Goose with Roasted Apples

Goose makes a delicious alternative to the traditional turkey. Why not try this succulent recipe for a goose with roasted apples and the perfect gravy.

Goose:

• Take the goose from fridge, remove the bag of giblets and allow to come up to room temperature (reserve the giblets for the gravy).
• Remove the wings at the first joint away from the breast (reserve the wing tips for the gravy).
• Remove any pads of fat from the cavity of the goose and discard. Then using a sharp knife heavily prick the skin of the goose - be careful not to cut into the flesh.
• Rub the outside of the goose thoroughly with the lemon zest, salt and pepper mixture. Then season the cavity with salt and pepper and fill with onion, lemon, bay, thyme and sage.
• Wrap the goose with a string starting at the top end of the crown, draw around the side of the breasts, by the wings and follow the line of the crown up and over legs, then cross the string over in front of the cavity, tighten gently and draw it over the drumstick ends. Wrap the string around again and ensure it's fastened in a double knot.
• Set up your barbecue for 190°c in-direct heat and pre-heat.
• In the barbecue setup a double thickness (times 2) extra-long Weber drip pans over the area of in-direct heat, with a Premium Grill Rack inside/above. Place the goose in the Premium Grill Rack and close the lid.
• Every half hour, lift the lid and baste with the rendered fat that is in the drip pan. Also remove the excess fat to a heat resistant bowl and replace the trays. *Depending on the size of your goose there could be up to 1 litre of rendered fat drain off your bird and you want to capture this for the perfect roast potatoes. To prevent a thermal event on the big day, it is crucial this excess fat is removed regularly.
• Roast the goose until the tip of an instant read thermometer inserted into the deepest part of the breast and legs reads 82°c (without touching the bones)
• Remove the goose from the barbecue to a warmed serving platter in the house and cover with tin foil. Leave to rest for a good 30-45 minutes, it won’t go cold.
• To prepare the roasted apples, brush them with the lemon juice and place in a Grill Basket and fill the centres with the redcurrant jelly.
• Once the goose is off the barbecue, add the apples in the basket to the area of in-direct heat. Spoon each apple with a some of the hot rendered goose fat and bake for 30 minutes, or until tender.
• Serve the goose on a long serving dish with the roasted apples and other vegetables arranged around it.

Gravy:

• Place a heavy based stock pot over a medium-high heat.
• Add the rapeseed oil, giblets and wing tips. Sear all over before adding the diced carrot, leek, celery and apple. Stir frequently until the carrots and apple have softened and the leek and celery begun to brown.
• Add the white wine, bring to a boil and reduce by half.
• Add the stock and apple juice, bring to the boil and reduce by half.
• Pass through a sieve into a saucepan, season with salt and pepper to taste and transfer to a warmed sauce boat.