Gänsebraten – Roast Goose

Serves: 6 – 10, depending on the size of the bird
Cooking time: About 4 hours or more

Ingredients

1 6lb – 10lb whole goose
1 pear
1 apple
1 orange
salt
pepper
marjoram (fresh is ideal, but dried will work, too)
dark beer, red wine, poultry broth, or water, to baste the goose

Directions

Wash both the inside and outside of the bird with lukewarm water and pat dry with paper towels. Place it in roasting pan and preheat the oven to 430F/220C/Gas Mark 7. Cut the fruit into large chunks and combine with a bit of salt, pepper and marjoram.

Remove giblets of the goose (heart, liver, stomach) and rub well inside and out with a mixture of salt, pepper and marjoram. Stuff the bird with the fruit mixture. Sew up after stuffing to ensure nothing falls out while turning the bird over.

A goose is (obviously) bigger than a chicken, and also needs more time to cook. Put it in the oven at high heat (around 430F/220C/Gas Mark 7) for about an hour, then reduce the heat to 280F/140C/Gas Mark 1 after that. During the first hour, the goose will get a nice colour, and it will also release a lot of pure goose fat, so be sure to drain (and keep) as needed. Turn the bird once, when halfway done.

After lowering the heat, use a full bottle of dark beer to baste the goose, from time to time. Continue to baste, using the juices from the pan.

When you can turn the leg easily, the goose is done. Test by sticking the meat with a fork near the leg bone at the thickest point. Remove the fork and observe the juices coming out: If they are clear, the meat is cooked. Remove from oven, place on a platter and leave to rest at least 15 minutes before carving.

Pour all the remaining pan juices into a saucepan and heat. A lot of fat floats to the surface; skim it off with a spoon or use a fat separator. Boil the juices, add more chicken broth, some red wine and water until it reaches the desired volume. Boil and thicken with a bit of cornstarch or flour, season again to taste, and simmer for another 3 – 5 minutes before serving.

Serve with braised red cabbage, a warm white cabbage salad with bacon, and potato dumplings.