Roast Goose with Currant Sauce

Ingredients

• 1  bay leaves 
• 1  carrots cut into 4 pieces
• 8 servings currants 
• 9 pound goose 
• 1 medium onion cut into wedges
• 1  cranberry-orange relish quartered
• 1 tablespoon pepper 
• 1 tablespoon salt 

Equipment

• frying pan
• paper towels
• oven
• pot
• roasting pan
• kitchen thermometer
• skewers
• broiler pan

Directions

1. Remove loose fat from goose cavity.
2. Remove giblets and neck; reserve for other uses. Chop off wings just below the elbow, if desired. Rinse goose thoroughly with cold water; pat dry with paper towels. Using a trussing needle or sharp skewer, prick skin all over, especially around lower breast and thighs, holding the needle almost parallel to the goose to avoid piercing the meat.
3. Add water to a tall stockpot, filling two-thirds full; bring to a rolling boil. Gently lower goose into boiling water, neck end down; boil 1 to 2 minutes or until "goose bumps" appear.
4. Remove goose, and repeat procedure, submerging goose tail end down.
5. Drain; pat goose dry with paper towels.
6. Place goose, breast side up, on a rack in a broiler pan. Refrigerate, uncovered, 24 to 48 hours. (The longer you air-dry the goose, the crispier the skin will be after roasting).
7. Combine salt and pepper. Rub all over goose and inside cavity.
8. Place orange and next 3 ingredients inside body cavity of goose.
9. Place goose, breast side down, on a lightly greased rack in a roasting pan. Roast at 325 for 1 1/2 hours.
10. Remove goose from oven.
11. Drain and discard grease from pan. Return goose, breast side up, to rack in pan; roast 1 1/2 hours. Increase oven temperature to 400, and roast 15 more minutes or until skin is very crisp and thermometer inserted into thigh registers 18
12. Remove goose from oven.
13. Let stand 20 minutes before carving.
14. Serve with Currant Sauce.