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1
Cover figs, apricots, and prunes with water in a 3-quart saucepan and simmer, covered, 20 minutes.
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2
Drain in a sieve.
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3
Reserve 2 cups fruit, then thread remainder onto 4 skewers.
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4
Preheat oven to 425F.
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5
Crack allspice and peppercorns using a mortar and pestle (or spread spices on a kitchen towel and crack with bottom of a heavy skillet), then stir into butter.
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6
Discard neck, giblets, and any loose fat from goose.
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7
Using pliers, pull out any remaining quills.
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8
Prick skin all over with remaining skewer (especially thighs and breast), holding skewer nearly parallel to skin to avoid puncturing meat.
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9
Fold neck skin under body and fasten with skewer.
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10
Season goose well with salt inside and out.
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11
Put onions and reserved 2 cups fruit in cavity and tie legs together loosely with string.
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12
Rub skin all over with spiced butter.
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13
Put goose on rack in roasting pan and roast in middle of oven 30 minutes.
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14
Reduce oven temperature to 325F and continue to roast, basting goose and skimming off and reserving excess fat (for roasted potatoes) with bulb baster every 30 minutes, 1 hour more.
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15
Arrange skewers with fruit on rack around goose (if rack is too small to fit all skewers, tuck some into wings).
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16
Continue to roast goose, basting and skimming and reserving fat in same manner, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into fleshy part of a thigh (do not touch bone) registers 170F and several fruits from bottom of cavity speared on thermometer register 160165F, about 1 hour more (juices will be slightly pink when thigh is pierced; temperature will rise to 175F as goose stands).
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17
Remove fruit from skewers and transfer to a bowl.
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18
Keep warm, covered.
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19
Transfer goose with 2 large spatulas to a cutting board and let stand, loosely covered with foil, 30 minutes.
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20
Pour off fat from roasting pan.
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21
Straddle pan across 2 burners, then add shallots and saute over moderately high heat, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes.
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22
Add Armagnac and deglaze pan by boiling and scraping up brown bits.
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23
Add demiglace and jam and briskly simmer, whisking, until jam is incorporated and sauce is slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.
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24
Pour sauce through a sieve if desired and keep warm, covered.
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25
Discard onions from cavity of goose and add fruit from cavity to fruit in bowl, then keep warm, covered.
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26
Carve goose, cutting breast into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
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27
Serve fruit and sauce on the side.
