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Roast Michaelmas Goose with sage and onion stuffing

Roast Michaelmas goose on pale blue and white platter. Decorated with fresh sage. Stuffed apples on either side of the goose. Rush mat in background with cazuela of roast potatoes. Wine glass. Silver cutlery. Wooden surface.

It used to be traditional to eat a stubble goose at Michaelmas. These were geese that had been allowed to roam on the recently harvested wheat fields to be fattened up with any grains that were left on the ground. Sadly, these days, in London anyway, it’s impossible to find a goose in butchers or supermarkets at this time of year as they seem to only come onto the market for Christmas. However, this recipe works just as well at Christmas. After all, it was a goose with sage and onion stuffing that the Cratchits ate in Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

Equipment

  • Weighing scales
  • Skewer
  • Roasting tin with rack
  • Heavy bottomed saucepan
  • Jug
  • Cling film
  • Frying pan
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Plastic bag
  • Extra-large kitchen foil
  • Medium sized bowl
  • Baking sheet
  • Large serving platter
  • Gravy boat

Preparation method

Day 1

  • The day before roasting, remove any giblets from the goose cavity. Place them in the small bowl, cover with clingfilm and set aside.
  • To prick the skin of the goose, pull it up with your fingers and use a skewer to pierce through. This avoids piercing the meat underneath the skin.
  • Put the goose in the sink and pour boiling water straight from the kettle over the bird.
  • Place the goose in the roasting tin, uncovered, and put it in the fridge away from other food that will be eaten raw.
  • To make the stock for the gravy heat a little goose fat in the heavy bottomed saucepan and when hot add the onions, celery and carrots.  Stir and sauté until the onions are translucent and just starting to take on colour.  
  • Add the giblets, stir in and continue to cook for about 5 minutes or until the giblets are browned on all sides.
  • Add a litre of water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for an hour.
  • Allow to cool, strain into a jug, cover with clingfilm and place in the fridge.
  • You can make the stuffing the day before if you want to save time the following day. To make it, heat some goose fat in a frying pan and add the onions. Sauté until transparent.
  • Take off the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
  • Place the breadcrumbs, sage and parsley into the large mixing bowl and add the cooled onions. Add seasoning and stir thoroughly so the ingredients are evenly dispersed.
  • Add the beaten egg and use your hands to mix into the breadcrumb mixture evenly.
  • Place in a plastic bag and put in the fridge until needed.

Day 2

  • The next day, remove the goose from the fridge and place on a board, rub the skin with salt and allow to come to room temperature.
  • Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/gas 7.
  • Put the rack into the roasting tin, place the goose on it.
  • Place in the preheated oven and roast for 30 minutes.
  • Turn the oven down to 180C/350F/gas 4, place a piece of kitchen foil over the top of the bird and cook for a further 2-2¼ hours or until the juices run clear when you pierce the thickest part of the leg.
  • While the goose is cooking make the stuffed apples. Remove the core from the apples from the stalk end leaving a centimetre or so at the bottom.
  • Scoop out a little more of the apple so there’s enough room to take the sausage meat mixture.
  • Separate any apple flesh from the cores and chop finely.
  • Place the sausage meat in the medium sized bowl and add the parsley, thyme, chopped apple and seasoning and stir in – it’s best to use your hands to do this so you can squeeze the herbs and seasoning into the meat.
  • Fill each cavity with the sausage meat mixture.  
  • Make a shallow incision around each apple and place on the baking sheet.
  • Brush the apple skin with melted butter.
  • At the end of the goose’s cooking time, when the juices run clear, remove the goose from the oven and transfer it to a serving dish.
  • Increase the oven temperature to 200C/400F/gas 6 and place the stuffed apples into the oven for 30 minutes.
  • Lightly cover the goose with kitchen foil and allow to rest for 30 minutes, while the apples are cooking.
  • Meanwhile make the gravy. Remove all but a tablespoon of goose fat from the roasting tin and place in a lidded plastic or glass pot and place in the fridge for future use e.g. roasting potatoes.
  • Place the roasting tin on the hob and heat.
  • Add the flour and whisk into the meat juices and fat until there are no lumps.
  • Quickly add the stock and whisk in, making sure any meaty bits stuck to the roasting tin are scraped off and incorporated into the gravy.
  • Strain the gravy from the roasting tin into a saucepan, place on a moderate heat and simmer until thickened.
  • Add a generous slurp of Calvados or apple brandy and season to taste. Turn down to a very gentle simmer and place in a jug or gravy boat when you serve the goose.
  • Remove the stuffed apples from the oven and place on either side of the goose and serve accompanied with roast potatoes and vegetables of your choice (braised, spiced red cabbage is best!).

Note: If you want to use the fat from the goose to roast your potatoes, remove the goose from the oven after an hour and use a goose-baster to suck up as much of the fat as you can and place in the roasting tin you’re going to roast your potatoes in.
Tip: After you have peeled onions or shallots, cut them in half and remove the inner shoots as they can cause indigestion.
Tip: To make breadcrumbs, the best way is to place chunks of bread into a blender and whizz. You may need to turn the blender off occasionally and push the bread pieces down with a wooden spoon.

Georgian

Serves:
6
Prep Time 10 hours
Cook Time 3 hours 45 minutes
Resting time 30 minutes
Total Time 14 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 oven-ready goose, about 5kg
  • Sea salt

For the sage and onion stuffing

  • Goose fat
  • 450 g onions, peeled and chopped
  • 3 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage leaves
  • 3 tbsp finely chopped parsley
  • 225 g fresh white breadcrumbs
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 large egg, beaten

For the gravy

  • 1 goose giblets
  • 2 celery sticks, chopped
  • 2 carrots
  • Splash of calvados or apple brandy
  • 2 tbsp flour

For the stuffed apples

  • 6 small Cox’s apples
  • 350 g sausage meat
  • 2 tbsp chopped parsley
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, stalks removed
  • A little melted butter

Nutrition

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Keywords

Apples, Michaelmas, Sage and Onion

Michaelmas

© Dr Caroline Gordon 
2025
Illustrations by Chichi Parish