Roast Goose with Fruit-Nut Stuffing

December 2010 - Every Day with Rachel Ray - Recipe by Mark Bittman

8 servings Prep: 25 mins(plus cooling) Roast: 2 hrs 40 mins

Ingredients

Tip: Save the rich and luxurious rendered goose fat for frying. Try it when cooking potatoes--its incredible.

 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter  1 onion, chopped  1/2 cup pine nuts  8 cups fresh breadcrumbs  2 cups peeled and diced tart apples  1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pitted prunes  2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves  1 bay leaf, finely crumbled  Salt and pepper  1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley  1 10 - 12 pound goose, excess fat trimmed

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees . In a large Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the pine nuts and cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in the breadcrumbs, then lower the heat to low and stir in the apples, prunes, thyme and bay leaf; season with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat, then stir in the parsley. Let cool. (Refrigerate the stuffing for up to 1 day.) 2. Prick the goose skin all over with a sharp fork, trying not to hit the meat (the fat layer is about 1/4 inch thick). Lightly pack the stuffing into the goose (alternatively, transfer the stuffing to a 9-inch square baking dish and bake at 400 degrees until browned, 15 to 20 minutes). Arrange the goose, breast side down, on a rack in a roasting pan and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes. Prick the exposed skin again, then roast until it begins to brown, about 20 minutes more. Turn the goose breast side up, prick again on top and roast for 1 hour more, pricking the skin and basting twice more. Using a bulb baster, transfer some of the rendered fat to a heatproof vessel and reserve for another use. 3. Unless the goose is already very brown, increase the heat to 400 degrees ; otherwise, leave the oven temperature at 350 degrees . Roast until the juices in the thigh run clear when pierced and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh away from the bone registers 165 degrees , about 1 hour more. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 15 minutes before carving. Serve with the stuffing.