River Cottage Christmas Fayre - Qs about goose and bread

[TooTiredtoGoogle]

My mouth is still watering after watching this programme last night.
DH and I want to cook goose this year, but most people have told us that because goose is so fatty, we need to lift it off the roasting tin. However, saw Hugh last night and he hadn't lifted it ... So, is that okay or will goose just cook in own fat and not get crispy skin?

Second Q is about the bread
Do you think it would be okay to let it rise the second time overnight, so all we need do on Christmas morning is to pop it in oven and eat it fresh and warm?

I've never done a goose but for duck I use a wire rack oven the roasting dish so it's not swimming in fat. I spose you could do it without but you'd have to drain the fat every five minutes and it would be a lot more hassle, especially with a big goose.

Re the bread, personally I would part bake in the evening and then finish off in the morning so it's warm when you serve it. So probably 45min in the evening (maybe with some foil over it so it doesn't colour) and then another 20 min in the morning or so.

Geese are not as fatty as duck imo, but the fat is well worth keeping for cooking with. You really don;t get a lot of meat out of a goose, the bones are big.

What's the NYT method?
Gather it doesn't stand for New York Times

Not having seen the programme, perhaps I am talking out of my backside (it happens) but 45 minutes is longer than I cook my bread for anyway, so hardly part-cooking().

I only went by that because the recipe says 45 to 60 min, so assumed at the longer end! I have no idea really!

NYT method

I always make bread this way now, but have not tried it for sweet yeast dough.

I have cooked goose for Christmas lunch before, and I drain the fat off it 2 or 3 times during the cooking (don't raise it up). You get a lovely lot of fat which is fabulous for cooking - in fact, we're having goose again this year coz I have run out of goose fat

Word of warning though - you need to strain the fat to remove any little bits of meat etc that are in there or they will go mouldy and spoil the fat before you use it all. Alternatively, do what I do and freeze it - you can just cut chunks off it with a knife and don't have to faff about straining.

Like Poledra, I don't cook goose on a rack and I just drain the fat off a few times during cooking, and it has always been fine.

And the goosefat is amazing - the best roast potatoes and the best dripping-toast.

How long will the goose fat keep for in fridge?

meltedmarsbars - thanks for link. Will have a look after lunch.

Months, if in a lidded container.

Sniff it occasionally to see it its off.

According to my butcher, goose fat will keep forever in the fridge as long as you do not contaminate it. Even a crumb can start the mould off and spoil the fat. So his advice was always to use a scrupulously clean spoon to take any out, and never leave the lid off it.

I've had goose fat in the fridge since the Christmas before last and it's still fine.