You can make this light, herby, bready stuffing the day before you need it. The redcurrant compôte has a soft tang that helps reduce the richness of the goose. Too hard? Add 4tbsp redcurrant or cranberry jelly instead.

Ingredients
Feeds 6. Takes 1 hour 40 mins.

150g redcurrants, de-stemmed (plus extra redcurrant sprigs for serving)
1tbsp water
4tbsp caster sugar
1tbsp butter
1tbsp vegetable oil or fat
1 onion, finely chopped
4 streaky bacon rashers, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
200g day-old white sliced bread, crusts removed
2 cooking apples, peeled
2tbsp parsley, finely chopped
1tbsp thyme, finely chopped
1tbsp sage leaves, finely chopped
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 small egg, if needed

Combine the redcurrants with the water and sugar in a small pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for ten minutes or until the redcurrants are soft and no longer sharply acidic, and the liquid has reduced to a syrup. Allow to cool.

Heat the butter and oil in a frying pan, and cook the onion gently for five minutes until softened. Add the bacon and garlic and cook gently for ten minutes. Allow to cool.

To make the breadcrumbs, whizz the bread in a food processor in batches until you have soft crumbs.

Core and finely chop the apples. Mix the cooled onion and bacon with the apple, parsley, thyme, sage, salt, pepper and breadcrumbs. Add the redcurrants and their juices (or 4tbsp of redcurrant or cranberry jelly), and toss well, mashing it a bit in your hands. Refrigerate until required.

Bring the stuffing back to room temperature. If it’s quite dry, add an egg. If moist, don’t. Place in a lightly oiled oven dish, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, then spoon a little goose fat over the top and bake for a further 30 minutes until crusty on top. Serve in spoonfuls with the goose.

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