We would always spend Christmas at my grandparents' farm in the 50s and 60s. We'd go to mass on Christmas Eve, and we'd be in front of the big chimney on Christmas morning. From the beginning I was aware of how important food was at Christmas – there was always a big white tablecloth out, and the best china.

As a young boy I wasn't involved that much but as a teenager I'd help kill and pluck the turkey or goose, which had been chosen at the start of the year.

This goose recipe is very simple. Sometimes in France they might serve chestnuts with it, but we don't have the tradition of using stuffing. If you stuff it you tend to overcook the meat. If we cooked goose on the farm, it would have been roasted on a spit in front of an open fire. That would have been my grandfather's job, to turn the spit. My grandmother was the boss – that was her way of keeping him out of trouble.

We're doing this goose recipe at home this year. I'll be cooking, so it will all be done the French way. But maybe I'll put a bit of stuffing on the side.

Roast goose and celeriac puree

SERVES 6-8

goose 1, 4-5 kg

salt and pepper

For the jus:

vegetable oil 1 tsp

carrots 2 chopped

onions 2 chopped

bay leaves 2

small bunch thyme 1

red wine 500ml

chicken stock 1 litre

salsify 8 pieces

squeeze of lemon

salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 190C/gas mark 5. Trim any excess fat from the goose. Season inside and out. Put the bird in a large roasting tray and roast in the oven for about 3 hours, basting regularly.

Meanwhile make the jus. Warm the vegetable oil in a pan over a high heat. Add the carrots and cook until tender and caramelised, add the onions, cook until soft and add the herbs. Pour in the wine and reduce to a third, add the chicken stock and reduce again to half, set aside for later.

Peel the salsify and cut into bite-sized pieces, place in a bowl of cold water with a squeeze of lemon to stop them browning. Place the salsify in a pan of cold water, bring to the boil and blanch for a few minutes, drain. Add to the roasting pan with the goose for the last 15 minutes of cooking.

When the goose is cooked, remove from the oven, place on a large plate with the salsify and rest for 10 minutes. Remove the fat from the roasting tray, save to roast your potatoes another day. Place the roasting tray on a high heat; add the jus, first sieving through a fine sieve.

Stir well and simmer until all the juices are incorporated, and check the seasoning.

Celeriac puree

SERVES 4

medium celeriac 1

medium potatoes 3

butter 50g

garlic 3 cloves peeled and crushed

milk 50ml

salt and pepper

Dijon mustard 1 tsp

Peel and chop the celeriac into 2cm chunks. Peel the potatoes and chop into 2cm chunks. Boil the celeriac and potatoes together for 15 minutes, or until soft. Drain and keep to one side.

Heat the butter in the potato pan. Add the garlic and sauté gently until soft. Add the milk, salt, pepper and mustard and mix well. Return the celeriac and potatoes to the pan and mash well until smooth.