Roast Goose With Juniper Sauce

JenPo's Note:

A Nigel Slater recipe. I made this right after Christmas. I had been nervous about cooking a goose, but this was pretty much foolproof, and very good. The ingredients are approximate.

• Total Time: 2 hrs
• Prep Time: 0 mins
• Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients:

Serves: 6

Yield: 1.0 goose

• 14 lbs goose, washed and patted dry
• 3 medium onions, peeled and sliced in thick segments
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 glasses dry marsala
• 3 cups stock or 3 cups water
• 1 1/4 teaspoons English mustard powder
• 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
• 12 crushed juniper berries
• 2 tablespoons red currant jam

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F
2. Remove the lumps of fat from the inside cavity and prick the goose all over with a fork.
3. Rub salt thoroughly on the inside and outside of the goose, and wrap aluminum foil around the legs.
4. Place in a roasting pan upside down and place pan in oven to roast for twenty five minutes.
5. Turn the oven temperature down to 350°F Roast 1 hour, then remove the bird to pour out the fat that has accumulated in the pan and take the foil off the legs.
6. Be very careful, because the fat is dangerously hot.
7. He also suggests adding parboiled potatoes to the pan now.
8. Turn the bird right side up and put it back in the oven for another 30 minutes to an hour.
9. While the goose is in the oven, prepare the juniper sauce by cooking the onion in the olive oil on low heat about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
10. Stir in the flour and cook a few more minutes.
11. Now stir in the marsala, stock, and juniper berries.
12. Season with salt, pepper, and mustard powder, and simmer gently 20 minutes.
13. Then stir in the grain mustard and simmer 5 more minutes.
14. When the thigh meat on the goose is pierced and the juices run clear, the bird is done.
15. Let the meat rest about 10 minutes, then carve.
16. Just before serving, stir redcurrant jam into sauce.