Roast Goose with Baked Apples

6 − 8 firm medium apples, cored
1 cup mashed cooked sweet potatoes
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash of pepper
1 whole wild goose, 6−8 pounds
Seasoned salt
Salt and pepper
1 carrot, cut into 1−inch pieces
1 stalk celery, cut into 1−inch pieces
1 medium onion, cut into 8 pieces
Apple brandy
Remove a thin strip of peel from the top of each apple. In
medium mixing bowl, combine remaining apple ingredients and
mix well.
Stuff apples with sweet potato mixture, mounding on top.
Place in shallow baking dish. Set apples aside. Heat oven to 325F.
Pat goose dry with paper towels. Sprinkle cavity lightly with
seasoned salt, salt, and pepper. Place carrot, celery, and
onion in cavity.
Tie drumsticks across cavity. Tuck wing tips behind back.
Place, breast side up, on rack in roasting pan. Sprinkle outside
of goose with seasoned salt, salt, and pepper.
Roast, basting frequently with pan juices and sprinkling
occasionally with brandy, until desired doneness, about 20−25
minutes per pound. Drain and discard excess fat during roasting.
Place stuffed apples in oven during last 30−45 minutes of
roasting. Baste apples frequently with goose drippings.
Remove apples when fork−tender. Allow goose to rest 20
minutes before carving and serving.

Roast Goose with Wild Rice

1 (12 pound) fresh goose
salt to taste
4 cups wild rice, cooked
2/3 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts
2 Granny Smith apples − peeled, cored and chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons ground savory
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons all−purpose flour
4 cups water
Mix together the cooked rice, nuts, apples, onion, and herbs. Season
to taste with salt and pepper. Remove the neck, heart, and gizzard
from the goose. Wash the bird inside and out. Pat dry. Fill the cavity
of the goose with the stuffing, skewer closed, and lace string around
the skewers. Truss the bird.
Roast in a preheated 325F oven, breast side down, for 1 1/2 hours.
Draw off the fat as it accumulates. Turn, and roast another 1 1/2 hours.
When done, the juices should run clear when the bird is pricked where
the thigh attaches to the body. Remove trussing strings and skewers
before carving.
While the goose is roasting, place the neck, heart, and gizzard in a
saucepan with water. Let simmer gently, partially covered, for several
hours, until reduced to slightly less than 2 cups. Season the broth to
taste with salt.
Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the roasting pan.
Sprinkle a little flour over the bottom, 1 to 2 tablespoons, depending
on how thick you like your gravy. Set the pan over low heat. Stir for
2 minutes, scraping up all the browned bits. Add the reserved goose
broth to the pan, and whisk until smooth. Taste and season with salt
and pepper. Serve in a gravy boat alongside the bird.