What to Serve With Roast Goose: 25 Best Side Dishes for Christmas & Thanksgiving
Roast goose is one of those dishes that immediately makes a meal feel like an occasion.
Golden, crispy skin. Rich, succulent dark meat. An incredible aroma coming from the oven.
And, let’s be honest, quite a lot of fat.
That’s why choosing what to serve with roast goose matters more than it might with chicken or turkey.
Put too many heavy, creamy dishes beside it and the entire meal can become overwhelming surprisingly quickly.
The best roast goose side dishes provide contrast.
Think crispy potatoes, tart apples, cranberry sauce, braised red cabbage, bitter greens, citrus, mustard and fresh salads.
And then there’s one ingredient the goose provides for free that you absolutely shouldn’t waste:
goose fat.
If you’ve never eaten potatoes roasted in goose fat, this might be the perfect opportunity to start.
Whether you’re preparing a traditional Christmas goose, looking for an alternative to turkey for Thanksgiving in the United States, or putting together a lighter Australian Christmas lunch, the basic principle is the same:
Rich roast goose tastes best when the dishes around it provide balance.
Here are 25 of the best side dishes, sauces and accompaniments to serve with roast goose.
What Goes With Roast Goose? The Quick Answer
If you’re standing in the kitchen planning your menu, start here.
Some of the best side dishes to serve with roast goose are:
- Goose-fat roast potatoes
- Braised red cabbage with apple
- Apple sauce
- Cranberry sauce
- Sour cherry sauce
- Chestnut stuffing
- Sage and onion stuffing
- Roasted Brussels sprouts
- Brussels sprout slaw
- Honey or maple-roasted carrots
- Parsnip purée
- Roast parsnips
- Roasted pumpkin
- Green beans with almonds
- Apple and fennel salad
- Rocket, pear and walnut salad
- Bitter green salad
- Potato gratin
- Creamy mashed potatoes
- Potato and celeriac mash
- Roasted beetroot
- Pickled beetroot
- Glazed shallots
- Wild rice pilaf
- Roasted root vegetables
If you’re serving goose for Thanksgiving, cranberry sauce, stuffing, sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts and green beans are particularly good choices.
For a traditional Christmas dinner, it’s hard to beat goose-fat potatoes, red cabbage, chestnut stuffing and Brussels sprouts.
And for a hot Australian Christmas, we’d introduce lighter sides such as apple and fennel salad, green beans and Brussels sprout slaw.
What Does Roast Goose Taste Like?
If you’ve never eaten goose before, don’t expect it to taste like an oversized chicken.
Goose has a richer, darker and more pronounced flavour than chicken or turkey.
The meat is predominantly dark and there’s a substantial layer of fat beneath the skin.
When the bird is roasted properly, that fat renders away while helping create beautifully crisp skin.
But that richness also explains why the accompaniments matter.
You generally don’t need five creamy side dishes competing with the bird.
Instead, think about three things:
Something crispy.
Something fresh or green.
Something acidic.
For example:
Roast goose + goose-fat potatoes + braised red cabbage with apple
Or:
Roast goose + roasted pumpkin + apple and fennel salad + cranberry sauce
That usually creates a much more balanced plate.
25 Best Side Dishes for Roast Goose
1. Goose-Fat Roast Potatoes
If you make only one classic roast goose side dish, make this one.
As your goose cooks, it will render a considerable amount of fat.
Don’t throw it away.
Carefully collect some of the rendered fat and use it for your potatoes.
Parboil the potatoes first, drain them well and rough up the edges. Then roast them in hot goose fat until deeply golden and crisp.
Add garlic, rosemary and sea salt.
For Australian cooks, good roasting varieties can include Sebago, Coliban and Dutch Cream, depending on availability.
American cooks can use varieties such as Yukon Gold or russet potatoes.
British readers may naturally reach for Maris Piper or King Edward.
Whatever variety you use, you want a potato that develops a crisp exterior while remaining fluffy inside.
And save any additional usable goose fat.
You’ll want it later.
2. Braised Red Cabbage With Apple
This is one of the great traditional accompaniments to roast goose.
Slowly braise red cabbage with apple, vinegar, a little brown sugar and warming spices.
The apple provides sweetness while the vinegar gives you exactly the acidity needed to cut through rich goose meat.
For a festive version, add cinnamon, cloves or star anise.
It’s particularly good for a traditional European-style Christmas goose dinner.
3. Apple Sauce
Pork isn’t the only meat that loves apple.
Apple and goose are a wonderful combination.
