Step back in time this festive season with a showstopping Christmas Roast Goose. It's a wonderful alternative to the classic roast turkey, but as delicious and no doubt the " pièce de résistance " of your Christmas dinner. Beautifully moist and decadent, this spatchcock goose is a lot easier to cook than you'd think.
Immerse yourself in a heart-warming Christmas experience, and enjoy a succulent roast goose just as you would have in the days gone by. Roast goose might not be everybody's first choice when it comes to a good Christmas roast nowadays, so it's certainly quite a treat.
Unlike a whole roast turkey, which can take days of preparations and hours of roasting, basting, double and triple checking that is done just right, etc, a roasted goose is way easier to achieve without all that hassle.
Plus, you will never get the dreaded dry roast, given that geese are notoriously fatty birds with red meat, and they do render a crazy amount of fat while roasting. But all that fat can be put to good use, and make the most delicious goose fat roast potatoes to go with the roast.
Spatchcocking the bird is a game saver, not only the bird cooks a lot faster, but it also saves you a lot of faffing around, turning the goose over while roasting to ensure even cooking, worrying that it's not cooked well, and all the headache that comes with it.
If you get your goose from the local butcher's, you can ask them to spatchcock it for you, or you can see the step-by-step instructions on how to do it in my post: roasted spatchcock chicken.
Either way, I highly recommend this method, as it makes everything so much easier. I chose to go for minimal prep for this roast goose, simple seasoning, simple cooking, but maximum flavours and a guaranteed deliciousness.
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Roast goose cooking time
The cooking time depends entirely on the weight of the goose, as a rule, it takes 15 minutes for pound, or 30 minutes per kilo, plus 20 minutes minimum of resting time.
The goose I used wasn't the biggest, it weighted 7 pounds, so just over 3 kg, so I roasted it for 1 hour and 45 minutes, plus 20 minutes of resting time.
Letting the roast rest once it comes out of the oven is a crucial step, not just with goose, but with any other roast. It allows the juices to be reabsorbed, so the meat will be moist and tender once carved.
Ingredients used
Note!
Go to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions!
- goose - spatchcocked for an easy cooking, if you happen to have lots of leftovers, you can make these delicious leftover goose wraps, they are so good!
- salt & pepper - season the goose generously, the salt also helps with a crisy skin
- paprika and turmeric - dry rubbed on the goose
You can go as fancy as you want with a roast goose, but I find that the simplest flavours gives you the best results, so I kept it as simple as possible.
Step-by-step photos and instructions
- arrange the goose in a large and deep disposable roasting tray
- use a sharp knife to prick its skin to allow all the fat to come out during cooking
- season with salt and pepper, and rub the paprika and turmeric mixture over the whole bird
- roast at 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit) for 1 hour, then remove it from the oven, and use a ladle to remove as much fat from the roasting tray as possible
- baste the goose with some of the juices left in the tray, then return it to the oven and cook for a further 45 minutes
- when done, remove it from the oven, cover the tray loosely with tin foil, and allow the roast to rest for at least 20 minutes
Expert tips
When researching recipes on how to roast a goose, I came across a lot of unnecessarily complicated recipes that ask for days of prepping, way to many cooking steps, ingredients that are not easily available and all in all, a hassle that I wouldn't be bothered dealing with.
When cooking turns into a chore, then it's not done right, folks! Simplify your job, and cooking will turn into a wonderful experience not just for yourself, but also for your family. Keep it simple, and you'll get the best results!!!
I know it's Christmas, when everybody is willing to go that extra mile, but there is no need for expensive ingredients that are hard to get, or you are unsure about how to use. You can go for a fancy glaze, or an expensive dry rub, but I just wouldn't.
Pricking the skin helps massivly to render all the fat, and crisp up the skin beautifully. Make sure you use a large and deep enough roasting tray (disposable ones are a life saver) to catch all that excess fat.
There is not need to baste the roast regularly as you would with a turkey, the fat keeps it really moist. Once all that fat is gone, the meat is surprisingly lean and juicy.
What to serve with roast goose
I have a whole Christmas dinner menu where you can find various appetizers, mains, side dishes and desserts for the big day.
But some of my absolute favourite sides to go with roast goose are: roast potatoes, pan-fried brussels sprouts, creamy mashed potatoes, chestnut and creanberry stuffing balls and cranberry sauce.
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Christmas Roast Goose
Ingredients
- 1 spatchcock goose ( it weighted 7 pounds or 3.2 kg)
- 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit, 160 fan oven).
- Arrange the goose (breast side up) in a large and deep disposable roasting tray.
- Use a sharp knife to prick its skin in several places.
- Season with salt and pepper, then mix the paprika and turmeric and dry rub the mixture over the whole bird.
- Roast for an hour, then remove the tray from the oven, and use a ladle to remove the excess fat accumulated in the tray.
- Baste the goose with the juices left in the pan, and roast for a further 45 minutes.
- Remove it from the oven, and use a sharp knife to prick it into the thickest part of the body, if the juices run clear, then it's done.
- Cover the tray loosely with kitchen foil.
- Allow it to rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.
Video
Notes
- Pricking the skin helps massivly to render all the fat, and crisp up the skin beautifully. Make sure you use a large and deep enough roasting tray (disposable ones are a life saver) to catch all that excess fat.
- There is not need to baste the roast regularly as you would with a turkey, the fat keeps it really moist. Once all that fat is gone, the meat is surprisingly lean and juicy.
Nutrition
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Keith Varnals says
Spatchcocking is a sensible way to cook any bird it will considerably reduce energy use. Remember to buy if you don't own one a probe thermometer, they are essential for cooking almost everything. 74C is the perfect temperature for the thickest part of the bird. Most supermarket cooking time are far too long. I use Thermapen not the cheapest but they are the best and last a lifetime. The temperature for a fruit cake is 98 to 100C in the centre. You don't put the thermometer in the oven you just use it for testing. I have no connection with this company I just love their products.
Daniela Apostol says
Thank you for your feedback! Indeed, a thermometer is very useful to check for doneness. I often use one too, but l also check the old fashioned way, if the juices run clear, then it’s done. Goose is such a nice meat, we all loved it, including the little ones.