What's in Season December

Seasonal eating means two things really: building meals around foods that have just been harvested at their peak - and adjusting your diet to meet the particular health challenges of Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn. 

While it may seem like a luxury to have any food we want, anytime we want it, eating foods in season offers many benefits.

Simple joys

For starters, it connects us to the calendar reminding us of simple joys - the first taste of Asparagus in Spring, the smell of ripe Strawberries newly picked in Summer, Apple picking on a clear, crisp Autumn day, celebrating Winter holidays with hearty, warming meals

Tastes Better

In-season produce is fresher and tastes better, sweeter - when perfectly ripe. 

When Fruits and Vegetables are picked for consumption that have been naturally reached perfection in the ground, on the vine or on the tree and harvested at the right time, they will have much more flavour and nutrition.  

More vitamins, minerals and antioxidants

Produce eaten at its peak generally has more vitamins, minerals and antioxidants than foods harvested before they’re ripe and then shipped long distances. 

Eat a more well-rounded and balanced diet

A pleasant added benefit of eating what's in season is that you get a broader variety of foods in your diet. Those foods can broaden your palate, for one, but they may also expose you to dishes and ingredients you may not have otherwise explored. 

Supports small and midsize Farmers

Eating seasonally often means eating locally grown foods, so it’s good for the environment too. It supports small and midsize local farmers, cuts down on pollution from shipping and transporting food and reduces your carbon footprint. 

Saves you money

And if all that’s not enough to get you to make some simple switches in your diet, In-season foods will usually save you money.

Time to eat Seasonal

Each Meat, Fruit or Vegetable has a prime time when it is at its seasonal best - and they tend to complement each other. That means extra flavour, extra crunch, extra juiciness - all super-fresh and great value. 

As December has Christmas in it

As December has Christmas in it, this would obviously have affected the month’s selections, so we have left off the last week’s sales that would be dominated by Festive Cuts - to give you a better reflection of what is being bought in the first three normal weeks of December

And so here is what is in season - and most popular - in December - to help you eat seasonally: 

Leaves and Stems

• Brussels Sprouts
• Celery
• Chicory
• Globe Artichoke
• Kale
• Kohlrabi
• Lambs Lettuce
• Pak Choi
• Radicchio
• Red Cabbage
• Savoy Cabbage
• Swiss Chard
• White Cabbage

Flowers, Fruits and Seeds

• *Cauliflower
• Peas
• Pumpkins
• Runner Beans
• Spring Onions

Roots and Bulbs

• Beetroot
• Carrots
• Celeriac
• Horseradish
• Leeks
• Onions
• Parsnips
• Salsify
• Shallots
• Turnips

Tubers

• Sweet Potatoes
• Potatoes - main crop
• *Jerusalem Artichokes

*Denotes coming into season

Meats

• Beef
• Lamb
• Pork
• Wild Mallard Duck
• Goose
• Guinea Fowl
• Pheasant
• Partridge
• Wood Pigeon
• Rabbit
• Turkey
• Venison

And here is just a summary of the main Meat Cuts that become popular in December:

Thrifty Cuts

• Beef Flat Iron Steaks
• Beef Fillet Tails
• Bavette Steak
• Flat-Cut Brisket
• Shin of Beef
• Beef Meatballs
• Lamb Henry Steaks
• Lamb Breast Roulade
• Whole Chicken Legs
• Marinated Chicken Skewers
• Pork and Leek Sausages
• Gluten Free Toulouse Sausages
• Directors Sausage Burgers
• Pork Collar Steaks
• Pork Belly Slices
• Loin of Pork Boneless
• Bone in Belly of Pork
• Pork Mince
• Unsmoked Boneless Gammon
• Wild Rabbit

Roasts, Casseroles and Stews

• Carvery Rib of Beef
• Topside of Beef
• Mini Topside of Beef
• Silverside of Beef
• Rolled Brisket
• Oxtail
• Carvery Leg of Lamb
• Rack of Lamb
• Lamb Noisettes
• Mini Noisette of Lamb
• Saddle of Lamb
• Whole Goose
• Special Reserve Chicken
• Church Hill Farm Chicken
• Otter Valley Organic Chicken
• Whole Poussin
• Chorizo Rosario Sausages
• Merguez Sausages
• Porchetta with Chorizo Roast
• Pheasant
• Partridge
• Wild Mallard Duck
• Wood Pigeon
• Wild Rabbit
• Venison Roast

