Colonial goose was cooked in Australia by our colonial ancestors who missed having their customary English goose for Christmas dinner. They improvised by stuffing a leg of lamb or mutton, which happened to be plentiful at the time, with traditional English goose stuffing and then roasted it.
Colonial Goose is a delicious Christmas dish when served with simple seasoned gravy made from the meat juices.
You will need:
Leg or shoulder of mutton or lamb (boned)
3 rashers of bacon finely chopped
1 heaped tablespoon of finely chopped fresh parsley
3 cups of fresh breadcrumbs
2 finely chopped medium onions
1 teaspoon of thyme, sage and marjoram
½ teaspoon of grated or ground nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
1 well beaten egg
Milk
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl except the egg and milk.
Stir in the egg and enough milk to just moisten the ingredients. Stuff the opening in the meat and tie securely with cotton string. Place in a baking pan allowing it to roast in its own fat in a moderate oven for 15-20 minutes per half kilogram. To serve cut the string.
Quick and easy gravy: Pour fat out of the pan leaving the meat juices. Place one tablespoon of plain flour in the bottom of a jar. Add pepper and salt and fill the jar with cold water. Shake with the lid on and pour the contents into the pan with the meat juices and stir constantly over the heat until it thickens. Serve hot.
The perfect apple sauce for your roast pork
Peel and core 3 medium apples and chop or thinly slice. Place in a small saucepan and half cover with cider. Cook uncovered until the cider has partially evaporated and the apple is pulpy. Remove from the heat and beat until smooth. Stir in 1 heaped teaspoon of butter. Sprinkle on some black pepper and serve hot.
Roast cooked by head chef Brad Sampson at the Noojee Hotel, Victoria