Stuffed, Stuffed Goose
- 2/3 cup Armagnac
- 40-50 prunes, pitted (preferably pruneau d'Agen)
- 8 ounces mousse of foie gras (available from dartagnan.com)
- Salt
- Pepper
- Pinch of allspice
- 1 (10-pound) young roasting goose
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 cup port
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a small saucepan, bring Armagnac to a simmer, then pour over prunes. Toss to combine and let sit for 15 minutes while prunes plump. Drain, reserving the liquor. Pat the prunes dry.
- 2. Fill each prune with a spoonful of foie gras mousse. There are two ways to do this. If you're particular about neatness, fill a pastry bag with mousse and squeeze it directly into the prunes. For a more low-maintenance method, simply push the mousse in with your fingers. (The latter method is tastier for the chef, as fingers must be licked.)
- 3. Season cavity of the goose with salt, pepper and allspice and stuff loosely with the prunes. Truss the goose using turkey trussing needles or extra-large safety pins. For maximum crispiness, prick the skin all over with a sharp needle, about two dozen times, trying not to pierce the flesh. Pat the bird dry and set it breast-up on a rack in a shallow roasting pan.
- 4. Brown goose for 15 minutes in hot oven. Then turn goose on its side, lower heat to 350 degrees and continue roasting, basting every 20 minutes with a few tablespoons of broth and removing accumulated fat with a bulb baster. (You will need to do this in several batches. To save it for later use, pour it into a pitcher. Once the fat and juices have separated, pour the fat through a strainer into a clean container and reserve the juices for gravy. Once the fat has cooled, store it in the refrigerator. A goose will render several cups of fat, which is why a 10-pound bird serves only four to six hungry people. ) After about 1 hour in the oven, turn the bird onto its other side.
- 5. After approximately 21/4 hours in the oven, the goose should be done. Test as you would a chicken: The juices should run clear and a drumstick should wiggle in its socket. Remove goose to a platter and discard trussing needles. Transfer prunes to a serving dish. Cover bird in foil to keep warm.
- 6. To make sauc
armagnac, prunes, mousse, salt, pepper, allspice, young roasting goose, chicken stock, port, butter
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/stuffed-stuffed-goose-52112221 (may not work)