Chinese-spiced Goose

Ingredients:

1 whole oven-ready goose (about 5kg)
4 lemons, juiced and with zest grated
2 limes, juiced and with zest grated
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
1 tsp rosemary, chopped
3 sprigs of thyme
1 bayleaf
salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Method:

Remove any giblets from the body cavity of the bird then use a sharp knife to score the breasts and legs with a criss-cross pattern (this helps render down the fat and allows the flavourings to penetrate).

Combine the lemon and lime juices in a pan with the honey, soy sauce and five-spice powder. Bring the mixture to a boil then take off the heat and stir in the citrus zests and the rosemary.

Stuff the body cavity of the goose with the squeezed citrus fruit pulp, the thyme and bayleaf. Season the bird well inside and out then place on a tall tray in a baking dish. Brush with the honey mixture to glaze then transfer to an oven pre-heated to 210°C and roast for about 10 minutes, or until well browned all over.

Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C, base the bird again and continue roasting for 20 minutes per kg, basting the bird with the honey mix every 30 minutes during this time. If, near the end of the cooking, the skin is browning too quickly then cover with foil.

At the end of the cooking time, the goose is done through if, when pierced in the thickest part of the leg, the juices run clear. Remove from the oven and allow to rest, covered with foil, for 30 minutes before carving.

Use some of the pan juices to make gravy (you can add the giblets to this as flavouring). Be sure to strain and keep the goose fat, as this makes excellent roast potatoes.

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