Seriously Low and Slow

• Beef Picanha
• Beef Short Ribs (Jacobs Ladder)
• Ox Cheeks
• Lamb Neck Fillets
• Saddle of Lamb
• Lamb Middle Neck
• Lamb Shanks
• Smoked and Unsmoked Gammon
• Pork Shoulder Bone in
• Pigs Cheeks
• Venison Saddle Eye
• Beef Marrowbones
• Pork Caul

Quicker cooking

• Beef Rump Steaks
• T-Bone Steaks
• Beef T-Bone Florentine Steaks
• 30 Day Dry Aged Beef Club Steaks
• Marinated Rib-Eye Steaks
• Hand Diced Beef
• Master Steak Burgers
• Calves Liver
• Barnsley Chops
• French Trimmed Lamb Cutlets
• Lamb Steaks
• Lamb Henry Steaks
• Hand Diced Lamb
• Lamb Garlic Rosettes
• Chicken Suprêmes
• Handmade Chicken Kievs
• Chinese Chicken Plum Parcels
• Chicken Skewers
• Chilli Chicken Sausages
• Pork Steaks
• Marinated Pork Ribs
• Directors Sausage Burgers
• Veal Escalopes
• Barbary Duck Breasts
• Venison Haunch Steaks

Every month we pick out one Seasonal product and explore a little more about how best to prepare it

This month we feature Goose

Geese are slowly making a culinary comeback, as chefs look to the past for inspiration. 

Dark, rich and sumptuous

Goose Meat is dark, rich and sumptuous. In taste and texture it holds certain similarities to Duck 

Goose Meat is darker than Turkey Meat, with a touch of gaminess. They are usually a little smaller than Turkeys, but with average birds weighing around 5-6kg, they are still big enough to comfortably feed a family of 6-8 people. 

What to look for when buying Goose

Impeccable provenance and perfect, truly Free Range stress-free and additive-free husbandry is everything - if you want to experience the real old-fashioned taste of Goose

No signs of bruising

We look for even coloured, off-white skin with no signs of bruising.

Cavity-to-meat ratio

There isn’t as much Meat on a Goose as you’d expect when you look at the size of it, because the cavity-to-Meat ratio is much higher than a Turkey or Chicken - so choose your weight carefully

Fresh Goose will always be much tastier than frozen

The giblets

Make sure that the giblets are removed from the Goose's cavity and put in the fridge. 

A small Goose comes in at 4.5kg and will feed four people. A Goose weighing 5 - 5.5kg will feed six to eight people, and an extra-large Goose weighing 6kg will feed eight or more.

How to cook Goose

The traditional way to cook Goose is to roast it - a process which will take at least a couple of hours - until the skin is crispy and the Meat is cooked through. 

Cooking times

Cooking times are affected by the size of the bird and whether or not it is filled with Stuffing. 

Cut-down cooking times

There are alternative methods which cut-down cooking times. Adam Byatt, for example, reduces oven time by just cooking the Crown.

Goose Legs and Thighs

Goose Legs and Thighs can then be slowly braised. The Goose Fat can be rendered after roasting or braising - skim away any impurities, strain the liquid through muslin, then store the Goose Fat for making Confit Goose Leg or the ultimate Roast Potatoes.

How to prepare a whole Goose

There are two large lobes of fat just at the opening of the cavity which need to be pulled out before roasting and can be rendered down for frying or roasting. 

Melt slowly

To do this, melt them very slowly over a low heat, then cool, strain and keep in the fridge for up to 6 months.

Don’t forget that Geese may contain a plastic bag of giblets, which must be removed before cooking. 

Neck and Gizzards

The Neck and Gizzards make great Stock for Gravy and the Liver can be used to make Pâté, or pan-fried and enjoyed on toast.

A good layer of fat

Like Duck, Goose has a good layer of fat under the skin which will come out of the bird during roasting. 

For this reason, it's best to pop it in the oven on a wire rack or on top of a trivet of Vegetables, to lift it off the base of the roasting tin. 

This will allow the fat to drain into the tray below, which you can reserve for other recipes, such as delicious Roast Potatoes.

What goes well with Goose

Goose is quite a rich and gamey bird, therefore Fruit Sauce is a great accompaniment. Apple Sauce, Plum Sauce or even a festive Cranberry Sauce sit happily alongside Goose on the plate. 

Don't shy away from Medieval sweet Fruits either like Prunes, Figs, Currants, Chestnuts or Dried Apricots, for a traditional twist. Goose pairs very well with Fruit, either as a Sauce or Relish on the side - or incorporated into the recipe itself. 