The acidity and sweetness of the fruit contrast beautifully with the rich dark meat.
Make the sauce relatively tart rather than excessively sweet.
Cook apples with a little lemon juice and just enough sugar to balance them.
For a more grown-up version, add a splash of cider.
4. Cranberry Sauce
If you’re serving goose for Thanksgiving or Christmas, cranberry sauce deserves a place on the table.
In fact, you could argue that cranberry sauce works even better with goose than it does with turkey.
Its sharp acidity cuts through the richness of the meat while complementing stuffing and roasted vegetables.
Homemade cranberry sauce can also be prepared in advance, which is always useful when you’re coordinating a major holiday meal.
5. Sour Cherry Sauce
Want something different from cranberry?
Try sour cherry.
Cherry works beautifully with rich poultry and duck, and goose is no exception.
Cook the cherries with red wine, balsamic vinegar or citrus so the finished sauce remains tart rather than becoming jam-like.
It’s particularly good if you’re serving goose for an elegant dinner rather than a traditional Christmas feast.
6. Chestnut Stuffing
Chestnuts and goose are a classic festive combination.
Combine roasted chestnuts with breadcrumbs, onion, herbs and perhaps some tart apple.
You can cook the stuffing separately rather than inside the bird if that’s your preference.
Chestnuts bring a slightly sweet, earthy flavour that works particularly well with goose.
7. Sage, Apple and Onion Stuffing
You don’t need an elaborate stuffing.
A traditional sage and onion version works beautifully.
For goose, we’d add tart apple.
Combine good breadcrumbs with softened onion, fresh sage, apple and seasoning.
A little lemon or orange zest can also work well.
For American Thanksgiving, celery makes a natural addition.
8. Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts and festive dinners seem destined to find each other.
Roast them until the outer leaves become crisp and slightly caramelised.
You can add bacon or pancetta, but remember that the goose is already rich.
Sometimes sprouts simply roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper provide better balance.
Finish them with lemon juice or balsamic vinegar.
For Thanksgiving, toasted pecans or walnuts are another nice addition.
9. Brussels Sprout Slaw
This is particularly good for an Australian Christmas.
Rather than cooking the sprouts, finely shred them raw.
Add crisp apple, toasted nuts and perhaps some fennel.
Dress everything with cider vinegar, Dijon mustard and olive oil.
It’s crunchy, fresh and acidic.
Exactly what you want beside rich roast goose on a warm December afternoon.
10. Honey or Maple-Roasted Carrots
Carrots provide colour and natural sweetness.
For Christmas, roast them with a little honey and thyme.
For an American Thanksgiving flavour, try a small amount of maple syrup instead.
Finish with lemon juice or vinegar so they don’t become overly sweet.
The goal is caramelisation, not dessert.
11. Parsnip Purée
For something slightly more elegant, make a smooth parsnip purée.
Parsnips have a natural sweetness that complements goose beautifully.
Cook them until tender and blend with butter, seasoning and just enough cream to create a silky texture.
A touch of nutmeg works nicely.
Because the purée is rich, make sure there’s something acidic elsewhere on the plate.
12. Roast Parsnips
Don’t want another saucepan to wash?
Roast them.
Cut the parsnips lengthways and cook until they’re beautifully caramelised at the edges.
A small amount of honey or maple syrup works well, but don’t overdo it.
13. Roasted Pumpkin
Pumpkin makes a particularly useful addition to an Australian goose menu.
Roast wedges until caramelised and finish with thyme, sage or rosemary.
For something more contemporary, add toasted pepitas.
Pumpkin also provides a natural connection with an American Thanksgiving table.
14. Green Beans With Almonds
Sometimes the simplest vegetable is exactly what the plate needs.
Blanch green beans until tender but still slightly crisp.
Toss with toasted flaked almonds, a little butter and plenty of lemon.
The beans provide freshness while the almonds add texture.
They’re also an easy way to introduce something green without adding another heavy side dish.
15. Apple and Fennel Salad
This may be one of the best accompaniments to goose if you’re serving it at Christmas in Australia.
Thinly slice crisp apple and fresh fennel.
Add rocket or watercress and dress with lemon juice, olive oil and Dijon mustard.
It’s light, crunchy and acidic enough to cut straight through the richness of the bird.
16. Rocket, Pear and Walnut Salad
Peppery rocket and sweet pear work beautifully together.
Add toasted walnuts and a sharp vinaigrette.
Blue cheese is optional.
If you use it, don’t go overboard. Goose is already providing plenty of richness.
