Goose leg and goose breast on soup vegetables in a Roman pot

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 2 goose legs, frozen or fresh, together approx. 850 g
• 1 goose breast, frozen or fresh, approx. 850 g
• 1 bunch of soup greens (celery, carrots, leeks, parsley), fresh
• 1 sprig(s) marjoram, fresh or dried
• 1 sprig(s) thyme, fresh or dried
• Salt and pepper, black from the mill
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar, dark
• 300 ml vegetable broth, home-cooked

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 3 hours 30 minutes; Total time approx. 4 hours

ideal for beginners as hardly anything can go wrong

Soak the Römertopf (ceramic pot) in water for at least 1 hour (top and bottom). Dice the soup vegetables. Place the scraps (peel and trimmings from the celery, leek, and carrots, and the parsley stalks) in a small pot. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and 300 ml of water. Boil for 20 minutes, then pour through a sieve and set aside. By now, the Römertopf is sufficiently soaked; add the finely chopped vegetables, parsley, and homemade broth. Now wash the legs and breast thoroughly. I then place them skin-side down in the sink and pat the tops dry with a paper towel. Season with salt, pepper, thyme, and marjoram and place them skin-side up in the Römertopf. Then season the skin-side up. Put the lid on. Place the Römertopf (ceramic pot) on the oven rack on the lowest rack, set the oven to 175°C (fan oven, top/bottom heat: at least 190°C), and turn it on. After 3 hours, remove the lid and let the legs and breast crisp up for another half hour. Remove the meat and keep warm. Place the broth and vegetables in a small saucepan, skimming off any fat. The sauce won’t have a classic brown appearance, but will have a delicate green hue due to the vegetables, but it will taste excellent and delicious like goose. Now puree the sauce with a hand blender and stir in the balsamic vinegar. This adds a bit of acidity and also browns the sauce a bit. Classic red cabbage, dumplings, potatoes, or, as in my picture, bread dumplings and Frisian-style kale are good side dishes. This recipe is for the Römertopf (ceramic pot), but it can also be made in a roasting pan, although you will need more liquid. The recipe is also suitable for beginners who want to try out without ready-made products.