Christmas poultry, tender and crispy

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 2 goose legs, frozen
• 1 duck leg(s), frozen
• 1 duck breast, frozen
• 1 bunch of soup vegetables
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 onions
• 1 garlic clove(s)
• 1 jar goose stock
• some white wine
• some lard
• 2 tsp marjoram
• 2 tsp thyme
• 3 tsp herbal salt
• ½ tsp peppercorns, colored
• ½ tsp Szechuan pepper
• 1 tsp mugwort
• 1 ½ tsp paprika powder, hot
• ½ tsp ginger powder
• 3 allspice berries

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Rest time approx. 5 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 5 hours; Total time approx. 11 hours

Goose legs, duck legs or breasts – there’s something for everyone!

The spice mix can be prepared 1-2 days in advance. To do this, grind all the spices in a mortar until a smooth powder forms. Place this in a small glass container. Remove the poultry pieces from the freezer the day before and let them thaw slowly on a plate in the refrigerator. On the day of preparation, wash the poultry pieces thoroughly and pat dry with kitchen paper. Trim and chop the vegetables – carrots, celery, and leeks. Roughly dice the onions and slice the garlic clove. Grease a roasting pan with lard. Arrange the diced vegetables, bay leaf, onions, and garlic in it and mix thoroughly. Lightly score the duck breast crosswise in the skin. Rub the spice mix all over the poultry pieces. Spread some of the spice mix over the vegetables and place the poultry pieces on top, skin-side up. Pour in the goose stock and a little white wine. This can be done 5-6 hours before eating. 4.5 hours before dinner, preheat the oven to 120°C (250°F) and place the roasting pan inside. After about 4 hours, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, remove the roasting pan, and place the poultry pieces on the baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F) and place the baking sheet in the center of the oven. Once the poultry pieces are nice and crispy, serve and enjoy! Bring the stock from the roasting pan to a boil for a later “poultry orgy,” strain it, remove the fat, and freeze it as a sauce base! This poultry recipe came about because some guests didn’t like goose, and some didn’t like duck. So, a common “alternative” was needed.