17. Bitter Green Salad
Sometimes you don’t need to reinvent anything.
Combine rocket, radicchio, endive or watercress.
Dress simply with lemon juice, olive oil, Dijon mustard and seasoning.
The bitterness of the leaves provides an excellent counterpoint to goose.
18. Potato Gratin
This is definitely at the richer end of the spectrum.
Thin layers of potato baked with cream and garlic are undeniably delicious with roast goose.
For a winter Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner, it can work beautifully.
For an Australian Christmas Day when it’s 35°C outside, we’d probably choose goose-fat roast potatoes instead.
19. Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes are perfect for catching goose gravy and roasting juices.
Keep them relatively simple.
Butter, milk, seasoning.
You don’t necessarily need mountains of cheese and cream when the main course is already rich.
Mashed potato is particularly appropriate if you’re creating a traditional American Thanksgiving menu.
20. Potato and Celeriac Mash
Replace some of the potato with celeriac.
You retain the comforting texture of mash but introduce a lighter, slightly earthy flavour that works beautifully with goose.
21. Roasted Beetroot
Beetroot’s earthy sweetness complements dark goose meat.
Roast it whole or in wedges, then finish with balsamic vinegar.
Walnuts or goat’s cheese can be added if you want to turn it into a more substantial side dish.
22. Pickled Beetroot
Even better if you want something sharp.
The vinegar provides exactly the acidity that a rich goose dinner needs.
Serve a small amount alongside the meat rather than treating it as another enormous vegetable side.
23. Glazed Shallots
Slow-cooked shallots become wonderfully sweet and silky.
Finish them with balsamic vinegar or red wine to add enough acidity to balance their sweetness.
24. Wild Rice Pilaf
If you’d prefer something other than potatoes, wild rice works surprisingly well.
Cook it with stock and herbs, then add toasted nuts and dried cranberries.
The nutty flavour works beautifully with goose.
This is particularly suitable for a Thanksgiving goose menu.
25. Roasted Root Vegetables
For an easy side dish, roast several vegetables together.
Try:
- carrots
- parsnips
- pumpkin
- beetroot
- sweet potato.
Add rosemary, thyme and garlic.
Because root vegetables are naturally sweet, include something acidic elsewhere on the table such as cranberry sauce, red cabbage or a fresh salad.
Best Sauces to Serve With Roast Goose
A good sauce can completely change a roast goose dinner.
Because goose is rich, fruit-based sauces are particularly effective.
Apple Sauce
Tart, simple and traditional.
Keep it sharper than the apple sauce you might serve with pork.
Cranberry Sauce
An obvious choice for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
The tart berries provide excellent contrast to goose.
Sour Cherry Sauce
A sophisticated alternative to cranberry.
Particularly good with red wine and balsamic vinegar.
Orange Sauce
Citrus cuts through fat beautifully.
Orange is already a classic partner for duck and works very well with goose.
Plum Sauce
Sweet and tart plum works particularly well if you’re moving away from a traditional European menu.
Red Wine Jus
Rich and elegant.
Make sure it retains enough acidity that it doesn’t simply add more richness to the plate.
Traditional Goose Gravy
Use the roasting juices, but remove the excess fat first.
Goose produces a substantial amount of fat, and you don’t want all of it ending up in the gravy.
One good fruit sauce plus properly made gravy is generally plenty.
What Vegetables Go Best With Roast Goose?
The best vegetables for roast goose tend to provide freshness, bitterness, acidity or restrained sweetness.
Particularly good choices include:
- Brussels sprouts
- red cabbage
- green beans
- carrots
- parsnips
- beetroot
- pumpkin
- fennel
- celeriac
- bitter salad leaves.
If you want to keep things simple, choose three vegetables with different characteristics.
For example:
Roasted carrots + green beans + braised red cabbage
You get sweetness, freshness and acidity without overwhelming the goose.
What to Serve With Roast Goose for Thanksgiving
Turkey may dominate the American Thanksgiving table, but it certainly isn’t the only option.
If you’re planning something a little different this Thanksgiving, roast goose can make a spectacular centrepiece.
And the good news is that many of the flavours Americans already associate with Thanksgiving work beautifully with goose.
Cranberries.
Apples.
Sage.
Sweet potatoes.
Brussels sprouts.
Pumpkin.
Green beans.
Roasted root vegetables.
The biggest difference is richness.
Goose is generally richer and fattier than turkey, so you probably don’t want every accompanying dish covered in butter, cream, cheese or marshmallows.
