Recipes – Roast Goose with Five-Spice Honey Glaze

Recipe courtesy of Chef Ben Dubow, inspired by food blogger Hank Shaw

For the Glaze:

Ingredients:

½ cup honey

1 cup chicken stock

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp Chinese five-spice

Directions:

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine all the ingredients except the butter, and cook slowly until everything combines well. Allow to reduce until glaze-like; it should coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in the butter until it melts. Adjust seasoning to taste. Set aside to serve with roast goose.

For the Goose:

Ingredients:

8-lb goose

1 lemon, halved

Salt and pepper, to taste

½ yellow onion, peeled and chopped

1 whole head garlic

2 tsp Chinese five-spice

Directions:

(Note: The roasting time for this recipe is for an 8-lb. goose, which is enough for five to six guests. You will need to adjust the roasting time for a larger or smaller bird.)

If the goose has been frozen, thaw in the refrigerator for two days. Bring goose to room temperature before cooking.

Remove the neck and giblets as well as the last two joints of the wings. Slice off the neck skin about a half inch in front of the body. Remove the excess fat from the goose. If desired, save and render it to use for future cooking—it is as delicious as duck fat. Prick the goose’s skin all over with a knife or needle. This will allow the fat to render and drain off, and help develop crispy skin.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Rub the goose all over with the cut half of a lemon, using both sides to get it well-coated. Place the spent lemon halves inside the goose’s cavity. Sprinkle salt, pepper and five-spice liberally all over the goose. (Tip from Hank Shaw: use more salt than you think you need to help crisp the skin and add a lot of flavor.)

Place the goose breast-side down in a roasting pan and allow to cook for about 40 minutes. Using an instant-read thermometer, check the temperature of the breast. It should be about 140°F. Remove from the oven. With a chef knife, remove the whole breasts from the bird and place on a cutting board. Brush the breasts with the honey glaze and tent with foil to keep warm. Brush the rest of the bird with the glaze as well.

Finish cooking the rest of the goose. Slice off the top of the head of garlic and place it inside the cavity of the goose. Place the goose breast-side up on a rack in the roasting pan and place it back in the oven. After 30 minutes, probe the thickest part of the goose thigh with a thermometer. Remove the goose when the temperature is 165-170°F. Remove the garlic from the goose. Tent the goose with foil and set aside.

Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add some of the goose fat from the oven pan. Sear the skin side of the breasts until crispy and golden, while still keeping the meat pink. Remove the breasts and reglaze them along with the rest of the bird. Allow to rest.

Carve the rest of the goose into parts: legs, wings and thighs. Sear these as done with the breasts, and reglaze.

Plate the goose on a platter and drizzle with remaining glaze and a squeeze of lemon juice. Garnish with fresh herbs and serve.