While turkeys have been eaten in Ireland since the 17th century, according to Bríd Mahon in her book Land of Milk and Honey (1991), it's only since the beginning of the 20th century that they have been our go-to bird at Christmas.
For the rest of Irish food history, since Christmas arrived, goose was the staple of our festive celebrations. In the past, when few had ovens, goose was cooked over a turf fire in a big black pot. It would be partially braised and partially roasted. Parsnip and bacon would be added to the pot, as well as carrots, onions and other herbs and spices such as sage, cloves and a pinch of nutmeg.
If you had money you would feast on goose every Sunday from Michaelmas (September 29th) until Christmas. In her book Traditional Irish food (1983), Theodora Fitzgibbon includes an excerpt from a story from 1870 of a young farmer who dined every Sunday on boiled goose and dumplings.
As well as dumplings, goose would be stuffed with potatoes and served with apple sauce. Though this was a traditional way of cooking duck in Ireland, a recipe for goose in this manner is included in Darina Allen’s A Simply Delicious Christmas (1989). Don’t be fooled by the size of a goose though, as Allen rightly remarks it has a deceptively large carcass, so allow 450g per person.
How to roast a Christmas goose (5kg)
First make the stuffing: fry one diced onion in 50g of butter until soft. Add 500g of chopped cooking apples and a sprig of rosemary and thyme. When the apples are soft, remove from the heat. Fold in 750g of cooked mashed potato and season to taste. When the mixture is cold, stuff the cavity of the goose.
Roast the goose in the oven for 20 minutes per 500g, basting every 30 minutes. When the goose is ready, the juices will run clear.
While a turf fire with a pot over it may be hard to find, placing a piece of smouldering turf in your oven will do just as well.