December seasonal recipes to try - or just to get you thinking - include: 



• Glazed Roast Goose, Citrus, Swede & Friends - by Pascal Aussignac
A stunning recipe, with a selection of bright, zesty 'friends' and a Swiss Chard stuffing - Mango, Kumquats and Pickled Onion Petals all add to the bright flavour including plenty of Southern French indulgence - the stuffing sneaks in plenty of Armagnac and Toulouse Sausage Meat for extra richness.
Preparation/Cooking time 2 hrs 30 mins. Click here for Whole Goose, Toulouse Sausages
(Click here for recipe)



• Roast Goose, Chestnut & Pear Stuffing’& Braised Red Cabbage - by Martin Wishart
Prized for it's rich fat (for the ultimate crispy Roast Potatoes), Roast Goose makes a wonderful alternative to Turkey for a festive feast. Martin Wishart accompanies his Goose with a wintry Chestnut and Pear Stuffing, and braised Red Cabbage.
Preparation/Cooking time 3 hrs 45 mins. Click here for Whole Goose, Directors Sausages, Fresh Chicken Stock
(Click here for recipe)



• Confit Goose Legs - by Food Urchin
Cook this superb Confit Goose Leg recipe to give to a loved one as an edible gift this Christmas. Or you could always keep them for yourself. This method could be applied to all manner of birds Legs - Confit Duck Legs are sublimely tasty if you're on a tighter budget. Once cooked, this is great with some braised Red Cabbage or just devoured on toast. 
Preparation/Cooking time 3 mins - plus 6 hrs curing time. Click here for Whole Goose
(Click here for recipe)



• Goose Breast, Goose Leg Sausage Roll, Kale & Cranberry Relish - by Marcus Wareing
The underrated Goose makes a luxurious centrepiece to a Christmas Day Roast. The Goose Sausage Roll is a particular highlight - guaranteed to provide a talking point at the table. 
Preparation/Cooking time 3 hrs. Click here for Whole Goose, Pork Mince, Fresh Chicken Stock
(Click here for recipe)



• Braised Beef Short Ribs in Red Wine Sauce - by Nagi Maehashi
Beef Short Ribs are the absolute best Cut of Beef for slow cooking! The most tender and succulent fall apart Beef you will ever have. Cooked long and slow in a rich Red Wine Sauce.
Preparation times 15 mins : Cooking time 3 hrs. Click here for Beef Short Ribs
(Click here for recipe)



• Beef Bourguignon with Celeriac Mash - by Gordon Ramsay
This sumptuous, step-by-step recipe for slow-cooked Stew from Gordon Ramsay makes a great winter supper
Preparation time 30 mins : Cooking time 3hrs 15 mins. Click here for Shin of Beef, Tamworth Smoked Streaky Bacon
(Click here for recipe)



• Braised Beef with Red Onions & Wild Mushrooms - by Mary Cadogan
Rich, sticky and packed with flavour, this is the kind of Beef dish that puts a smile on everyone's face, even on the bleakest winter day.  Freezable
Preparation time 45 mins : Cooking time 2hrs - 2hrs 45 mins. Click here for Braising Steak
(Click here for recipe)



• Beer-braised Beef Cheek, three-corner Garlic, Girolles, Onions in Whey - by Paul Foster
Paul Foster serves up a comforting yet elegant beer-braised Beef Cheek recipe, served with Girolles, Shimeji Mushrooms and a variety of Alliums.
Preparation/Cooking time 4 hrs. Click here for Ox Cheeks, Fresh Chicken Stock
(Click here for recipe)



• Barnsley Chops with Big Chips & Crushed Peas
Serve the Barnsley Chops, Big Chips and crushed Peas all together.
Preparation time 5 mins : Cooking time 40 mins. Click here for Barnsley Chops
(Click here for recipe)



• Slow-roast Persian Lamb with Pomegranate Salad - by Barney Desmazery
This sweet, meltingly tender Lamb makes a show-stopping dinner party dish
Preparation time 20 mins : Cooking time 3hrs 30 mins. Click here for Shoulder of Lamb
(Click here for recipe)

• Herby Stuffed Saddle of Lamb with Crushed Roasties
Put a fresh spin on the Sunday roast with this knockout dish of tender Lamb with herbed Stuffing and crispy Roast Potatoes. It’s a guaranteed to please!
Preparation time 40 mins : Cooking time 1 hr 25 mins. Click here for Free Range Saddle of Lamb
(Click here for recipe)

