Christmas Goose

It's my first time to cook this kind of bird. I heard good things about Geese and its glorious fat content. A lot of skin means a lot of FAT! :) For Christmas, I cooked my 10 pound goose based on Gordon Ramsay's recipe. His recipe is really simple. All you need is some Chinese five spice, some lemons and an orange. The citrus helps cut through the fat and the Chinese five spice creates this holiday aroma that will make your house smell like Christmas.

Here's the video:

Here's the recipe from Gordon Ramsay. I added some thyme to boost the flavor. Also, don't forget to take out those pinion feathers. Use tweezers to take them out.

Ingredients:

10lb goose
2 tbsp. chinese five spice
1 tbsp. salt
zest of two large lemons and 1 orange
1 tbsp. of chopped thyme and a few sprigs to stuff the bird

1. Zest the lemons and orange. Using the mortar and pestle, mix in the zest, Chinese five spice, salt and thyme.
2. Check the inside of the bird and remove any giblets or pads of fat. Using the tip of a sharp knife, lightly score the breast and leg skin in a criss-cross pattern. This helps the fat to render down more quickly during roasting.
3. Rub the spice mixture all over the bird. Cut the the lemons and oranges in half and put them inside the cavity. Add a few sprigs of thyme inside. Let it marinate overnight.

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F

4. Put the bird in a shallow roasting pan. Roast for 15 minutes to brown the skin.
5. Lower the temperature to 350 degrees F.
6. Roast for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. (Estimated time for roasting is 10 minutes per pound). Since this bird is about 10 pounds, Total roasting  time after browning is 1 hour and 45 minutes. Check the internal temperature of the goose and it should register at 140 degrees at this point.
7. Drizzle about 1 cup of honey all over the bird. Roast for another 30 minutes. Internal temperature of the bird should read about 160-165 degrees.
8. Take the goose out of the oven and let it rest for 30 minutes covered in foil before carving.
9. Strain all the goose fat collected and store it on an airtight container. You can use it to cook your potatoes, veggies, etc.

Now I can say that I've cooked and eaten my first goose this Christmas. I'm happy with the way it turned out. It's like duck but better and more fatty. The skin is the best part. I'm looking forward to the next goose roast!