Dec. 13 (Bloomberg) -- Without a Scrooge in your life, you probably need to buy your own roast goose. In Manhattan a number of restaurants are serving variations on Dickens's Christmas feast, which, for Bob Cratchit and his brood, came with mashed potatoes sweetened with applesauce and pudding blazing in brandy.

At 21, roast goose breast ($44) with gingerbread stuffing is available all month long. Also on the holiday menu at the toy-decorated former speakeasy: grilled foie gras with figs poached in honey ($25), a platter of spiced venison, elk on the bone, wild boar wrapped in bacon and rabbit sausage ($44) served with beets and huckleberries, or Maine lobster poached in butter ($44). On the side: crisp potato puffs ($12.50) or glazed sweet potatoes ($10).

End with a fig and cherry pudding in sweet Banyuls with toffee ice cream ($10.50).

A $40 three-course pre-theater dinner (main course of salmon, roast chicken or grilled steak; unfortunately, not the goose) is also available before 6:30 p.m. Free parking for six hours makes it a steal.

The restaurant 21 is at 21 W. 52nd St. Information: +1-212-582-7200; http://www.21club.com.

Wintry White

Cafe Gray, shimmering with walls of mirrors and glass, exudes the bright and festive atmosphere of a Viennese brasserie. On Christmas Eve, the large open kitchen with its wintry white-clad chefs lists roast goose with red cabbage and beef Wellington as special main-course options, served with Christmas pudding chock-full of dried raisins, orange peel and brown sugar.

Also available are favorites from the regular menu, including tender short ribs topped with crisp shoestrings of horseradish served with grits and mustard, cod with a crust of rice flakes over peekytoe crab, chutney and curry, or spiced venison with chanterelles. End with Buche Noel, a nut log cake iced with praline buttercream, and mugs of hot, spiced wine. Three courses, $95.

Cafe Gray is at the Time Warner Center, 10 Columbus Circle. Information: +1-212-823-6338; http://cafegray.com.

Venison Goulash

Blaue Gans, or Blue Goose, is a high-ceilinged, cheerful space in Tribeca, with cream-colored walls lined with art and movie posters. The Austro-German pub is closed for Christmas Eve and Day but otherwise is serving roast goose with red cabbage and brioche dumplings ($27) all December long. The regular menu also lists suckling pig ($25) -- hunks of tender pork rimmed with fat, served with red cabbage and dumplings, a lightly breaded pork schnitzel ($24) with mushrooms and bacon, and a bowl of robust venison goulash ($25).

End with Salzburger nokerl ($10), a sweet cloud of meringue served with huckleberries, or ``Mohr im Hemd'' ($10) a rich, steamed cake of chocolate.

Blaue Gans is at 139 Duane St. Information: +1-212-571- 8880; http://www.wallse.com.

Open Kitchen

The wood-burning oven in Beacon's open kitchen is the heart of the soaring three-level space. From its depths: plump roasted oysters with shallots ($18) and chef Waldy Malouf's crispy pizza ($16) with mushrooms, basil and onions.

A confit of roast goose with foie gras and cabbage ($42) is on the menu from Dec. 17 through the New Year. Roast suckling pig is dusted with Mexican chocolate and served with slices of grilled apples ($34); rich risotto is simmered with salsify, celery root and Brussels sprouts ($26). For dessert, try the ethereal pecan souffle redolent with bourbon ($12).

Beacon is at 25 W. 56th St. Information: +1-212-332-0500; http://www.beaconnyc.com.

Buttery Buns

Having grown up in the Philippines, I've spent a number of holiday meals at Cendrillon, a pan-Asian brick-walled space on the fringe of Soho and lit up with bamboo and rice-paper lamps.

On Christmas Eve, chef Romy Dorotan will prepare roast Toulouse goose glazed with maple syrup and kalamansi (a citrus fruit), and stuffed with heritage rice from the Banaue terraces of the Philippines, with side dishes of sweet potato gratin and a persimmon-cranberry relish.

The $75 prix fixe menu also includes clam and ginger soup, sizzling chunks of Ossabaw pig cooked with vinegar and chili peppers, banana leaf-wrapped sticky rice cakes with grated coconut, and the traditional ensaimada, an airy, buttery bun sprinkled with grated cheese and sugar, served with hot chocolate.

Cendrillon is at 45 Mercer St. Information: +1-212-343- 9012; http://www.cendrillon.com.

