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Roasted Wild Goose with Apricot Stuffing

This signature dish was featured on The Today Show in the early 1980s.

Serves 6

6–8 lb. goose, cleaned and prepped

kosher salt

2 medium red apples, quartered

3 medium onions, quartered

2 slices applewood-smoked bacon

1 medium carrot, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

1 bay leaf

1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme

4 cups chicken stock

1 cup red wine

1 tbsp. cornstarch

2 tbsp. cold water

Apricot Stuffing (recipe follows)

1. Soak the cleaned goose overnight in well-salted water.

2. The next day, preheat the oven to 475°F. Rinse and pat dry the goose, then stuff the cavity with the apples and 2 of the onions.

3. Place the goose in a roasting pan, breast side up. Place the bacon on top of the goose and cover with a lid or foil. Bake until the bacon is crisp, about 40 minutes. Discard the bacon.

4. Add to the pan the remaining onion and the carrot, celery, bay leaf, thyme, chicken stock, and red wine. Lower the oven temperature to 375°F. Roast until the internal temperature reaches 170°F on a meat thermometer, about 2 hours.

5. Increase the oven temperature to 475°F. Uncover the goose and brown the skin for 20 minutes. Remove the goose from the roasting pan. Remove the apples and onions from the cavity and discard.

6. Strain the pan drippings into a saucepan. Whisk the cornstarch and cold water together in a small bowl, then add to the pan and cook over low heat, whisking until thickened.

7. Slice the goose and serve with the pan gravy and Apricot Stuffing.

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The dining room at Le Dome, 1988.