A Gluten Free Christmas

Yesterday I posted the two desserts I made for Christmas this year (http://beeve04.blogspot.com/2012/12/gluten-free-yule-log-cake.html and http://beeve04.blogspot.com/2012/12/gluten-free-gingerbread-cookies.html)...now I'm going to post the main meal...roast goose with gravy, bread-less pork stuffing, roasted carrots and potatoes, butternut squash, and wassail.

Roast Goose with Gravy
-adapted from a recipe from "The Ultimate Christmas Site" (http://newyearseve.tripod.com/goose.html) and a Food Network recipe called "Roasted Christmas Goose" by Mark Slawson


Ingredients:

• 10-12 lb. goose
• 1 lemon, halved
• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 1 carrot, cut into chunks
• 1 celery stick, cut into chunks
• 1 orange, cut into chunks
• 1 apple, cut into chunks
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 tbsp. arrowroot powder (or other thickener)

Directions:

1.  Mix 1/4 cup salt with 1 cup water. Stir to dissolve. Place the goose in a large pot, add the salt water mixture and add enough water to cover to goose. Cover and refrigerate overnight. 
2. Remove the goose from the fridge and leave at room temperature at least 3 hours before cooking. 
3. Remove the giblets and neck from the body cavity, place in a stock pot with the 3 cups of chicken broth and allow to gently boil for several hours (This is to make the gravy. If you feel the liquid is evaporating too much, put a lid on the pot until ready to thicken, season, and serve.) Thicken with the arrowroot powder and season with salt when all the rest of the meal is almost ready to serve.
4. Pat dry the outside skin of the goose. Place breast side up in a roasting pan with a rack (you don't want the goose sitting in the pan by itself as goose has LOTS of fat in it and you don't want your goose sitting in all that fat the whole time it's cooking). 
5. Preheat the oven to 425F. Rub the insides of the body cavity with lemon. Place the chopped apple, carrot, celery, orange, and remaining lemon bits into the body cavity and tie the legs together. 
6. Lightly prick the skin (not pricking the meat) with a fork or knife to allow more of the fat to be released during the cooking process.
7. With the goose still breast side up, cook for about 30 minutes to brown the skin. Then, flip the goose breast side down, lower the oven temperature to 350F and cook for another 2-4 hours (depending on the size of the bird. Internal temperature of the thigh meat should be 165F).

TIP:  The fat dripping into the bottom of the pan will make your house smoky...so you might want to check and remove (if necessary) the fat every 30 minutes.


Pork Stuffing
-adapted from "The Food Lovers Primal Palate" recipe for "Pork Stuffing"

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground pork (I used some pork sausages from my local grocery store that I removed from their casings)
• 1 lb. mushrooms, chopped
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 1 tsp. thyme
• 1 tsp. sage
• 1 tsp. basil
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 2 tsp. cooking fat (coconut oil, butter, ghee, etc.)

Directions:

1. Over medium heat, warm up the cooking fat. When ready, add the mushroom and celery and saute until cooked thoroughly. 
2. Add the pork and seasonings and cook until the pork is browned.
3. Drain the liquid from the pan and set aside until other dishes are ready. 

Roasted Potatoes and Carrots

Ingredients:

•  10 Russett potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 3-4 lbs. carrots, peeled and chopped into chunks
• 2-3 tbsp. goose fat
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. basil
• 1 tsp. sage
• 1 tsp. thyme

 Directions:

1. Line two 13x9 inch cake/roasting pans with aluminum foil. 
2. Place the chopped potatoes and carrots into the pans (I like to mix them all together...but you don't have to). Top with the seasonings and enough goose fat to thoroughly cover each piece (you don't want them submerged in fat or anything...just each piece lightly coated in fat so they won't stick to the foil/pan). 
3. Cook for about an hour, stirring occasionally to prevent the pieces from sticking. 

Butternut Squash

Ingredients:

• 2 medium-sized butternut squashes
• 2 tsp. salt

Directions: 

1. Peel the butternut squash, cut in half, scoop out the seeds, and then cut into 1" cubes.   
2. Place into the top of a double boiler, cover, and cook for about an hour, until the pieces are soft (until a fork can easily pass into them).
3. Drain the water underneath the double broiler, add the squash to the pot and mash with a potato masher. Add salt to taste.  

NOTE: If you have more than one oven (or room to add more into yours), you could also just cut the butternut squash in half and bake in a 350F oven for about an hour...then scoop out the innards of the squash and mash them with salt and butter.

 
Wassail
-adapted from Madeleine Cosman, Medieval Holidays and Festivals
 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 gallon of apple cider (alcoholic or not...your choice)
• 3 apples (I used gala apples...so sweet flavor)
• 2 oranges, one juiced and one sliced 
• 1/4 cup of sweetener (honey, agave, table sugar, whatever....use more if you want it even sweeter)
• 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ginger
• if desired, top with whipped cream

Directions:

1. Cut x's into the top of the apples and bake in a 350F oven for 45 minutes to an hour...until the skin of the apples split apart where cut. When cool enough to touch, slice the apples into thick pieces.
2. In medium-sized pot, bring 1/4 of the cider to a boil. Add the orange juice, apple slices, orange slices, honey, sugar, and spices. Boil for about 5 minutes. 
3. In a slightly larger pot, warm the remaining 3/4 of the cider. You do NOT want this to boil...just get warm. 
4. Combine the two liquids together...straining the one with the spices/apples/oranges first, if desired. 
5. Serve warm. If desired, top with whipped cream.

Merry Christmas to you all.