Weihnachtsgans
Submitted by peach
Traditional German Christmas roast goose stuffed with tart apples, thyme, and onions, roasted until the skin is shatteringly crisp. Served with rich giblet gravy, red cabbage, and mashed potatoes.
In Germany, Christmas dinner means one thing: a golden, crackling-skinned roast goose on the table.
This Weihnachtsgans is the real deal. A 12-pound bird gets rubbed with salt and pepper, stuffed with tart quartered apples, thyme, bay leaves, onions, and celery, then roasted with multiple fat-draining sessions until the skin turns shatteringly crisp and mahogany-dark.
The rendered drippings become the foundation for a silky, flour-thickened giblet gravy that ties the whole plate together.
Serve it the traditional way with braised red cabbage and a mountain of buttery mashed potatoes, and you have a Heiligabend feast that would make any Oma proud.
Kitchen Tips
- Remove as much visible cavity fat as possible before roasting. The goose will still render plenty more as it cooks.
- Prick the skin all over with a fork, especially around the thighs and breast. This lets the fat escape and is the key to crispy skin.
- Pour off the drippings multiple times during roasting. A goose produces an enormous amount of fat. Save it for roasting potatoes later.
- Let the bird rest under foil for a full 30 minutes before carving. The juices redistribute and every slice stays moist.
- Start breast-side down for the first hour, then flip. This bastes the breast meat in its own juices and prevents it from drying out.
Ingredients
Directions
Remove neck and giblets from goose and set aside.
Remove all the fat you can see in the cavity.
Pat goose dry, rub with salt and pepper.
Place the thyme, apples, celery and onions in cavity, scewer shut with poultry pins and tightly lace with twine.
Fold the wings flat against the back and shewer the neckskin to the back.
Place the goose breast side down in a lightly oiled large, shallow roasting pan.
Prick the skin well all over with a fork, roast goose, uncovered, for 30 minutes at 500 F, than reduce heat to 400℉ (200℃) and roast, uncovered 30 minutes longer.
Pour off all drippings and carefully turn goose over breast side up, roast uncovered for 1 hour.
pour drippings out of pan again and prick the goose agin with fork and put the remainding 2 cups water in pan, and continue roasting the goose, uncovered for 1 to 1½ hour.
Pour off all drippings again and reserve. Put goose on platter, cover with alu-foil like tent and let stand for 30 minutes. Skim 6 tablespoons of fat from the pandrippings and heat for 1 minute in heavy 10 inch skillet over low heat;add the flour and cook and stir for 3 minutes. Measure 3 cups of gibletjuice(cooked while goose was roasting)drippings and broth. Add to skillet and turn up the heat and cook, whisking constantly until thickened and smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste and the finely chopped giblets, if desired. Traditionally served with red cabbage and mashed potatoes.
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