Crispy roast goose with wild rice stuffing

Carefully prick the goose on all sides with a cocktail stick, taking care to avoid piercing the flesh. Fill a pot large enough to hold the goose 2/3 full of water and bring to the boil. Submerge bird neck side down for 1 minute until goose bumps arise on the goose. Turn goose to tail side down and repeat the process. Remove goose from the pot and drain.

Place goose breast side up on a rack in a large roasting tin. Set in the refrigerator, uncovered, to dry the skin for 24 to 48 hours.

Cook the rice the night before roasting the goose: Place the rice in a pot with water and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 45 minutes. Refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 180 C / Gas mark 4.

Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat and cook the onion until tender. Mix in cooked rice, mushrooms and egg. Season mixture with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle the goose inside and out with salt and pepper. Fill goose cavities with the rice and mushroom mixture. Seal cavities with kitchen string and place the goose breast side down on a rack in a roasting tin. Roast bird 1 1/2 hours in preheated oven; do not open the oven door. Remove bird from the oven and use a baster to remove the fat that has accumulated in the bottom of the tin. Turn bird on its back in the roasting tin, and continue roasting 1 hour or until the internal temperature when tested with a meat thermometer has reached a minimum of 80 C.

Increase the oven temperature to 200 C / Gas mark 6. Remove goose from the oven and transfer to a larger tin. Return to the oven for 15 minutes to further crisp and brown the bird. Take out the goose and let it sit uncovered for 30 minutes before removing stuffing.

To make gravy, place the original roasting tin over 2 burners. Mix in dry sherry and scrape the tin with a wooden spoon. Combine these drippings with giblet stock to make gravy for the goose and stuffing.