Roasted Goose with Fat (Printable Version)
Golden-roasted goose with flavorful rendered fat and crisp skin, ideal for festive meals.
# What You'll Need:
→ Goose
01 - 1 whole goose (8.8–11 lbs), cleaned and patted dry
02 - 1 tablespoon kosher salt
03 - 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
→ Aromatics & Stuffing
04 - 2 medium apples, quartered
05 - 2 medium onions, quartered
06 - 1 orange, quartered
07 - 6 sprigs fresh thyme
08 - 4 sprigs fresh marjoram
09 - 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
→ For Roasting
10 - 2 cups water
11 - 2 carrots, roughly chopped
12 - 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
13 - 1 leek, roughly chopped
→ For Serving
14 - Rendered goose fat collected during roasting
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F.
02 - Remove excess fat from the cavity and set aside for rendering. Prick the skin all over with a skewer to aid fat release.
03 - Generously season the cavity and skin with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
04 - Fill the cavity with quartered apples, onions, orange, and fresh herbs: thyme, marjoram, and rosemary. Tie the legs securely with kitchen twine.
05 - Place chopped carrots, celery, and leek in a large roasting pan. Position a rack on top and place the goose breast-side up on the rack.
06 - Pour 2 cups of water into the pan to prevent burning and facilitate fat rendering.
07 - Roast the goose for 2 hours and 30 minutes, basting every 30 minutes with the rendered fat collected in the pan. Carefully pour off excess fat into a heatproof bowl for later use.
08 - Increase oven temperature to 425°F for the final 15 to 20 minutes to achieve extra crispy skin.
09 - Ensure the internal temperature of the thickest thigh reaches 165°F and juices run clear. The skin should be golden brown.
10 - Tent the goose loosely with foil and allow to rest for 20 minutes before carving. Serve with rendered goose fat on the side.
# Expert Insights:
01 -
- The rendered fat becomes liquid gold for roasting vegetables for weeks afterward, and once you taste potatoes cooked in it, you'll understand why people save it like treasure.
- The skin becomes burnished and crispy while the meat stays impossibly tender and juicy, giving you that contrast that makes every bite feel special.
- It's the kind of showstopper dish that looks like you spent all day cooking, but the actual hands-on time is surprisingly gentle.
02 -
- Don't skip pricking the skin; it's the difference between crispy, rendered skin and flabby, fat-covered skin that no one wants to eat.
- Basting isn't optional—it's what keeps the breast from drying out while the thighs finish cooking, which is the hardest part of roasting any bird this size.
- The fat that collects during roasting is the real gift; save it religiously because it's worth more than the goose itself for future cooking.
03 -
- Make sure the goose is completely dry before it goes into the oven—moisture is the enemy of crispy skin, so pat it down with paper towels even if it seems obvious.
- If your oven runs hot or the skin is browning too fast, cover the goose loosely with foil for the middle portion of cooking and uncover it only for the final crisping stage.