Roast goose with roast apples and onions and potato stuffing

Method

1. The day before roasting, remove any giblets from the goose cavity (you can use the neck for the gravy; see step 6) along with any excess fat (discard). Prick the skin all over with the tip of a sharp knife. Put the goose in the sink and pour over a kettle of boiling water. Pat dry with kitchen paper, then put in a roasting tin, uncovered if possible, in the fridge away from other food that will be eaten raw.
2. The next day, rub salt all over the goose skin and leave the bird to come up to room temperature.
3. Meanwhile, for the stuffing, boil the potatoes in cold salted water until tender (about 15 minutes), then drain and mash. Heat the 2 tbsp oil in a frying pan, then cook the chopped onions and apples with a pinch of salt until lightly golden (15-20 minutes). Add the spring onions and garlic for the last few minutes. Stir into the mash along with the chopped sage, lemon zest and plenty of black pepper. Pack the mixture into the goose cavity, then the bouquet garni. Heat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas 7.
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4. Put the goose on the wire rack in the roasting tin and roast for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and pour off any fat into a heatproof bowl. Turn the oven down to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4 and cook for a further 2-2¼ hours or until the juices run clear when you pierce the thickest part of the leg. There’s no need to baste the goose, as it’s so fatty. You’ll need to pour away the fat from the tin every half hour or so. (Leave to cool, put in a jar and keep in the fridge; it’s excellent for roasting potatoes.)
5. Twenty minutes before the end of the goose cooking time, score the 4 apples around the middle using a sharp knife and put in an ovenproof dish with the onion wedges, sage leaves and 2 tbsp olive oil. Season well and roast for 30-40 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, make the gravy. Brown the goose neck (if you have it) in a pan with a splash of goose fat, add the celery and cook for 8-10 minutes. Add the sweet wine (see tip), bring to the boil and simmer until syrupy. Stir in the chicken stock and redcurrant jelly and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve into a clean pan. Let the gravy settle, spoon off any fat from the surface then, over a medium heat, whisk in the cornflour/water and cook the gravy until thickened to your liking. Keep warm.
7. Once the goose is cooked, rest it in a warm place for 20 minutes or so, then carve and serve with the roast onion/apples, stuffing, gravy and roast veg.