Roast goose with black pudding, apple and calvados stuffing – by Sophie Conran

Ingredients

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Serves

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6-8

Prepare the stuffing. Fry half the apples in the butter until they are beginning to come apart. Add the calvados or brandy and simmer for five minutes. Set aside to cool. Crumble the black pudding into a bowl, add the zest and the rest of the apples and stir in the cooked apples to combine.

To prepare the goose, unwrap it and remove any fat from the cavity. Set aside for later. Wash the bird inside and out, and dry thoroughly with kitchen towel, then leave uncovered to come up to room temperature. Fill the cavity with the stuffing.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Prick the skin all over with a fork, making sure you do not pierce the flesh. Using your hands, rub the skin with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Wrap the legs and wings in foil so they don’t burn.

Place on a rack in a roasting-tin. Roast for four hours, basting every 30 minutes and removing any excess fat from the tin. Cover the bird in foil if the skin begins to burn. Remove from the oven and leave to rest somewhere warm for half an hour before carving.

If you want to save the excess fat from the cavity, put it in a saucepan on a medium-low heat to render out the fat. This should take about 20 to 30 minutes. Strain the liquid fat, discarding any bits, and pour into a jar. Refrigerate when cool and use for frying and roasting vegetables.