Goose for beginners

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 1 goose of approx. 5 kg
• 2 apples
• 1 large onion(s)
• 1 package of chestnuts, cooked
• 1 orange(s)
• 2 potatoes
• mugwort
• marjoram
• salt and pepper
• Paprika powder

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Rest time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 3 hours 30 minutes; Total time approx. 5 hours

If the goose is frozen, thaw it in the refrigerator for about 2.5 days and then remove the giblets. Remove any white fat, remove any keels with tweezers, and detach the wings, as they will burn otherwise. Wash thoroughly inside and out with warm water and pat dry with a paper towel; do not rub. Rub the goose inside and out with salt and paprika. I wouldn’t pepper the outside, as the pepper will just burn. Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan). For the stuffing, cut the apples, onion, chestnuts, orange, and potatoes into pieces and season with mugwort, marjoram, salt, and pepper. Place the stuffing inside the goose and use toothpicks to secure the openings together to prevent any spillage. Don’t forget the opening in the neck. You can also use roulade pins or sew with kitchen twine; I find it very easy and practical to use toothpicks, as you can then simply pull them out. Tie the goose’s legs together close to the body with kitchen string. Place the goose in a roasting tin, breast-side down. Pierce the skin several times with a fork to allow the fat to drain. Pour about 500 ml of water into the roasting tin and put the lid on. Braise in the oven at 180 °C (convection oven) for about 2.5 hours. Remove the lid and roast uncovered for another 1.5 hours. Turn the goose twice so that it browns on both sides and baste it with the meat juices every now and then to prevent it from drying out. Shortly before the end, I brushed the goose with the juice of a squeezed orange and honey. Now roast the goose at 200 °C (top heat) for about 10 minutes until crispy, but you should stay there and keep an eye on it so that nothing burns. When it’s done, remove it from the oven and let it rest for another half hour. Remove toothpicks and kitchen string, and carve using good poultry shears. I made the sauce the day before using Kochelke’s recipe “Sauce for Roast Goose.”