All the tips and tricks to perfect your holiday bird
Fresh Christmas Goose. Locally raised. (8-10 lbs)
Fresh Duck. Locally raised. (4.5-5 lbs)
| Size | Cooking Time | Servings | Internal Temperature | |
| Duck | 4.5 – 6lbs | 3 hours | 4 to 6 | 170 degrees |
| Goose | 8-10lbs | 2.5 – 3 hours | 5 to 8 | 170 degrees |
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Tips for cooking duck and goose
Prick the skin of whole duck or goose before roasting so fat can render
If stuffing, add 30 minutes to the cooking time
Don’t overcook the meat. Medium rare- to medium is the goal when it comes to duck and goose. Just ensure that the proper internal temperature of 170 degrees has been reached
Christmas Goose Recipe
Ingredients
1 Meridian Fresh Goose
4 lemons
4 limes
1 tsp. of Chinese five powder spice (anise, fennel seeds, cinnamon, Szechwan pepper, cloves)
Fresh parsley sprigs, thyme, sage
Sea salt
Pepper (to taste)
Olive oil
3 tbsp. honey
Directions
- Check the inside of the bird and remove any giblets or pads of fat
- Score the goose breast and leg skin in a criss-cross pattern
- Grate the lemons and limes to create a citrus zest
- Mix the citrus zest with sea salt, five pepper spice and pepper
- Season the inside of the goose with salt
- Rub the citrus/five pepper seasoning on the skin of the goose and season the inside of the goose
- Stuff the goose with the herb sprigs and set aside for at least
- Optional: Brown the goose in a frying pan using olive oil. Do this by holding the goose by the legs and press the breast down on the frying pan to brown
- Place the goose in a roasting tin and pour the honey and some thyme leaves on the skin
- Roast the goose uncovered for 2.5 – 3 hours at 350 degrees depending on the size of the bird
- If the goose begins to brown too much, cover the goose with foil
- Every half hour, baste the goose with the juices from the pan and pour any fat through a sieve and into a heatproof bowl
- Save the above fat for vegetables if you wish
- After goose has cooked (skin should be golden brown and internal cooking temperature must have reached 170 degrees), leave the goose to rest for a minimum of 30 minutes covered with foil
Christmas Duck Recipe
Ingredients
1 whole Meridian fresh duck
Fresh rosemary
½ tsp. nutmeg
Sea salt (to taste)
Fresh ground black pepper
1 orange (cut in half)
4 garlic cloves
2 red onions (peeled and quartered)
2 celery stocks trimmed and cut into chunks
2 carrots cut into chunks
½ cinnamon stick
1 small pieces of fresh ginger (peeled and chopped)
Bay leaves
2 lbs. of potatoes peeled and cut into larger chunks
1 litre of chicken stock
2 tbsp. flour
200 ml red wine
Directions
- Wash the duck inside and out and remove giblets and neck
- Grate the zest of the orange and mix with 1 sprig of rosemary, nutmeg, thyme and 1 tbsp of sea salt
- Rub this mixture all over the duck inside and out
- Cover the duck and leave in the fridge for a few hours
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Stuff the duck with another rosemary sprig, orange halves and garlic cloves
- Place the duck, breast side breast side up on the bars of the middle shelf of the oven rack
- Place the onion, celery and carrots in the bottom of a roasting tray
- In the roasting tray add the cinnamon, ginger, and bay leaves
- Place the roasting tray on the bottom shelf below the duck so that all the fat will be caught by the roasting pan
- Place potatoes in a pan and cover with cold salt water
- Bring the pot to a simmer and parboil the potatoes for 5 to 10 minutes
- After the duck has been roasted for an hour take the bottom tray out of the oven and replace it with an empty tray
- Spoon the fat from the removed tray and place it into a bowl
- Place all vegetables and juices into a saucepan and add some boiling water
- Tip the water and brown bits into the pan with the vegetables and top up with 1 liter of chicken stock and place on medium heat (this will create the gravy)
- Skim all fat that rises to the top
- Place the parboiled potatoes into the empty tray in the oven, add some of the duck fat and season and place under the duck for another hour
- Heat a saucepan and add 2 tbsp. of duck fat. When the fat is hot and has melted add the flower and mix with a wooden spoon until it makes a paste
- Stir in the contents from the saucepan and add the port
- Bring the gravy mixture to a boil and then simmer for half an hour (stirring occasionally)
- Duck should cook for approximately 30-35 minutes per pound
- Make sure the duck has reached an internal temperature of 170 degrees and then lift it onto a plate and cover with foil. Leave to rest for 15 minutes
- Pour the gravy mixture into a sieve and into a clean saucepan. Keep this gravy warm in a saucepan, while continuing to skim off any fat
- Once you are ready to eat, pull the meat away from the bones of the duck with a pain of tongs, or using your fingers and using kitchen gloves
- Serve with potatoes and the port gravy
