In the real old days (as opposed to the regular old days, of which my daughter sees me as being very much a part of), the end of September and early October was marked by the roasting of a goose. The goose would be stuffed with potatoes and then roasted over a turf fire.
“Michaelmas goose” was supposed to signify prosperity for the year ahead and the landlord would often be presented with the cooked goose along with the rent for that quarter. I’m not sure if anyone still follows this tradition, but goose has definitely migrated more towards Christmas recently.
In the past, Christmas goose would differ from Michaelmas goose in terms of what the goose was fed. Christmas goose was always finished on wheat as opposed to only grass. This would have made it fatter and, therefore, it would have fed more people.
In days before turkeys were present in Europe (they didn't arrive until 1550 even though they were first eaten by Native Americans by about 1100), goose was a staple around Christmas. This is because a goose born in spring would be the perfect size by Christmas. Eating goose at Christmas goes all the way back to the Greeks, even though they wouldn't have called it Christmas.
How to make goose with potato stuffing
Rub a 6kg goose with goose fat and season it with sea salt. Stuff the goose with mashed potatoes flavoured with some onion, sage and thyme. You can either use leftover mash or make the stuffing from scratch.
If making from scratch, boil potatoes until soft, fry one onion in butter and sage and then mash the lot together. You don’t need any fat in your mash, as the goose will imbue the mash with all the fat you need.
Roast the goose in a 160-degree oven for about three hours, or until the core temperature reaches 72 degrees and it is cooked through. Allow the goose to rest for 20 minutes before carving.
