Roast Goose

Ingredients
1 Medium Sized Goose (between 2.4 - 3 kilograms), thawed completely
2 Tbspns Vietnamese Salt & Pepper Mix (Muo'i Tieu)
2 Granny Smith Apples, cored and cut into quarters
1 Bunch of Sage, washed & roughly torn
1-2 Litres of Water

Equipment
4 Bamboo Skewers
Kitchen Towel
Large Baking Tray, Rack & Lid (or foil lined with baking paper as foil will stick to the skin of the goose)

Method
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, pat dry the skin of the goose using kitchen towel and place the goose breast side up on the wire rack in the baking tray.

Insert the quartered apples into the cavity of the goose. Before and after each piece of apple, add a small amount of the torn sage leaves. When the cavity is full, use the skewers to close the cavity and secure the legs into position.

Sprinkle the salt & pepper mixture over the goose, ensuring the skin has an even coverage of seasoning. Note, do not rub the salt & pepper mixture as it may clump together.

Pour the water carefully to the bottom of the baking tray until it reaches a depth of 1.5cm, be sure that no water comes in contact with the goose.

Cover the baking tray with the lid or with foil and baking paper. Place the goose carefully into the centre of the preheated oven and roast for 1 hour.

At the end of the first hour, remove the goose from the oven and carefully uncover the lid or foil. Return the goose back to the oven for a further 45 minutes to an hour uncovered. Be sure to check that the bird is browning evenly and is not over cooked.

Remove the goose from the oven and rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving. This sized bird should feed 4 people as a main or 6 as an entree.