Instead of traditional turkey, why not try succulent roast goose this Christmas? Transforming your Christmas table into a Dickensian feast is simpler than you might think. Roast goose has been the centrepiece of European and Chinese festival tables for centuries, and these days are more readily available. In this recipe, we stuff it with fruit, which adds a delicious richness to the meat.  Goose is most easily cooked by roasting for about 2 1/2 hours in a medium oven, before crisping the skin to a golden-brown finish.

Stuffing

1 cup dried apricots or peaches

1/2 cup pitted prunes

1/2 cup pecan nuts, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 pork sausage, skinned

Goose

2-4kg goose

Fine salt

3/4t freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 220°C.
2. Cover dried fruit with water and allow to stand for 20 minutes. Drain fruit and chop.
3. Mix together all the ingredients for the stuffing.
4. Season the goose inside and out with salt, then fill the cavity with the stuffing. Prick skin with a skewer or the tip of a sharp knife, then sprinkle with pepper. Place goose on a rack in a large baking pan.
5. Roast goose for 15 minutes, then baste with fat from the pan.
6. Reduce oven temperature to 170°C and continue to roast goose, basting every 30 minutes until a meat thermometer registers 75°C in the thickest part of the thigh, about 2 to 21/2 hours total.
7. If the goose is not crispy and golden brown, increase the oven to 220°C and roast for a further 15 minutes, taking care not to burn.
8. Transfer the goose to a serving platter and allow it to rest for 20 minutes before carving.
9. Reserve goose fat for another use, great to use for roast potatoes.

Serves 4 to 6