ROAST GOOSE WITH SAGE AND ONION STUFFING AND APPLE SAUCE (Serves 8)

INGREDIENTS: 1 x 4.5-5kg oven-ready goose; salt and black pepper FOR THE SAGE AND ONION STUFFING: 3 large onions, finely chopped; 75g goose fat; 200g fresh white breadcrumbs; 200g vacuum-packed chestnuts, chopped; finely grated zest of 1 lemon; 4tbsp chopped fresh sage; 3tbsp chopped parsley; 1 large egg, beaten; oil, for greasing; salt and black pepper FOR THE STOCK/GRAVY: 4 rashers of streaky bacon, chopped; goose giblets; 1 small onion, chopped; 1 carrot, chopped; 2 celery sticks, chopped; 2 bay leaves; 6 black peppercorns; 2tbsp (heaped) plain flour FOR THE APPLE SAUCE: 4 Cox's apples, peeled, cored and sliced

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METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/Fan 200°C. Remove any clumps of fat from inside the goose cavity, put them into a pan and leave over a very low heat until melted. Pass the fat through a fine sieve into a bowl. Season the goose inside and out with salt and place on a rack set over a large roasting tin. Roast for 30 mins. Remove from the oven and lower the temperature to 180°C/Fan 16°C.

2. Lift the goose on to a board with two wooden spoons (you don't want to pierce the skin), pour off the excess fat from the roasting tin and then replace the goose on the rack. Keep the fat for future roast potatoes.