Roasted Goose Stuffed with Dried Fruits

This brandied roast goose recipe is extraordinarily easy to prepare and makes a spectacular main course for guests. It's an old-time Christmas favourite in many regions of Europe, with deliciously good reason. This impressive roast goose recipe comes with its own Cognac fruit sauce, so there's no need to plan for an additional berry sauce.

1 (14 lb) goose, giblets removed
1 lemon, quartered and seeded
4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
2 cups chicken stock
¼ cup Cognac
1 (10 oz) pkg dried fruit (apples, pears, raisins, apricots, cranberries, etc.)

Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C, Gas Mark 4).

Place the goose on a rack in a large roasting pan. Stuff it with the lemon segments and cloves garlic, and then season it with salt and pepper. Roast it, uncovered, for 2½-3 hours, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the meaty part of the thigh registers 170°F. Loosely tent the goose with foil if it appears to be browning too quickly.

Transfer the roast goose to a serving platter and cover it to keep it warm. Skim the fat off the pan juices and reserve it for other culinary uses, like frying potatoes, etc. Stir the pan drippings, 2 Tbsp. of the reserved goose fat, 2 cups chicken broth, Cognac, and dried fruit together in a large pan set over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and allow the gravy to cook down for 10-15 minutes.

Serve the roasted goose with the warm brandied fruit sauce.

Makes 6-8 servings.