigs
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, separated
Pinch of black pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
Preheat your oven to 350F.
Cut leeks to fit a 9-inch by 13-inch roasting pan. Trim the root end to remove roots and as much of the leafy end as you need (save those ends for soup or stock). Cut the leeks lengthwise and, under cold water, wash out any dirt or sand that is caught between the leaves. Lay the leeks side-by-side in the roasting pan and top with butter, cream, salt, pepper, thyme, nutmeg and half of the Parmesan cheese. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and turn the oven on to broil. Remove the aluminum foil, and sprinkle on the remaining Parmesan cheese. Return the leeks to the oven for about 5 minutes or until the leeks start to blister. Remove the thyme sprigs and serve.
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