Roast Goose with Apple and Apricot Stuffing

To make the stuffing, melt the butter in a skillet and sauté the celery and onion until limp and golden. Combined with the bread cubes, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper, apples and apricots and toss lightly until well mixed.

Remove giblets and neck from goose and excess fat from the cavity. Stuff the goose about three quarters full (any leftover stuffing can be baked separately), trust the bird, and sew or skewer the vent.

Rub the skin with the remaining salt and arrange the goose, breast up, on a rack in a roasting pan. Roast for 1 hour in a 400° oven, then prick the skin well with a fork to release the fat, reduce the heat to 350° and continue roasting for another hour, removing excess fat from the pan as it accumulates. Then test to see how near to done it is by pressing the leg meat (it should feel soft) and pricking the thickest part of the thigh (the juices should run clear, with a faint tinge of pink). A goose of this size will take from 2 to 2 1/2 hours. If more time is needed, reduce the heat to 325°. Remove the hot platter and allow to rest 15 minutes. before carving.