Martinsgans (St. Martin’s Goose)
Course: MainCuisine: GermanDifficulty: MediumGoose was a common food of the Middle Classes from the Early Modern Period to the middle of the 20th century. Today it lives on mostly as a holiday dish for St. Martin’s Day and Christmas, as typically associated with Catholic regions of Germany. This variation is a take on the most traditional version of the recipe. It is a simple roast with a wine sauce.
Ingredients
- Goose
1 Goose about 5kg or 10lbs
1 Tbsp Salt
2 Tbsp Thickener
500ml Vegetable Broth
1 Tbsp Oregano
2 Sticks of Celery
2 Carrots
1 Onion
1 Tbsp Ground Pepper
- Stuffing
3 Sour Apples
2 Cloves
1 Cinnamon Stick
1 L Apple Juice
3-5 Dried Prunes, Apricots, or similar
- Broth
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper
1 Tbsp Flour
1 Cup of Red Wine
Heavy Cream to taste
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C
- Peel, core, and chop the apple into large-ish cubes
- Bring the apple juice to a boil and remove it from the heat
- Mix the cloves, cinnamon, chopped apples, and the dried fruit with the apple juice and let sit for about 10 minutes
- In the meantime, clean the goose and pat it dry if necessary. Season with the salt, pepper, and oregano, and add more if needed.
- Strain the fruit from the apple juice and pat dry any excess liquid. Fill the goose with the marinated fruit and tie it shut.
- Place the goose breast-side down in a non-stick, oiled, or raised roasting rack. Add the remaining vegetables (you can substitute with veg of your choice). Add a little vegetable broth or red wine to coat the bottom of the pan.
- Reduce the oven to 180°C and place the pan with the goose in the oven, on the middle rack, for 4-5 hours, or until it reaches the desired temperature.
- About halfway through the cooking time, rotate the goose so the breast faces upwards. Then continuously baste the bird every 15-30 minutes with sauces from the pan. Additional punctures can be made into the skin to let some of the rendered fat onto the surface.
- In the last 15 minutes of roasting time, increase the temperature to 250°C to make the skin crispy.
- Remove the goose from the oven and set it aside. Take the broth left over in the pan. Strain out the vegetables and bring them to a boil on the stove. Add more red wine or vegetable broth to taste, then add the thickener and the cream. Remove from the heat.
- Take the stuffing out of the Goose and carve it up for serving.