Recipe: How to Cook the Perfect Christmas Goose

Nigel Mendham comes to the rescue by revealing his Christmas goose recipe and tips on how to make it perfect…

GBR at DUKES LONDON‘s Executive Head Chef, Nigel Mendham, shares his advice on how to cook your perfect Christmas goose (and the rest).

Recipe: How to Cook the Perfect Goose this Christmas

Recipe: confit leg – celeriac – smoked pancetta – fresh cranberries

To serve 4

• 1 whole goose (breasts removed and trimmed legs removed and trimmed)
• 2 litre goose fat
• 10 whole white peppercorns
• 2 bay leaf
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 20g rock salt
• 1 tbsp. cranberry sauce

Marinate the goose legs for 24 hours with the peppercorns, salt, bay and thyme

Cover with the goose fat and cook at 85 degrees for 9 hours

Allow the goose legs to cool in the fat

Once cool remove the skin from the legs and place on a baking tray lined with parchment cook the skin in the oven @90 degrees until crispy

Remove the meat from the leg and roughly chop

Add the cranberry sauce and season with salt and lemon juice, set aside

Celeriac Garnish

• 1 whole celeriac
• Butter
• Salt
• Lemon juice
• Thyme

Peel the celeriac and cut in half

Use an apple corer to make celeriac batons

Place in a vac pack bag with a sprig of thyme, salt and 20g butter

Seal on high setting and cook for 35 minutes at 85 degrees

With the celeriac, trimmings cut into small pieces and do the same as the batons

Cook the trimmings for 50 minutes at 85 degrees

Once cooked blend until smooth

Season with salt and lemon juice

Set aside

Smoked Pancetta (sliced)

Cook in the oven @180 degrees until golden brown

Remove from oven and set aside

To Cook The Goose

Heat a large non-stick pan

Season the goose breasts with salt and place skin side down in the pan

When golden brown turn over to seal the rest of the breast

Return to its skin side and cook in the oven @200 degrees for 7-9 minutes

Remove from the oven and allow to rest (keep the pan the breasts were roasted in)

Game Sauce

• 2 litres of game stock
• 200ml port
• 200ml red wine
• 200g fresh cranberries
• Thyme
• Lemon juice

Wash and dry the cranberries

Remove the excess fat from the pan and put back on the heat

Add the port and red wine and reduce by ¾

Add game stock bring to the boil then simmer until reduced by half

Add the fresh cranberries and cook over a high heat for 2 minutes

Add the thyme and season with lemon juice

If you would rather leave the cooking to the experts, book yourself in for a feast at DUKES LONDON‘s GBR (to be washed down with Pommery Champagne).

MORE RECIPES: Claridge’s Posh Mince Pies | Festive Dinner Party Recipes from Start to Finish | The Dorchester’s Chestnut and Cherry Yule Log