Roasted Goose with Chestnut-Sweet Potato Stuffing and Gingered Plum Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 whole goose around 15 pounds, soaked overnight in a lightly salted brine liquid
• Canola oil
• Black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 12 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 1 onion, 1/4-inch dice
• 1 large, peeled carrot, 1/4-inch dice
• 2 ribs celery, 1/4-inch dice
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 2 large sweet potatoes, oven roasted until al dente (80 percent), peeled and 1/2-inch dice
• 12 chestnuts, roasted and peeled and halved
• 1 cup sliced scallions, separated, save white part for the sauce
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 2 cups dehydrated plums (prunes), 1/4-inch dice
• 2 cups plum wine
• 2 cups Zinfandel
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon naturally brewed soy sauce

Directions

Pre-heat the oven to 550 degrees with a roasting pan large enough to hold the bird. Pull bird out of brine and rinse extremely well. Pat dry and rub canola oil all over and inside the bird and season with black pepper. Place goose in the hot roasting pan in the oven. Let brown on top, about 20 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a hot saute pan coated lightly with canola oil, add the sesame oil and saute the garlic cloves, ginger and onions until lightly brown then add the carrots and celery, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, gently mix with the sweet potatoes, chestnuts and green scallions and check for seasoning. Pull the browned bird out of the oven and stuff with stuffing. Reduce oven to 325 degrees and cover with foil to prevent burning. Cook an additional 11/2 to 2 hours (depending on size of bird) or until juices run clear after puncturing between leg and breast. Let bird rest 10 minutes before slicing. Drain off fat in the roasting pan but leave at least 2 tablespoons of fat. Place roasting pan on a high burner and sautee white scallions, ginger and plums. Deglaze with both wines. Reduce by 80 percent then add stock. Reduce stock by 20 percent then add soy. Check for seasoning.

PLATING: Take out the stuffing and mound it on a large oval platter. Slice bird and present on top of stuffing. Ladle sauce around the slices.

BEVERAGE Chateau Pichon Lalande