Description
Savory roasted goose legs featuring a rich sour cherry glaze and a comforting homemade gravy, perfect for a special occasion or a cozy meal. This recipe uses young goose leg quarters slow-roasted to tender perfection, enhanced with a tangy cherry glaze and an herb-infused gravy made from the pan drippings.
Ingredients
Scale
Goose Legs
- 4 young goose leg quarters (about 1 1/4 lb. each), thawed if frozen
- 4 teaspoons fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
Sour Cherry Glaze
- 0.25 cup sour cherry spread (such as Divina)
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Vegetables and Herbs
- 2 small yellow onions, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rings
- 1 medium carrot, roughly chopped (about 1/2 cup)
- 2 (6-inch) thyme sprigs
Liquids and Gravy
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup chicken stock, plus more if needed
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 0.75 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Dry Brine Goose Legs: Pat the goose legs dry with paper towels and arrange them skin side up on a large rimmed baking sheet. Refrigerate uncovered for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours to dry out the skin, which will help it crisp when roasting.
- Season Goose Legs: Remove the goose legs from the refrigerator and sprinkle evenly with the sea salt and black pepper. Let them stand at room temperature for 1 hour to ensure even cooking.
- Prepare Sour Cherry Glaze: While the goose legs come to room temperature, preheat your oven to 350°F, positioning the rack about 10 inches from the top. In a small saucepan, combine the sour cherry spread, red wine vinegar, and Dijon mustard. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes until well blended. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a small bowl, discarding solids. Set the glaze aside.
- Arrange Vegetables and Initial Roast: Spread the onion rings, chopped carrot, and thyme sprigs evenly on a large rimmed baking sheet. Pour in 1 cup of water. Place the seasoned goose legs skin side up on top of the vegetable mixture, spacing evenly. Roast in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes until the skin starts rendering fat and browns slightly.
- Transfer and Collect Juices: Remove the baking sheet from the oven and transfer the goose legs to a large platter. Carefully pour the pan juices and rendered fat from the baking sheet into a heatproof measuring cup or fat separator, leaving the vegetables on the sheet. Set aside both liquids separately.
- Continue Roasting with Stock: Return the goose legs skin side up to the vegetable layer on the baking sheet. Pour in the 1 cup of chicken stock. Return to the oven and roast for an additional 20 minutes, occasionally basting the goose legs with the pan juices to keep them moist.
- Separate Fat from Pan Juices: While the goose legs roast, separate the fat from the reserved pan juices by skimming or using a fat separator. Reserve the fat and pan juices separately for preparing the gravy.
- Glaze and Finish Roasting: Brush the skin side of the goose legs with the prepared sour cherry glaze. Roast at 350°F until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the legs reads 170°F, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Broil for Crisp Skin: Turn the oven broiler to high. Broil the goose legs until the skin is dark mahogany, lacquered, and a thermometer reads 180°F, approximately 3 to 6 minutes. Transfer the legs to a large platter and loosely cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.
- Strain Pan Vegetables and Prepare Gravy Base: Pour the vegetable mixture from the baking sheet through a fine mesh strainer into a large heatproof measuring cup, discarding the solids. Separate the fat from the strained pan juices, then combine this fat with the previously reserved fat. Add the pan juices to the reserved pan juices. Add chicken stock as needed to make a total of 1 1/4 cups of liquid.
- Make the Gravy: Heat 2 tablespoons of the combined reserved fat in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk constantly, cooking until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in the 1 1/4 cups of pan juices until the gravy is smooth. Continue cooking and whisking until thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in Worcestershire sauce, or season with salt to taste.
- Serve: Serve the roasted goose legs warm, accompanied by the rich sour cherry glaze and homemade gravy.
Notes
- This recipe uses young goose leg quarters for easier, more manageable roasting compared to a whole goose.
- Dry brining the legs uncovered in the refrigerator is key to achieving crispy skin.
- The sour cherry glaze adds a perfect balance of tartness and sweetness, complementing the rich goose meat.
- Separating the fat from pan juices allows for a smooth, flavorful gravy without greasiness.
- Using a meat thermometer ensures the goose is cooked to a safe internal temperature while maintaining juiciness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 goose leg quarter
- Calories: 144 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 1523 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Cholesterol: 31 mg
