Preheat oven to 350F

Wash goose and wipe dry

Rub inside cavity with salt

Place 1/2 apple, 1 stalk of celery, and 1 quartered onion in the wishbone or neck cavity

Skewer the neck skin to the back and fold the wings behind the back

Stuff the rear cavity with remaining apple, celery, and onion

Skewer the cavity shut

Salt and pepper the goose generously and place on a rack inside a roasting pan with a lid

The rack is needed so that the goose will not fiy in the accumulated grease

Cover pan tightly and roast 3 to 5 hours or until the leg joint moves freely

If the level of grease creeps up to touch the bird, remove it with a bulb baster

Uncover pan the last 30 minutes to complete browning

Remove stuffing

You should allow the bird to stand 20 minutes before carving

Save the legs for leftovers and cut the breast into paper-thin slices, each bordered by a strip of crisp skin. The stuffing which is served with the bird is cooked in a separate pan during the 30 minutes the goose is brown- ing

The quality of the stuffing will be determined largely by the bread you use

A firm homemade or sourdough bread is recommended.