You have to lance the skin to let the fat render. Stuff the cavity with onions and rosemary. Serve it with a dressing made of chestnuts and brown rice and a red burgundy.

It's not a show stopper, best part of making a goose is you end up with about a quart of goose fat. Filter and save that in the fridge, it is amazing for cooking, especially with potatos.

The one Christmas goose I had was at a restaurant in Kronberg, Germany on a business trip during the Christmas season in the early 2000s. We had a private room upstairs in what was purportedly a restaurant - our German colleagues picked the spot - but seemed like somebody’s house. I don’t know if there was a more restaurant-looking space downstairs but it really felt like we were guests in somebody’s home. The goose and chestnut dressing was extraordinary. It was one of the best and most memorable meals I’ve had on a business trip, which is a highly competitive list because I long ago adopted the approach that if I’m forced to be away from home but also privileged to visit cool new locales, I’m going to blow through my per diem and come out-of-pocket to experience the best local dining.

So I guess what I’m saying is (and I didn’t realize this until the post was ostensibly complete)...I’ve tried goose exactly once.

(aka by a professional as in your experience) is not enjoyable.

But that’s just one man’s opinion.

It has a very strong flavor and can be either grossly fatty or painfully dry. Holiday dinners are the thing my wife does best, though, so we get good results.