Festive Goose roasted over charcoal

Christmas goose in the Charlie oven is a brilliant alternative to turkey. This charcoal-fired Christmas goose is rich, juicy and full of flavour. Cooking it in the Charlie Oven over lump charcoal gives you steady heat, gentle smoke notes and the all-important goose fat for perfect roast potatoes.

Why this Christmas BBQ goose works so well in the Charlie Oven

By breaking the goose down into a crown and stuffed legs, you can give each part the cooking it needs. The legs get a longer cook close to the fire so they turn soft and rich. The crown cooks for less time so the breast stays juicy. The Charlie makes this easy with simple temperature control and multilevel cooking, so you can serve a proper Christmas centrepiece from your outdoor oven.

Ingredients

For the brine

• 10 litres cold water
• 100 grams salt

For the stuffing

• 500 grams sausage meat
• 100 grams chopped chestnuts
• 100 grams diced dried apricots
• 100 grams dried cranberries
• A good pinch of salt

For the goose

• 1 whole goose around 4 to 5 kilos
• About half a football-sized pile of good-quality lumpwood charcoal, such as Stag British Ash Charcoal

Step 1: Brine and dry the goose

1. Mix the salt into the cold water in a large container until it has fully dissolved.
2. Lower the goose into the brine. Brine it for about 30 minutes per kilo of weight.
3. Lift the goose out and pat it very dry all over with kitchen paper. Dry skin lets the fat render and helps the goose roast rather than steam.

Step 2: Butcher the goose for Christmas BBQ cooking

Remove the legs

1. Place the goose breast side up on a sturdy board.
2. Pull one leg away from the body so the skin stretches.
3. Cut through the skin where the leg meets the breast, following the natural seam.
4. Feel for the ball joint, bend the leg back until it pops out of the socket, then cut through the joint to free the leg.
5. Repeat with the second leg.

Remove the backbone to leave a neat crown

1. Turn the goose over so the back faces up.
2. Feel for the backbone and cut down one side of it, keeping your knife close to the bone.
3. Cut down the other side of the backbone in the same way.
4. Lift out the backbone. Use a small saw for the thicker rib section if needed.
5. You now have a crown with both breasts and wings still attached.

Remove the wishbone

1. Turn the crown breast side up.
2. Feel for the small V shaped wishbone at the front of the breast.
3. Slide a small sharp knife down each side of the bone to free it, then pull it out.
4. This makes carving the Christmas goose crown much easier later.

Step 3: Prepare the crown for roasting

1. Pat the crown dry again, paying attention to the skin.
2. Lightly score the skin with shallow cuts in a criss-cross pattern. Only cut through the skin and fat, not into the meat. This helps the fat render during cooking.
3. Season the meat side of the crown with salt. Goose has plenty of flavour, so you do not need anything more.

Step 4: Debone, stuff and roll the legs

Debone the legs

1. Place one leg skin side down on the board.
2. Run your knife along the length of the bone on the flesh side.
3. Use short strokes to scrape the meat away from the bone, rather than slicing chunks off.
4. Work along the bone until it comes free, then remove it.
5. Lay the leg meat out flat and press it into a neat rectangle so it will roll evenly.
6. Repeat with the second leg.
7. Season the inside of each leg lightly with salt.

Make the stuffing

1. In a bowl, mix the sausage meat, chopped chestnuts, diced apricots, cranberries and a good pinch of salt.
2. Shape the stuffing into a firm log, roughly the same length as each flattened leg. A tight log gives you even slices once cooked.

Stuff and roll the legs

1. Lay one flattened leg out on the board, skin side down.
2. Place the stuffing log along the centre of the meat.
3. Roll the leg meat up around the stuffing as tightly as you can to form a neat cylinder.
4. Wrap the stuffed leg in baking paper, then wrap again in foil to hold the shape.
5. Repeat with the second leg.
6. Let the stuffed legs and the crown sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before cooking. This helps them cook evenly.

Step 5: Set up the Charlie Oven for a Christmas BBQ goose

1. Add about half a football sized pile of good quality lumpwood charcoal to the fire grate.
2. Light the charcoal and bring the oven to 160°C / 320°F.
   

Step 6: Cook the stuffed goose legs

1. Place the foil-wrapped stuffed legs on the lower rack, close to the fire.
2. Cook at 160°C / 320°F for about 1 and a half hours.
3. The legs are ready when the centre of the stuffing roll reaches 76°C / 169°F on a probe thermometer.

Step 7: Cook the goose crown

1. Once the legs are underway, lean the crown against the wrapped legs with the backbone side facing down.
2. Cook at 160°C / 320°F for about 1 hour.
3. Check the thickest part of the breast near the breastbone. You are aiming for 56°C / 133°F.
4. When both the crown and the legs have reached their target temperatures, move them from the Charlie to your kitchen oven set to around 50°C / 122°F, or to an insulated cool box, to rest.
5. They can rest here for up to 2 hours. This is ideal for Christmas timing and helps the meat stay juicy.

Step 8: Render the goose fat for Christmas roast potatoes

1. While the goose rests, place all the trimmed goose fat in a saucepan.
2. Warm it slowly over a low heat until it melts into clear golden fat.
3. Use this goose fat for your roast potatoes in the Charlie Oven for crisp edges and fluffy centres.

Serving your Christmas BBQ goose

1. Remove the foil and paper from the stuffed legs.
2. Slice the stuffed legs into thick rounds so you can see the sausage, chestnuts and fruit in each slice.
3. Carve the crown into even slices of breast meat.
4. Serve on a warm platter with potatoes cooked in goose fat and your favourite winter greens or red cabbage.

Why cook Christmas goose in the Charlie Oven

• Charcoal-fired cooking gives deep flavour that suits rich goose meat.
• Multilevel cooking means you can give the legs and crown exactly the time and heat they need.
• The steady, enclosed heat of the Charlie makes it easy to hit precise internal temperatures.
• You can rest the meat in the oven while you finish potatoes and trimmings, which takes the stress out of Christmas cooking.

More Charlie recipes to pair with Christmas BBQ goose

• Roast potatoes in goose fat for the crispiest Christmas roasties.
• Fire roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon for a smoky take on a classic side.
  

Try this Christmas BBQ goose on your Charlie

This Christmas goose recipe is perfect if you want a change from turkey and fancy cooking the main event outside. Light your charcoal, pour a drink and let the Charlie do the work. When you sit down to slices of juicy goose, stuffed legs and potatoes cooked in goose fat, you will be glad you took the Christmas BBQ route.