Odds-on favourite meal for a family occassion

EAT a goose on Michaelmas Day, want not for money all year. If the saying is to be believed, eating goose on September 29 will bring you fortune until New Year’s Eve.

Here is a recipe that might be worth a try; the odds are probably as good as the National Lottery.

Green geese raised in the fields would have been used traditionally, rather than the fatter Christmas bird, garnished with apples to take advantage of the windfalls around at this time of year.

If it doesn’t bring you good luck, it would still be great for a family occasion – and though you might not get the chance to live life in the fast lane, my second recipe means your dinner may have travelled at land speeds of up to 40 miles per hour.

The rich hare stew with root vegetables to soak up the juices, and pieces of smoked bacon, red wine and aromatic herbs give a Burgundy-feel, brought down to earth with pan haggerty, the baked potato, onion and cheese dish from Northumberland.

Traditional goose with all the trimmings
(serves four)

Ingredients for the goose
1 4-5kg goose
2 tsp runny honey
1 tsp mixed allspice
Seasoning

For the bread sauce
4 slices of white bread, crushed
A good pinch of mixed ground spice
1 white onion studded with whole cloves
400ml milk
Seasoning

For the trimmings
4 small eating apples
A little allspice
A little unsalted butter

For the sauce
50ml cider
250ml chicken stock
Seasoning

For the forcemeat
150g sausagemeat
50g unsalted butter
1 egg yolk
30g breadcrumbs
1 tsp sage, chopped
50g onion, finely diced
Grated zest of half an orange

To garnish
1 bunch watercress

Method

Preheat the oven to 190°C/Gas Mark 5. To prepare the goose, first prick the skin gently all over with a fork or the tip of a sharp knife. Cover with a little runny honey and sprinkle over the allspice and seasoning, then place on a cooking rack or trivet in a deep roasting tray as the amount of fat that comes out of the meat is amazing, so beware.

Place in the oven allowing 20 to 25 minutes per ½kg plus an extra 20 minutes to make sure, so about 2½ to 3 hours in total. When cooked, take care removing from the oven because of the fat – it’s worth retaining as it makes wonderful roast potatoes. You can even rub it on your chest or use it to keep your harnesses and saddlery supple.

Cut the top one third from the top of the apples and sprinkle with a little allspice and add a smidge of unsalted butter. Combine all of the forcemeat ingredients together, then form into 4cm balls, slightly flattened. Place the apples and forcemeat balls together on a non-stick baking tray and cook in the oven for about 10 minutes or until cooked through. Keep warm.

To make the bread sauce, first add the onion to the milk and bring to the boil. Let it infuse for about 20 minutes, then remove the onion and the cloves. Add the breadcrumbs, spice and seasoning. Cook gently to a loose, dropping consistency. Set aside and keep warm.

Pour off the fat and remove the bird from the tray. Keep the bird warm and add the cider and stock to the residue in the roasting tray. Bring to the boil and reduce, skimming off the excess fat. When the required consistency for a thin gravy is achieved, pass through a sieve, season and keep warm.

Carve at the table, arranged with the baked apples, forcemeat balls and the watercress.

Harome-shot hare hot pot with baked pan haggerty
(serves four)

Ingredients for the hare hot pot
1 medium/large hare, skinned and jointed
A little oil for frying
10g plain flour
200g piece of smoked bacon, cut into 2cm dice
500g large, mixed root vegetable (such as swede, parsnip, carrot and celeriac), diced
150g baby onions, peeled
5 sprigs of thyme
2 bay leaves
6 juniper berries, crushed
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1 bottle of “decent” red cooking wine
500ml game stock
Seasoning

For the pan haggerty
1 onion, sliced
50ml rapeseed oil
600g mixed root vegetables, such as celeriac, carrot and potato, grated
Seasoning
75g mature Wensleydale cheese, grated
50g unsalted butter
5g thyme, chopped

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. For the pan haggerty, first sweat the onion, cooking gently in the butter and oil until soft. Pat dry the grated vegetables with a tea towel to absorb as much of the moisture as possible.

In a small ovenproof dish, layer the vegetables alternatively with the grated cheese and a little thyme, seasoning each layer and finishing with cheese. Place the dish into the oven for 45 minutes to an hour, until cooked through. Finish under a hot grill for a gratinated, crispy finish. Use as required.

For the hare, take a thick-bottomed pan and heat a little oil. Flour and season the hare pieces and fry off with the bacon, gently to colour to a golden brown. Increase the heat after three to four minutes and add all of the root vegetables, garlic, juniper berries and herbs, stirring all the time.

Add the red wine and stock and cook on a low heat for about 1½ to two hours until tender. When cooked, lift out the meat and reduce the cooking liquor to a syrupy consistency. Check the seasoning and pour back over the meat.

Place the hare onto a warm plate with a wedge or stack of the pan haggerty served alongside.