Roasted Wild Goose or Duck

This easy recipe shows you how to properly roast a wild goose or duck to juicy perfection for the holidays.

• Preparation Time: 45 mins
• Cooking Time: 3 hr
• Total Time: 3 hr 45 mins
• Calories: 871 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 pound bacon
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
• 1 teaspoon dried sage
• kitchen twine
• 2 sheets aluminum foil
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic, or to taste
• 1 (12 pound) whole goose, skinned
• 2 sticks cold butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 large orange with peel, chopped
• 1 large apple - peeled, cored, and quartered
• 1 bay leaf, broken into pieces
• 0.5 cup raisins
• 1.5 cups fresh cranberries

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

Step 2

Rinse and pat goose dry. Place cold butter in a large bowl and add cranberries, raisins, orange, onion, apple, sage, tarragon, basil, garlic, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Mix well using your hands until you have a large ball of butter and fruit.

Step 3

Stuff the ball of butter into the body cavity of the goose. Close cavity and tie drumsticks together with kitchen twine. Sew cavity shut to protect flavor and moisture, if desired.

Step 4

Place 2 large layers of foil on a work surface. Make a bed of bacon slices in the center of the foil by placing 4 or 5 slices side by side. Lay goose on top, breast-side up. Cover breast and legs with remaining bacon. Bring foil up and fold, sealing in the bird, leaving small space around the bird for air circulation. Place foil-covered bird into a roasting pan.

Step 5

Roast in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, 3 to 4 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the largest part of the thigh should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C).

Step 6

Remove from the oven, leave the bird breast-side down, and let rest for 15 minutes. Turn the bird breast-side up and let rest for 10 minutes. Open foil pouch very carefully, as there will be a lot of steam. Remove and discard all stuffing and transfer bird to a serving platter. Slice, carve, and serve, or serve whole and carve at the table.