Gänsebraten – Roast goose with chestnut filling

Martin’s Goose or Christmas Goose (Martinsgans, Weihnachtsgans), it’s always a feast when I make this bird in the oven. The recipe below is a regional one (Eifel region), quite easy to make and tasty. The fresh herbs give a nice, delicate taste which fits well with roasted chestnuts. You can leave the herbs out if you don’t have any, or replace them with some rosemary.

Like many other roasted birds or meats, the roasted goose is usually served with gravy, potato or bread dumplings (Semmelknödel), and red cabbage. Baked Apple (Bratapfel) is a wonderful fitting dessert.

In Germany, you can buy a frozen whole goose, with giblets inside, packed in a bag, throughout the year. Around big holidays like St. Martin and Christmas, you may also get fresh goose in the supermarket. Of course, you can always pre-order a fresh one at the local butcher but they tend to get quite pricey.

Ingredients for 8 people:

• 1 big goose (about 4-5kg)
• 400 – 500g precooked chestnuts (you can replace them with 2-3 apples)
• 1 big apple (~200g)
• 2 onions (~200g in total)
• butter for frying the onions (optional)
• salt, pepper
• 2 tbsp fresh marjoram, chopped (or 2 tsp dried)
• 2 tbsp fresh mugwort, chopped (or 2 tsp dried)
• [you can replace the above herbs with rosemary]

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/392°F (no ventilation). The goose will need about 2-3 hours in the oven, depending on the size (even longer if you roast it at lower temperatures).
2. Dice the onions and lightly steam them in a pan, in the melted butter, together with the precooked chestnuts (the chestnuts should be left whole). You can skip this step but softening the onions will give the filling a sweeter taste.
   
3. Remove the core of the apple and cut it into big cubes. No need to peel it.
   
4. Mix the onions, chestnuts, apple pieces, salt, pepper, and fresh or dried herbs.
   
5. Trim the excess fat of the goose (be careful not to cut the skin) and remove the giblets. You can add the extra fat to the tray, to melt. Gently pat dry with a paper towel.
   
6. Poke the goose skin with a toothpick or skewer so the fat from under the skin can drain.
7. Rub the goose with salt and pepper, inside and outside.
8. Fill the goose and sew it with a big needle and string. I like to use colored string so I can easily remove it later.
9. Put the goose with the chest under on a rack, in a roasting pan.
10. Roast it for about 1 hour, regularly basting it with the fat from the pan. After 1 hour turn it with the chest up, baste it with fat, and let it roast for another hour at 200°C/392°F.
    
11. Extra step: if you want to make a delicious gravy, remove the fat from the roasting pan and add some chopped vegetables on the rack: carrots, onions, celeriac, parsnip, parsley root, leek, etc.
12. Don’t throw away the fat! You can make, for example, a delicious goose lard (Gänseschmalz) with apples, onions, and spices, which you can spread on the bread instead of butter. It’s considered a delicacy in Germany.
13. If you don’t want to make vegetables in the oven, reduce the heat to 180°C/356°F and roast the goose for another half an hour to an hour, depending on the size of the bird.
    
14. Check with a thermometer if it’s done: stick the thermometer in the thigh (not in the middle where the filling is). It should be done when it reaches a temperature of about 80°C/176°F (minimum 74°C/165°F). If you don’t have a thermometer, You can do the skewer test: stick a wooden skewer in the thigh and if it goes in with no resistance, it’s done.
    
15. Extra step: for the gravy, remove the vegetables from the rack and add them to a small pot. There should be enough fat from the duck. Add some wine or water and some spices and blend them finely. You can thicken the sauce with some starch mixed with cold water and then added to the pot.
16. Serve the goose with the filling on the side, gravy, dumplings, and red cabbage.