Roast goose with apples
Gęś pieczona z jabłkami: St Martin's Day roast goose with marjoram and apples
On 11 November, St Martin's Day and Poland's Independence Day, roast goose comes back to tables from Poznań to Gdańsk, and Pomeranian and Kujawy farms still raise their own white geese for it. The bird is rubbed with marjoram, garlic and salt, left overnight in the fridge, then stuffed with sharp apples and roasted slowly so the fat renders out and the skin turns crisp and mahogany. The meat is dark and rich, the apples collapse into a tart sauce. Serve with braised red cabbage, potato dumplings and the pan juices. Most people forget to drain the fat as it roasts, and the bird ends up frying in its own puddle; pour it off every half hour and save it for roast potatoes. Allow an extra night for the marinade. Chef's tip: prick the skin all over, especially under the wings and thighs, without piercing the meat, so the fat has somewhere to escape.
- Total time
- 240 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the goose
- 1 whole goose, oven-ready (about 4.5 kg)giblets removed
- 1 tbsp coarse salt
- 1 tsp black pepperfreshly ground
- 2 tbsp dried marjoram
- 4 garlic clovescrushed
- 6 tart applescored and quartered
- 1 onionquartered
- 1 ¼ cups waterhot
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What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (2)
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: The day before, trim excess fat from the neck and cavity of the 1 whole goose, oven-ready (about 4.5 kg) and pat it dry. Prick the skin all over with a skewer, holding it at an angle so it does not reach the meat.
10 minStep 2: Mix the 1 tbsp coarse salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 2 tbsp dried marjoram and 4 garlic cloves and rub the mixture inside and out. Put the goose on a rack over a tray, uncovered, in the fridge overnight (12–24 hours), never at room temperature.
5 minStep 3: Take the goose out 30 minutes before roasting and heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan). Stuff the cavity loosely with half the 3 tart apples and the 1 onion, and close it with a skewer.
10 minStep 4: Set the goose breast-up on a rack in a deep roasting tin, pour the 1 ¼ cups water into the tin and roast for 20 minutes, until the skin starts to colour.
20 minStep 5: Turn the oven down to 325°F (275°F fan) and roast for 2 hours 30 minutes. Every 30 minutes, carefully pour or spoon off the fat from the tin into a heatproof bowl, and baste the bird.
150 minStep 6: Tuck the rest of the 3 tart apples around the goose for the last 40 minutes, so they soften and caramelise in the juices.
40 minStep 7: Check doneness: a probe in the thickest part of the thigh, not touching bone, must read 165°F, the juices must run clear, and the apple stuffing in the centre must also reach 165°F. If not, roast 15 minutes more and check again.
5 minStep 8: For crisp skin, raise the oven to 425°F for the final 10 minutes. Rest the goose, loosely covered, for 20 minutes before carving; spoon the soft apples from the cavity and tin alongside.
30 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 720 kcal
- Protein
- 48 g
- Carbs
- 14 g
- Fat
- 52 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does roast goose with apples take?
- About 240 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 210 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of tart apples?
- Pears, same amount.
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