Roast goose. Do you love it or hate it?

It appears that people either love or hate roast goose, but that largely depends on the cook and his skills. It can be baked slowly or quickly but it appears that the beauty is in simplicity.

When you bring a goose home, take a good look at it.Does it still have tiny feathers?If so, pluck them out. If you see the really tiny down feathers, get a lighter and burn them out. Also remove giblets, the ends of wings and the neck (right after the first fold). Do not throw the neck away. You will use for soup.

Correct spice is everything

The traditional way is to stuff goose before baking. You canuse apples, pears or plums for example(even dried plums). Need to sprinkle it with the right spices, especially salt and marjoram. Many people also like cumin or wormwood… as both herbs help with the digestion.

Slow cooking French style

Now, put it in a baking/roasting pan, cover it and leave it like that. This is exactly how you should approach slow roasting, which is called confit in French. Slow roasting means overnight roasting.The temperature should be around 70-90 °C and you should roast it for 8-12 hours.The meat must be cooked in fat so, if there is not enough add a little bit. Don’t worry about the extra fat as the meat will not absorb it.

However, if you don’t want to or can’t do it overnight (unfortunately, many modern ovens turn themselves off after a few hours for safety reasons), try another method.

Quick baking for all those who don’t have time

This method requires the goose to be baked quickly and at
170°C for 45 minutes per kilogram of weight. The breasts should always lie down on the bottom of the baking tray and, of course, the baking pan must be covered with lid.

How to get the perfect crust?There are two ways. You can cut the goose under the wings (at the end of cooking) and increase the temperature to 200 °C and bake it for 20 minutes, or you can also dust the skin lightly with flour and put it back in the oven for 15 minutes. What do you think?

Photo: Pixabay

Before the end of baking, lightly pierce the roast with a fork to get the excess of fat out. This will also make the meat a bit more tender and delicious.

Our tip: if you don’t have a proper lid try this trick. Place a container with water at the bottom of the oven and keep checking for steam. This way the meat will not dry out and remain soft and juicy.

What about the extra fat that the bottom?

First, use it for serving and the rest you store in fridge. The fat will naturally separate from the juice. You can melt the fat on a pan and add one medium-sized finely chopped onion and a pinch of marjoram to it. This makes a great bread spread, but also a perfect base for various stews and other dishes. If you don’t use it immediately do not worry as it will last a very long time in the fridge.

The leftover fat is an excellent taste booster when added to other roasted meats, or you may use it as a base for all kinds of sauces and soups with cabbage or legumes for example. Even the ready-made base will last long time in your refrigerator.

And what about the side dish? Well, our tradition says, serve with dumplings and St. Martin’s wine. Your digestive system will certainly appreciate the higher acidity in young wines.

Preview photo: Pixabay