Instructions

1. The day before you cook the goose, put it in a large pot or roasting pan and pour in enough boiling water to cover it. Let the goose sit for 15 minutes, then remove it from the water and dry it with clean paper towels. Salt the skin lightly and let it rest uncovered overnight in the refrigerator. This step is optional, but it dries out the goose's skin and helps it crisp on your barbecue spit.

2. Remove your goose from the refrigerator and pull off any hard pockets of fat or strips of loose skin. Pierce its skin in several places with a skewer or paring knife to help the fat render.

3. Preheat your grill to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. If you have a charcoal grill, rake the coals to one side of the kettle so they're parallel to the spit, but not under it. If you have a gas grill, don't light the burner that will be under the spit.

4. Spit the goose, sliding the main spit through the bird's cavity and inserting the secondary forks into the thighs and breast. Tuck in the wingtips, so they don't burn, and tie the wings and legs tightly to the bird with butcher's twine.

5. Open the grill and place a pan under the path of the spit, to catch the drippings from the goose. If it won't fit between the goose and the grate, lift the grate and place it underneath. Lock the spit and the goose into the rotisserie, then close the lid and start the rotisserie motor.

6. Roast the goose at this high temperature for 30 minutes, until most of the fat has rendered and the skin begins to brown. Reduce the temperature to 325 F and cook the bird for another 60 to 90 minutes or until its internal temperature reaches 160 F when tested with an instant-read thermometer.

7. Remove the spit from your barbecue, then transfer the goose to a serving tray or cutting board. Cover it loosely with foil and let it rest for 15 minutes before carving and serving it.