INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

If it's Christmas in France, then The Cook and Kitchen Staff must prepare
for you the main course of the Reveillon, the holiday feast. One of the
grandest meals of the entire year in France, it is most often served on
Christmas Eve. There is no one and only, traditional Reveillon dinner to
prepare, as courses vary widely from region to region.
French families love good food at Christmastime, and for that matter, of
course, the year round. Rather than serving five or six courses with large
quantities of each, the French prefer smaller helpings of a dozen or so
different dishes. The Reveillon is not a meal to be gobbled down between
the half-time of a football game; it is a banquet that goes on for hours as
the diners savor the goodness of the meal and the company of good friends
and family.
Along with today's main course, you may find red cabbage, Duchess potatoes
with peas, a remoulade salad, and rillettes served at the French holiday
table. Dinner is almost always completed with strong coffee, Cointreau and
Cognac, and the sponge-cake Yule log.
Take your time and enjoy a French Christmas this year; it's a sure way to
make the holiday spirit linger through the day.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the vermouth and beef bouillon
to a boil. Place prunes into the boiling liquid, cover, and reduce the heat
to a simmer. Cook slowly for about 10 minutes or until the prunes are just
tender and plump. Drain and cool the prunes, making sure to reserve the
liquid.
Wash the goose thoroughly, inside and out. Dry well. Remove any excess fat
from the cavity of the goose and mince the liver if you have not already
done so.
In a small skillet over medium heat, sauté the minced goose liver and onion
in a single tablespoon of butter for about 2 minutes. Scrape the sautéed
mixture from the skillet into a large mixing bowl. Add one-third cup of the
port wine to the same skillet and boil, reducing down to about two
tablespoons of liquid and scraping the skillet to deglaze. Add the reduced
port wine to the same large mixing bowl with the sautéed liver and onions.
Add the pate, allspice, thyme, salt, and pepper. Mix the ingredients
thoroughly. Add the bread crumbs and mix again.
Sauté the apples in the remaining tablespoon of butter in the same skillet
over medium heat. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until tender. Add the
sautéed apples and the drained prunes to the stuffing mixture at the same
time, stirring gently so the prunes remain whole.
Pre-heat the oven to 325-F degrees. Salt the goose cavity lightly and stuff
the goose loosely with the prune mixture. Sew up and truss the goose.
Roast, uncovered, for about 16 minutes per pound of the goose's weight. Do
not prick or baste the goose, as the skin retains much of the moisture and
basting is not required.
continued in part 2

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