The trick is preserving the comfort and tradition of Thanksgiving while introducing enough acidity and freshness to keep the meal balanced.
Our Ideal Thanksgiving Goose Menu
If we were building Thanksgiving dinner around roast goose, we’d serve:
Main
Roast goose with homemade gravy
Stuffing
Sage, apple and chestnut stuffing
Potatoes
Crispy goose-fat roast potatoes or creamy mashed potatoes
Vegetables
Roasted Brussels sprouts
Maple-roasted carrots
Green beans with toasted almonds
Traditional Thanksgiving side
Sweet potato casserole
Something fresh
Apple, fennel and walnut salad
Sauce
Homemade cranberry sauce
Dessert
Pumpkin pie or apple pie
It still feels unmistakably like Thanksgiving.
The difference is that the menu has enough sharpness and freshness to balance the richer bird.
Can You Serve Goose Instead of Turkey for Thanksgiving?
Absolutely.
There’s no requirement for Thanksgiving dinner to centre around turkey.
Goose provides a richer, darker and more intensely flavoured alternative.
There are some differences to keep in mind.
A goose contains a relatively high proportion of fat and bone compared with a turkey, so don’t assume two birds of identical weight will feed the same number of guests.
The meat is also predominantly dark.
If half your family fights over the turkey breast while avoiding the legs, goose may require some adjustment.
But for people who love dark poultry meat, it can be fantastic.
Goose can also be particularly attractive for a smaller Thanksgiving gathering, where an enormous turkey would produce leftovers until sometime around Christmas.
Best Traditional Thanksgiving Side Dishes for Goose
You don’t have to abandon your family’s Thanksgiving favourites simply because you’ve changed the bird.
Cranberry Sauce
Keep it.
Cranberry and goose are excellent together.
Thanksgiving Stuffing
Sage, onion and celery all work beautifully.
Add apple, chestnuts or cranberries if you want to make the stuffing particularly complementary to goose.
Sweet Potato Casserole
Yes, you can serve sweet potato casserole with goose.
But remember that both dishes are rich.
If your family’s casserole involves marshmallows, brown sugar and enough butter to alarm your cardiologist, put some green vegetables and tart cranberry sauce on the table as well.
Green Bean Casserole
Another Thanksgiving classic that works with goose.
Portion size is your friend.
You don’t need enormous servings of every traditional side.
Mashed Potatoes
Perfect for goose gravy.
Alternatively, break with American tradition and make goose-fat roast potatoes.
You may have trouble returning to ordinary roast potatoes afterwards.
Brussels Sprouts
Roast them with toasted pecans or walnuts and finish with balsamic vinegar.
Maple-Roasted Carrots
A small amount of maple syrup creates a particularly American flavour without turning the carrots into another dessert.
Cornbread Stuffing
Cornbread stuffing can work very well with goose.
Sage, celery and onion complement the meat nicely.
Consider adding tart apple or cranberries for extra contrast.
Mac and Cheese
Can you serve macaroni and cheese with goose?
Of course.
It’s Thanksgiving.
Nobody is going to call the police.
But goose plus mac and cheese plus sweet potato casserole plus creamy mashed potatoes is a seriously rich plate.
If mac and cheese is non-negotiable in your family, add plenty of green vegetables and something sharp alongside it.
What to Serve With Roast Goose for Christmas
Goose has a long association with Christmas dining, particularly in Europe.
For a traditional Christmas goose dinner, we’d keep the accompaniments relatively classic.
Traditional Christmas Goose Menu
Main
Roast goose with gravy
Sides
Goose-fat roast potatoes
Braised red cabbage with apple
Roasted Brussels sprouts
Chestnut and sage stuffing
Honey-roasted carrots
Sauce
Cranberry or apple sauce
Dessert
Christmas pudding, apple tart or another festive favourite
The combination works because you have richness from the goose and potatoes, sweetness from the carrots and chestnuts, and acidity from the cabbage and fruit sauce.
What to Serve With Goose for an Australian Christmas
Christmas in Australia presents a slightly different challenge.
Depending on where you live, Christmas Day could be pleasantly mild.
Or Melbourne could decide it’s winter again.
Or it could be 39°C.
That’s part of the fun.
But on a hot Christmas Day, an enormous table filled entirely with heavy European winter dishes isn’t always particularly appealing.
So we’d keep some of the traditional elements and lighten everything around them.
