Christmas Goose - Nora Ephron

Goose is so easy to make, I don't know why more people don't make it especially at Christmas, when it makes you feel so totally gentile. But, here's one caveat: a huge goose feeds a surprisingly small number of people.  You know how you occasionally meet a fat person who says, I'm not really fat but my bones are big? Well that person is lying, but if they were a goose they wouldn't be.

The stuffing is divine. —Nora Ephron

Stuffing:

1 goose gizzard
1 goose liver
1 goose heart
3 tb butter
2 cups chopped celery
2 ½ cups onions
1 clove garlic chopped
1 cup white wine
1 tb sage
¼ tsp thyme
1 bay leaf
1 cup chopped parsley
1 12-oz package pitted prunes, chopped
6 cups apples in thin wedges
2 cups bread crumbs
2 egg yolks

Put gizzard, liver & heart into Cuisinart and blend.  Heat butter and add celery and onions.  Cook til wilted and add pureed liver mixture.  Stir and add garlic, wine, sage, thyme, bay leaf, and parsley.  Cook 5 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients and blend well with hands.  Cool

Goose

2 geese (they tend to weigh 8-10 lbs and one goose serves 3 people)
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
¾ cup chopped carrots
1 clove garlic
1 bay leaf
1 cup water

Preheat oven to 400° F.
Stuff geese and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bake one hour, basting with the hot fat that comes off the goose.
Pour off fat and scatter into pan all ingredients except for water, plus neck and cook for another half hour or (15-17 minutes per lb).  Remove to platter.  Add water to pan, stirring to dissolve particles on bottom and around sides.  Strain and serve -- along with currant jelly.

Recipe Adapted from Craig Claiborne