Personal Chef

For those who would rather not leave the warmth of their home yet don't want to deal with the cooking, why not hire a personal chef to prepare a meal in your own kitchen?

Amanda Jaffe, a partner at My Chef Direct, offers a menu that starts with mixed greens, cranberries, candied walnuts and lemon-walnut vinaigrette, followed by roast goose with cherries and Armagnac, and an Italian sausage and thyme stuffing. On the side: sweet potatoes glazed with honey and braised chard. For dessert, pear pudding with cinnamon whipped cream.

The company charges a chef's fee of $1,250 for Christmas Eve/Day and New Year's Eve, in addition to the three-course menu starting at $80 a person. On non-holiday evenings, the chef's fee is $500.

My Chef Direct serves clients in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Information: +1-646-239-4257; http://www.mychefdirect.com.

Other Options

Roast goose-to-go:

-- Citarella, with four locations in New York, sells a 12-pound roast goose for $95.99. Sides (starting at $4.99 a pound) include stuffed acorn squash, chestnut, sausage or wild-rice stuffing, grilled mixed vegetables and sweet-potato praline.

Information: +1-212-874-0383; http://www.citarella.com.

-- Zabar's 6- to 7-pound roast goose retails for $45 (store pickup at 2245 Broadway; $65 if shipped). Start with hors d'oeuvres topped with red salmon roe ($15 for 7 ounces), chopped chicken liver ($5.98 for 8 ounces), or slices of herring fillet ($8.98 for two fillets).

Information: +1-212-496-1234; http://www.zabars.com.

Cook-it-yourself:

-- O. Ottomanelli's Meat Market at 285 Bleecker St. sells fresh goose for $4.89 a pound. Information: +1-212-675-4217.

-- Lobel's of New York at 1096 Madison Ave. sells free-range Emden goose for $78.98 (10 to 12 pounds). Information: +1-212-737-1372; http://www.lobels.com.

-- D'Artagnan's goose, naturally raised on Amish and Mennonite farms, comes in two sizes: 8 to 10 pounds for $78.99, or 10 to 12 pounds for $96.99. Information: +1-800-327-8246; https://www.dartagnan.com.

How to Cook a Goose

A roast-goose recipe courtesy of chef John Greeley of 21:

Ingredients:
     1 whole goose (11 pounds -- breast removed, legs and thigh
removed, bones reserved for sauce)

Goose Rub:
     1 tablespoon ground coriander seed
     1 tablespoon ground fennel seed
     1 tablespoon ground star anise
     2 tablespoons black pepper
     1 bunch fresh thyme
     Salt to taste

Procedure:

Part 1:
     Season legs and thighs of goose with coriander, fennel,
star anise and black pepper.
     Sear skin-side down in fry pan, then roast in oven at 300
degrees for one hour, then at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, remove
from oven and let rest.
     Remove bone and slice thigh pieces thin, remove meat from
leg and finely chop. Serve immediately.

Part 2:
     Score breast with knife on the fat side -- careful not to
cut through to the meat; you want to cut just deep enough to
expose the fat. Season with goose rub and salt.
     In large frying pan, saute breasts skin side down for 15 to
20 minutes until fat is rendered out and skin is crispy. Flip
breast over and cook five more minutes. Transfer to a 350-degree
oven and roast for five to 10 minutes until breast is medium
rare. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes.
     When ready to serve, slice with a very sharp knife thin
slices. (If you cut the meat too thick it will be tough). Serve
with huckleberry sauce.
     Serves four.

Huckleberry Sauce:

Ingredients:
     6 ounces honey
     3 ounces balsamic vinegar
     6 ounces chicken stock (or goose stock)
     12 ounces fresh huckleberries (can substitute cranberries
or
     blueberries)
     1 tablespoon orange zest (or grated orange peel)
     1 teaspoon fresh ginger (peeled, grated fine)
     1 tablespoon fresh thyme (leaves only, chopped)
     1 tablespoon fresh marjoram (leaves only, chopped)

Procedure:
     In a 2-quart sauce pot combine honey, balsamic vinegar,
goose stock and huckleberries.
     Bring to a boil and reduce by half (or until the bubbles
become really small and sauce coats the back of a spoon).
     Turn off heat, then add ginger and herbs. Stir.
     Serve with sliced roast goose.

(Yvette Ferreol is a writer for Bloomberg News. The opinions expressed are her own.)

To contact the writer of this story: Yvette Ferreol in New York at yferreol@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: December 13, 2007 00:08 EST