Roast goose, slowly braised

Ingredients for 8 servings:

• 1 goose (approx. 5 kg)
• n. B. water
• 1 bunch of soup vegetables
• 3 onions
• Thyme
• mace
• Carnation(s)
• Salt and pepper from the mill
• 250 g chestnuts, fresh or vacuum-packed
• e.g. cognac or rum
• n. B. Sauce thickener

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 5 hours; Total time approx. 5 hours 30 minutes

This goose stays beautifully juicy. The secret is that the goose simmers in a pot of water for half an hour before it goes into the oven. Simply place the goose in a pot and fill with cold water. Finely chop the vegetables and onions, add mace, black pepper, and cloves. After 30 minutes of simmering, remove the goose, strain the broth through a sieve, and collect it; you’ll need it later. The contents of the sieve can be discarded. Rub the goose inside and out with salt and freshly ground pepper and place it in the roasting pan. Garnish with quartered apples, roughly chopped chestnuts, and thyme sprigs. Please do not stuff the goose. This allows the heat to penetrate the inside of the goose, ensuring it is cooked thoroughly on all sides. Place the goose in the oven, breast-up, and cook in the roasting pan at “just” 120°C for 4 hours. Remove the lid and place a pot of water next to it. This ensures the right climate in the oven. Pour the broth over the goose every hour. Let the broth cool slightly and skim off any fat floating on the surface. Pour the fat into small pots and let it cool. This will produce delicious goose fat. The broth should now be reduced long enough to be used as a sauce. The reduction takes about three hours, leaving a delicious sauce that needs to be seasoned with salt and then refined with a dash of cognac and/or rum. Thicken slightly (either with a classic roux or, more simply, with a sauce thickener). After the four-hour “sauna session,” switch the oven to the grill function (low to medium heat) and grill the goose on both sides for about 15-30 minutes until crispy. Serve the goose with homemade dumplings and red cabbage.