• Herb Roasted Chicken with Peas, Lettuce & Bay Leaf
This Italian-inspired Roast Chicken recipe is a fantastic family-pleaser, and would be a wonderful
Preparation / Cooking time 1 hr 30 mins. Click here for Church Hill Farm Chicken, Special Reserve Chicken, Otter Valley Organic Chicken
(Click here for recipe)



• Garlic Butter Chicken Tenders
Chicken Tenders with Garlic Butter is one of the best Chicken Tender recipes with Garlic, Butter and Spices on skillet. Juicy and easy Chicken dinner made in 15 mins!
Preparation time 5 mins : Cooking time 10 mins. Click here for Chicken Fillet Tenders
(Click here for recipe)



• Pan-fried Chicken in Mushroom Sauce
Creamy Chicken and Mushroom dish - a fabulous French seasonal recipe. Freezable
Preparation/Cooking time 1hr 30 mins - 1hr 45 mins. Click here for Chicken Thighs, Chicken Drumsticks, Fresh Chicken Stock
(Click here for recipe)



• Fragrant Pork & Rice One-Pot
Deliciously spiced Pork Meatballs and Rice are simmered together in this Stew, saving on washing-up. Freezable
Preparation time 15 mins : Cooking time 30 mins. Click here for Directors Sausages
(Click here for recipe)



• Rarebit Pork Chops
Deliciously spiced Pork Meatballs and Rice are simmered together in this Stew, saving on washing-up. Freezable
Preparation time 15 mins : Cooking time 30 mins. Click here for Pork Loin Chops
(Click here for recipe)



• Rebocado (Pork Neck & Purslane Stew)
This slow-cooked Stew of Pork, Chillies, and peppery Purslane is best eaten with warm Flour Tortillas.  
Preparation/Cooking time 2 hrs 30 mins. Click here for Free Range Pork Collar Steaks
(Click here for recipe)



• Chorizo, Pork Belly & Chickpea Casserole - by Barney Desmazery
A Spanish-influenced Stew with slow-cooked Belly Pork, a Thrifty Cut with great flavour and soft texture Freezable
Preparation time 20 mins : Cooking time 2hrs 30 mins. Click here for Pork Belly Boneless, Chorizo Rosario Sausages
(Click here for recipe)



• Slow Cooker Cranberry & Orange Gammon - by Slow Cooker Club
A perfect Christmas Ham recipe, Slow Cooker Cranberry and Orange Gammon is an amazing combination you’ll want to cook again and again. Perfect for entertaining a crowd, or for scoffing yourself whenever you feel like it!
Preparation time 30 mins : Cooking time 3 hrs 30 mins. Click here for Unsmoked Boneless Gammon
(Click here for recipe)



• Gorgonzola-stuffed Guinea Fowl, Cavolo Nero & Chestnuts - by Theo Randall
The hallmarks of Theo Randall's Italian cuisine are evident in this rustic, stuffed Guinea Fowl recipe. With Gorgonzola, Mascarpone and Prosciutto used in the Stuffing, and in the case of the Cheeses, the accompanying Chestnut Sauce.
Preparation/Cooking time 1 hr 15 mins. Click here for Guinea Fowl
(Click here for recipe)



• Pan-fried Venison with Blackberry Sauce - by Sara Buenfeld
Blackberries are delicious in savoury Sauces, and this version is the perfect match for the richly flavoured Venison
Preparation time 10 mins : Cooking time 15 mins. Click here for Venison Haunch Steak, Fresh Beef Stock, Redcurrant Jelly
(Click here for recipe)

So there you have it - Goose, Beef, Lamb, Chicken, Pork and Venison, and other seasonal meat Recipe ideas for December using seasonal ingredients - with sometimes a delightful symbiosis of seasonal meats, fruits and vegetables - all on the same plate - just as nature intended

Enjoying all the benefits

Now armed with all that information - what is stopping you to start eating seasonally and enjoying all the benefits that come with the healthier approach that each month has to offer?

So whether you choose one of the recipes above - or are just inspired to explore further recipes we hope we have given you much food for thought for your December meals

Give it a Click

So why not give it a Click - and experience a whole new way to enjoy Godfreys Seasonal Free Range Premium Meats and Poultry by ordering from the comfort of you own home - or workplace - at a time that is convenient to you

We do the rest - be it if you would prefer delivery direct to your door Nationwide - or at our Click and Collect Points in Highbury or Finsbury Park.  

Bon Appétit!