Christmas Goose Gravy

A goose renders an astonishing amount of fat, so the gravy is less about using the pan fat and more about getting rid of it. What is left underneath is worth having though, dark and mineral in a way turkey never manages. Apple and Madeira cut the richness and stop it sitting heavy.

Ingredients

Makes about 900ml, enough for eight plates

• 1 set goose giblets neck and gizzard, liver kept back
• 1 onion halved, skin on
• 1 carrot chopped
• 1 stick celery chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1.2 litres (2 pints) cold water
• 3 tbsp goose fat from the tin
• 1 Bramley apple peeled, cored and chopped
• 3 tbsp (45g) plain flour
• 125ml (4fl oz) Madeira or medium sherry
• 1 tsp cider vinegar
• sea salt and black pepper

Kit

• Saucepan
• Roasting tin
• Heatproof jars for the fat
• Whisk
• Fine sieve

Method

1. Brown the goose neck and gizzard in a dry pan until well coloured, about eight minutes, then add the onion, carrot, celery, bay and cold water. Simmer very gently for two hours, skimming at the start, then strain and skim the fat. You should have about 900ml.

2. When the goose comes out of the oven, lift it onto a board to rest for thirty minutes. Now deal with the fat. Tilt the tin and pour the clear fat carefully into heatproof jars, stopping when the dark juices start to come. There will be a lot, sometimes 500ml or more, and it is the best roasting fat there is.

3. Leave three tablespoons of fat and all the dark sediment in the tin. Set it over a medium heat, add the chopped apple and fry it for five minutes until the pieces are soft at the edges and picking up colour from the residue.

4. Sprinkle over the flour and stir it into the fat and apple. Cook for two minutes, mashing the apple against the base of the tin with the back of a spoon as you go so it starts to break down into the roux.

5. Pour in the Madeira and stir hard as it bubbles, scraping the tin base clean. Let it reduce for two minutes until the raw alcohol smell has gone and it looks syrupy.

6. Add the hot giblet stock in three additions, whisking each smooth. Bring to a simmer and cook for twelve minutes. The apple will have collapsed completely by now and it will look slightly cloudy, which the sieve will fix.

7. Push the whole lot through a fine sieve into a clean pan, pressing hard on the apple pulp so it thickens and enriches the gravy. Add the resting juices from the board, bring back to a simmer for a minute, then sharpen with the vinegar and season.

Tips worth knowing

• Pour the goose fat into jars while it is hot but not boiling, and let it set before you lid them. Kept in the fridge it lasts months and makes the best roast potatoes of the year.
• Goose sediment burns faster than turkey sediment because there is more sugar in it. Keep the heat at medium and keep the whisk moving from the moment the tin goes on the hob.
• Bramley collapses to a puree, eating apples do not. If you only have Cox or Braeburn, grate them instead of chopping so they break down in the time available.
• Goose gravy sets almost solid in the fridge from all the gelatine in the neck. That is a sign of a good stock, not a fault.

Keeping and reheating

Cool quickly in a shallow tray and refrigerate for up to three days, or freeze for three months. It will set to a firm jelly, so reheat it gently with a splash of stock, whisking as it loosens, and bring it to a rolling boil before serving.

Questions people ask