Our Australian Christmas Goose Menu
Main
Crispy roast goose
Traditional side
Goose-fat roast potatoes
Fresh sides
Apple and fennel salad
Brussels sprout slaw
Green beans with almonds
Vegetable
Roasted pumpkin
Sauce
Cranberry, cherry or tart apple sauce
Dessert
Pavlova with berries
You still get the indulgence of roast goose and crispy potatoes, but the salads and vegetables stop the entire meal feeling excessively heavy.
Christmas Goose vs Thanksgiving Goose: What’s the Difference?
Interestingly, there doesn’t need to be an enormous difference.
The goose stays the same.
The dishes around it tell you which celebration you’re attending.
A traditional European Christmas goose might come with:
- braised red cabbage
- roast potatoes
- chestnut stuffing
- apples
- Brussels sprouts.
An American Thanksgiving goose might be surrounded by:
- cranberry sauce
- sage or cornbread stuffing
- sweet potatoes
- green beans
- mashed potatoes
- Brussels sprouts
- pumpkin pie.
An Australian Christmas goose might be lightened with:
- apple and fennel salad
- Brussels sprout slaw
- green beans
- roast pumpkin
- tart fruit sauce.
All three work.
You’re simply adapting the richness of goose to different culinary traditions and climates.
How Much Goose Do You Need Per Person?
This is particularly important if you’re switching from turkey to goose for Thanksgiving or Christmas.
A goose contains a relatively high proportion of bone and fat, so don’t calculate portions as though you’re purchasing boneless meat.
As a general planning guide, allow roughly 600–700 grams of whole goose per person, depending on the size and type of bird, how hungry your guests are and how many other dishes you’re serving.
For American readers, that’s approximately 1.3–1.5 pounds per person.
However, goose sizes and yields vary.
If you’re purchasing from a butcher or specialist poultry supplier, tell them exactly how many guests you’re feeding and ask them to recommend an appropriate bird.
And remember the leftovers.
A leftover goose sandwich the next day isn’t exactly a tragedy.
What Stuffing Goes Best With Roast Goose?
Stuffing for goose should complement the bird without making it even heavier.
Some of the best options include:
Sage and onion stuffing – simple and traditional.
Apple and sage stuffing – the tart fruit works particularly well with goose.
Chestnut stuffing – ideal for Christmas.
Apple and chestnut stuffing – probably our favourite all-round combination.
Cornbread stuffing – particularly suitable for Thanksgiving.
Cranberry and herb stuffing – adds acidity and festive flavour.
You can cook stuffing separately if preferred.
Don’t Throw Away the Goose Fat
This deserves its own section.
Goose produces a lot of fat.
And that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Carefully collect and strain the rendered fat during or after cooking, following appropriate food-safety practices.
You can use it for:
- roast potatoes
- roast pumpkin
- carrots
- parsnips
- Brussels sprouts
- frying leftover potatoes
- savoury pies.
Goose-fat roast potatoes alone are reason enough not to pour it away.
Store rendered fat safely in the refrigerator and discard it if you have any concerns about spoilage.
What Wine Goes With Roast Goose?
Goose needs wine with enough acidity to handle its richness.
Pinot Noir
Probably our first choice.
Pinot Noir’s acidity and red-fruit flavours work particularly well with goose, cranberry, cherry and apple accompaniments.
Shiraz
Australian Shiraz can work, particularly with strongly flavoured roast vegetables and richer sauces.
Avoid an excessively heavy style that completely overwhelms the meat.
Riesling
A dry or slightly off-dry Riesling can work beautifully, particularly if you’re serving apple, cabbage or slightly sweeter accompaniments.
Sparkling Wine
It’s Christmas.
Or Thanksgiving.
Or you’ve just successfully cooked an entire goose.
Any of those seems like sufficient justification for opening sparkling wine.
Its acidity also happens to make it a very good match for rich food.
What Dessert Should You Serve After Roast Goose?
After a rich main course, we’d generally avoid making dessert unnecessarily heavy.
But we’re also realistic.
If your family has eaten the same Christmas pudding for four generations, we’re not going to tell Grandma it’s been cancelled because the menu needs “balance”.
Some good options include:
For Christmas
- Christmas pudding
- apple tart
- poached pears
- lemon tart
- berry trifle.
For Thanksgiving
- pumpkin pie
- apple pie
- pecan pie
- cranberry and apple crumble.
For an Australian Christmas
- pavlova with berries
- fresh summer fruit
- lemon tart
- berry trifle
- passionfruit pavlova.
If the main course has been particularly rich, something fruit-based or citrusy can be a welcome finish.
