Roast goose is the centerpiece of Christmas dinner in Germany, Poland, and parts of Scandinavia. It’s also a luxury choice in England and parts of northern France. Geese look bigger than they are, so they serve fewer people than you might suppose.

Ingredients

For the stuffed goose:

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 4 medium-large leeks, trimmed, cleaned, and cut into ½-inch discs
• 2 large carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
• 5 large sage leaves, coarsely chopped
• 2 teaspoons fresh marjoram
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 cups dried herb-flavored bread crumbs for stuffing
• 1-2 cups hot water
• 1 goose weighing around 10 pounds, giblets removed
• 3/4 cup wine

For the giblet gravy:

• giblets of the goose
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 stems parsley
• 1 carrot, scraped and cut into 2-3 pieces
• 1 small onion
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus extra salt and pepper to taste
• ½ cup red wine
• 2 tablespoons flour

Instructions

For the stuffed goose:

In a frying pan, heat the oil and butter. Add the leeks, cover the pan, and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until they are softened-about 8 minutes. Stir in the carrots, sage, marjoram, and parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Cover the pan and continue cooking over moderate heat for another 5 minutes. In a large bowl, mix these cooked vegetables and herbs with the bread crumbs. Stir in a cup of hot water. Add more hot water until you have a cohesive but not sloppy stuffing. Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Rinse out and dry the cavity of the goose. Sprinkle in a couple of teaspoons of salt and rub it around. Fill the cavity ¾ full with the stuffing. (If you have excess, bake it separately in a covered bowl or pan.) Prick the goose all over with a cake tester or thin skewer to help the fat run out during cooking. Lightly grease the bottom of a roasting pan or large Dutch oven and place the goose in it.

Cover with heavy-duty foil and put it in the oven. Let it cook undisturbed for an hour; then remove the pan from the oven. Loosen and remove the foil, taking care not to burn yourself. Remove the goose to a large plate. Pour the fat that has accumulated in the pan into a bowl. Return the goose to the pan. Pour the wine over it, and cover with foil once more. Turn the oven up to 350°F and put the goose back in. After 30 minutes, baste the goose. Cook uncovered for another 45 minutes.

Remove goose from the oven, and let it rest, covered, on a platter on a warm spot on top of the stove for 15-20 minutes. (You will need the roasting pan and its juices to make the giblet gravy.) To serve, remove the wings-there is virtually no meat on them. Cut off the drumsticks; then slice the breast in thin slices. Spoon out the stuffing for serving. Serves 6.

For the giblet gravy:

In a large saucepan, put the giblets, bay leaf, parsley, carrot, onion, salt, and wine. Add 4 cups of water and simmer for 2 hours. Strain and discard everything except the neck. Remove the meat from it and keep the cooled stock in the refrigerator until it is needed. You can prepare this up to a day ahead of time.

When the goose has finished cooking and is resting, pour or skim off the accumulated fat from the roasting pan, leaving the juices behind, and remove the neck. Add the flour to these and stir it in. Put the pan over a medium-low burner and stir in 2 cups of the giblet stock, a little at a time. Scrape up browned bits from the bottom of the pan as you stir. Let the mixture simmer for 10 minutes, stirring from time to time. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serves 6.