Goose breast with goose leg sausage roll, kale and cranberry relish
by Marcus Wareing

The underrated goose makes a luxurious centrepiece to a Christmas Day roast, and Marcus Wareing skilfully prepares the bird and serves with some suitably classy accompaniments. The goose sausage roll is a particular highlight – guaranteed to provide a talking point at the table. A good butcher should be happy to provide the specific elements, such as minced leg meat.

1 To begin, soak the dried cranberries in the port. Cover and leave for 12-24 hours
100ml of port
100g of dried cranberries

2 To prepare the goose leg sausage rolls, mix the goose and pork mince together, then add the chopped herbs and season with the allspice, salt and pepper
500g of pork mince
500g of goose leg, minced
25g of parsley, chopped
25g of marjoram, chopped
25g of sage, chopped
1/2 tsp allspice
1 tsp table salt
black pepper

3 Place a large piece of cling film on the work surface and lay the mince along the middle. Roll into a long ballotine, approximately 4cm in diameter, then tie off the ends and place in the fridge to firm up. Once the mix is chilled, carefully remove the cling film and place onto a piece of puff pastry large enough to wrap around the filling
1 sheet of puff pastry, all butter

4 Roll the pastry tightly around the sausage and goose mix, ensuring you brush the inside edge with egg yolk before sealing. Rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes
1 egg yolk

5 For the cranberry relish, add all of the ingredients to a medium-sized saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer
100g of cranberry sauce
100g of cranberries, fresh

6 Cook for approximately 20 minutes until the fresh cranberries have broken down and the port has reduced down to make a thick sauce. Remove from the heat, allow to cool and refrigerate until required

7 Preheat the oven to 180˚C/gas mark 4

8 Place the goose bones and offcuts on a roasting tray and into the oven. Roast until dark and golden in colour, for approximately 45-60 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer the bones to a saucepan

9 Place the roasting tray over a medium heat, add approximately 250ml of chicken stock and deglaze, ensuring you remove all of the caramelised pieces and sediment that has stuck to the base of the tray. Transfer the liquid and sediment to the saucepan with the bones
250ml of chicken stock

10 Add more chicken stock to the pan and simmer to reduce. Make sure you keep tasting the gravy as it reduces until it reaches a nice, intense flavour
1000ml of chicken stock

11 Add the garlic and thyme and continue simmering to infuse, once again tasting until it reaches the desired strength of flavour. Pass through a fine strainer into a clean saucepan. Combine the butter and flour to form a paste (beurre manie). Whisk in half of the paste and simmer to thicken
2 garlic cloves, bruised
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
40g of butter, softened
2 tbsp of flour

12 Add more of the paste if more thickening is required. Season to taste with salt and pepper and pass through a fine strainer. Set aside
1/2 tsp table salt
pepper

13 Preheat the oven to 175˚C/gas mark 3.5

14 Remove the sausage roll from the fridge, brush all over with the remaining egg yolk and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and cooked through

15 Meanwhile, use a sharpe knife to score the goose fat/skin on each breast and season well with salt and pepper. Place a large pan over a low-medium heat and cook the breasts slowly, skin-side down. This will help render down the fat so the skin turns golden and crispy
2 goose breasts
1 tsp table salt
black pepper

16 Check the skin every 2 minutes and once golden brown and crispy, turn the breasts over, adding the butter and spooning over the breasts to baste. Cook for a couple more minutes, or as desired – ideally the goose should be medium rare and pink in the middle. Remove from the pan and leave to rest for 10 minutes in a warm place
25g of unsalted butter

17 While the goose is resting, remove the stalks and any thick stems from the kale and wash thoroughly. Cook in a large pan of boiling salted water until al dente, for approximately 3-4 minutes. Drain, toss in butter and season with salt and a good grind of pepper
500g of curly kale
40g of butter
table salt
black pepper

18 Before serving, slice the goose sausage roll into 6 even portions and reheat, if necessary. Reheat the gravy until warmed through

19 Using a sharp knife, carve the goose breasts, allowing 4 slices per portion. Add the slices to hot plates and add the hot sausage roll, kale and some cranberry relish. Drizzle with the hot gravy and serve immediately

Recipe by Marcus Wareing courtesy of Great British Chefs, visit their site for more Christmas dinner recipes