Frequently Asked Questions About Roast Goose Side Dishes
What is the best side dish for roast goose?
Goose-fat roast potatoes are probably the classic choice. Because goose is rich, however, they’re best paired with something acidic such as braised red cabbage with apple, cranberry sauce or a fresh apple and fennel salad.
What sauce goes best with roast goose?
Apple, cranberry, sour cherry, orange and plum sauces all pair well with roast goose. Their fruit and acidity help balance the richness of the meat.
What vegetables should I serve with goose?
Brussels sprouts, red cabbage, carrots, parsnips, green beans, beetroot, pumpkin, fennel and celeriac all work well with roast goose.
Why is red cabbage traditionally served with goose?
Braised red cabbage combines sweetness and acidity, which provides a useful contrast to rich goose meat. Adding apple makes the combination particularly complementary.
Is goose good for Thanksgiving?
Yes. Roast goose can make an impressive alternative to Thanksgiving turkey, particularly for smaller gatherings and diners who enjoy richer dark poultry meat.
What do Americans serve with goose for Thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving sides that work particularly well with goose include cranberry sauce, sage or cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, green beans, maple-roasted carrots and apple-based dishes.
Can you serve cranberry sauce with goose?
Absolutely. Cranberry sauce is particularly well suited to goose because its tartness helps balance the bird’s rich flavour and fat.
Can you make Thanksgiving stuffing with goose?
Yes. Traditional sage, onion and celery stuffing works well with goose. Apple, chestnut, cranberry and cornbread-based stuffings are also excellent choices.
Is goose better than turkey for Thanksgiving?
Neither is inherently better.
Turkey has a milder flavour, includes both substantial white and dark meat and can be more practical for feeding a large group.
Goose is richer, predominantly dark meat and can make an impressive alternative for people wanting something different.
Can you serve sweet potato casserole with goose?
Yes. Sweet potato casserole works with goose, particularly for Thanksgiving. Because both can be rich, include green vegetables and a tart sauce such as cranberry to balance the plate.
Can you serve mac and cheese with goose?
Yes. Mac and cheese can be served with Thanksgiving goose, although we’d keep portions relatively modest and include fresh or acidic sides because both dishes are rich.
Can you use goose fat for Thanksgiving potatoes?
Yes. Rendered goose fat is excellent for roasting potatoes and can produce a beautifully crisp exterior with a fluffy centre.
Are roast potatoes good with goose?
Absolutely. Goose-fat roast potatoes are one of the classic accompaniments to roast goose.
What should I serve with goose for Christmas?
A traditional Christmas goose menu could include goose-fat roast potatoes, chestnut stuffing, braised red cabbage, Brussels sprouts, carrots, gravy and cranberry or apple sauce.
What can I serve with goose for an Australian Christmas?
For warmer Australian weather, balance roast goose with lighter sides such as apple and fennel salad, Brussels sprout slaw, green beans, roasted pumpkin and a tart fruit sauce.
What fruit goes well with goose?
Apple, cranberry, cherry, orange, plum, pear and quince all complement goose. Tart fruit is particularly effective because the acidity cuts through the richness of the meat.
Can you serve salad with roast goose?
Yes. Salad can be particularly useful because goose is rich. Apple and fennel salad, Brussels sprout slaw, bitter greens or rocket with pear and walnuts all work well.
What can I do with leftover goose fat?
Rendered goose fat can be strained and used for roasting potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, parsnips and other savoury cooking. Refrigerate it safely and follow appropriate food-storage practices.
The Secret to a Great Roast Goose Dinner Is Balance
You don’t need 15 side dishes to make roast goose impressive.
The goose has already done most of the work.
It’s rich, deeply flavoured and visually impressive enough to be the centrepiece of the meal.
What you put around it should make the goose taste better rather than compete with it.
Our basic formula is:
Something crispy + something green + something acidic.
For a traditional Christmas dinner, it’s difficult to beat goose-fat roast potatoes, braised red cabbage with apple, Brussels sprouts, chestnut stuffing and cranberry sauce.
For an American Thanksgiving, bring in cranberry sauce, sage or cornbread stuffing, maple-roasted carrots, green beans and sweet potatoes.
And for an Australian summer Christmas, keep the crispy goose-fat potatoes but lighten everything around them with apple and fennel salad, Brussels sprout slaw and green beans.
Different celebrations.
Different climates.
Same goose.
Get the balance right and the side dishes won’t simply fill the rest of the plate.
They’ll make your roast goose taste even better.
