A juicy, crispy goose as I had growing up in Germany – who can resist that? Here is a wonderful recipe with a classic fruity-spicy filling. The Christmas goose is a wonderful festive meal
In Germany, many eagerly anticipate enjoying the flavorful seasoned goose legs, succulent goose breast, or snacking on crispy goose wings during the festive season. Are you considering having a traditional Christmas Goose as part of your holiday meal this year
The goose is often viewed as being too fatty by some, but with proper preparation, they will be pleasantly surprised. If your guests seem hesitant, avoid revealing what type of bird it is unless they specifically inquire. I’ve employed this tactic successfully in the past! (-;
Preparation:
The proper preparation begins with selecting the right goose: a quality bird typically costs over $100. It’s important to focus on (organic) quality, as inferior poultry not only requires longer cooking times but also lacks good flavor. A fresh goose should have a pleasant aroma or no scent at all and feature unblemished skin. I usually prepare and consume female geese, as they tend to be more tender. Fresh geese are preferred over frozen ones since frozen birds often have a drier taste and take longer to cook.
The Size:
Many individuals are curious about the appropriate size of a goose to fit in a standard oven. A good rule of thumb is between 10 and 12 pounds at most. Initially, the goose might barely fit into the roasting pan or oven, but its volume will reduce slightly during cooking. Plan on roughly 2 pounds per person. If you find any giblets, you can either discard them or use them to make gravy. Alternatively, you could boil them to make a treat for your dog!
Customarily, sides are Potato dumplings and Sweet an Sour Red Cabbage
The Tools
The choice of tools are also important when preparing a goose. In addition to knives, cutting board and peeler, you’ll need a silicone brush and poultry scissors, a carving knife. Typical spices for a classic roast goose are juniper berries, peppercorns and thyme or oregano, and of course salt and pepper.
I have seen Goose at Publix and other speciality meat stores. Ask your local grocer butcher to order one.
Christmas Goose
Ingredients
- 8 to 10 pound Goose
- 3 onions
- 3 apples (Boskop)
- 1 orange
- 1 tsp sage
- salt and pepper
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 carrots
- 1 celery
- 8 juniper berries, pressed down
- 1 tsp of white peppercorns, pressed down
- 4 thyme branches
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 glass of red wine
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
Instructions
- Wash the apples, peel the onions and divide them into large cubes.
- Rinse the orange hot, then dry, and also cut into large cubes.
- Chop the sage, mix well with apples, onions and orange and season to taste with pepper and salt.
- Prepare the Goose
- Preheat the oven to 300 F on top-bottom heat.
- Take the pouch with the innards from the goose and rinse well with water and pat dry afterwards.
- Pierce the skin around the thighs several times to allow the fat to drain well.
- Remove the fat/stock, save for later.
- Rub the goose inside and out vigorously with pepper and salt.
- Add the fruit filling to the goose and close the hole with toothpicks and kitchen string.
- Pour the poultry stock into a deep fat bowl, place in the oven on the bottom rail and place the goose on a grate over it.
- Cook for about 3 hours and brush with the gravy every 30 minutes.
- After 3 hours, remove the goose from the oven and heat it to 425F.
- Collect the gravy, let it cool and degrease it.
- Mix the soy sauce and sugar, dark corn syrup in equal parts and coat the goose with it.
- Put it back in the oven and cook for another 30 minutes until the skin is nice and crisp.
- For the sauce, clean the carrots and celery and dice them.
- You could also use the innards for the sauce. Rinse well, pat dry and cut small.
- Fry vegetables and innards with a little goose fat in a pot.
- Add the tomato paste, stir well and let it roast briefly.
- Drop the juniper, thyme and pepper to the pot and fry for about 8 minutes.
- Deglaze with red wine, add defatted gravy and bring to a boil.
- Then reduce the heat and cook on low flame for 30 minutes.
- Pass the sauce through a fine sieve, season with 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and if necessary bind with some cornstarch.
- Season with salt and pepper and refine with sour cream as desired.
- Remove the goose from the oven, carve it
Notes
Serve with red cabbage, potato puree, Bread dumplings, Potato dumplings and gravy.
Keep refrigerated up to 3 days, or freeze
