Plan on am ambitious smorgasbord for a gala holiday get-together; to cut costs and effort, make it a potluck party. Use a fruit-stuffed roast goose as the base of the smorgasbord; place it on a separate table along with the Aquavit in Ice Sheath and shot glasses (1 shot glass straight aquavit per guest); place a Scandinavian Punch and the smorgasbord on a separate table; guests wander from table to table, helping themselves to aquavit and goose at one, punch and smorgasbord at the other. (Estimate 20 shot glasses aquavit per fifth bottle.)

1 goose, 8-10 pounds
1/4 cup aquavit
Fruit stuffing:
1 pound fresh cranberries
1 pound dried prunes, chopped
2 pounds apples, cored and chopped
2 cups chopped celery
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup aquavit

Preheat oven to 325 F. Clean goose; splash 1/4 aquavit inside carcass. Mix together fruits and flavorings; stuff goose with fruit mixture and truss up.

Prick goose skin with tines of fork to permit fat to drain off during cooking; place goose breast side down in shallow roasting pan; rub skin well with salt.

Cook goose 1 hour; using oven mits covered with plastic bags, grasp goose with both hands and turn over. Cooke goose, breast side up, 2 1/2 hours; turn heat up to 450 F and cook goose additional 1/2 hour. Remove from oven; cover lightly with foil; let goose stand at room temperature 20 minutes before carving.

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