The alternative menu: Sam Moody is Executive Head Chef at The Bath Priory. Here he has come up with something a little different for Christmas Day.
Starter
10-20 portions
Ingredients:
1 goose, approx 8kg
Salt, 200g fine sea salt
Zest of 2 oranges
Parfait Reduction:
110g shallots, sliced
20g garlic
50g butter, unsalted
2 bay leaves
4g thyme
50ml cognac
100ml Madeira
100ml port
6g caster sugar
Parfait:
200 gram foie gras trim
300g poultry livers
5 eggs
400g unsalted butter
To finish:
Goose ham
Quenelles of parfait
Ginger bread,
Chopped walnuts
Orange segments
Sorrels or bitter leaves
Method:
1. Remove the giblets from the cavity of the goose, separate liver and then freeze. Carefully remove the breast from the crown leaving as little meat on the bone as possible. Trim the breast well.
2. Mix the zest with the salt. Evenly cover the goose breast with the salt mixture, place flat down in a tray, leaving ample space at one end of the tray. Very lightly cover with cling film.
3. Place the tray flat in the fridge and then slightly raise the end of the tray that has the goose breast in, 5mm is enough. The salt will start to pull the water from the meat. Using a larger tray than you need and by lifting the end with the meat in this allows this water to run away form the meat giving you a better cure. Leave in the salt for 2-3 days, and the meat should feel firm to cook.
4. Remove from the fridge, wash away excess salt in cold running water, dry on tissue, then wrap each breast in cheese cloth (muslin). Hang somewhere cool, 12-15c, and dry for 5-10 days to allow to dry. This could be done in the fridge, but it will take a lot longer. Once dry remove from the muslin and store in the freezer.
NOTE It is vital to purchase your goose from a reputable supplier who can trace back to source and that the area in which you will work is clean and sanitised.
Reduction
1. Sweat shallots and garlic with 50g of the butter until without colour, add the bay leaf, thyme, cognac, Madeira, port and sugar. Bring to the boil and reduce by four-fifths, set aside.
2. Making of the parfait: In a blender, blend the foie gras, livers and cold reduction until smooth, then the eggs one by one.
3. Blend in the warm butter slowly.
4. Adjust the seasoning and place into a large cooking vac pac bag or terrine mould, cook either in a water bath or a ban marie to a core temp
of 72 °C.
5. Once cooked, cool rapidly and allow to stand in the fridge for a day or two
To finish
Slice the goose ham as thinly as is possible, and lay flat on the plate, place the quenelles of parfait over, dot orange segments over the top, dice the ginger bread and toast to dry out, sprinkle this over, decorate with the sorrels.