This Christmas, Your Goose Is Cooked

Nostalgia has a funny way of influencing what we eat as adults on Christmas day. Memories of celebrations past and culinary traditions that we hope perpetuate into the future always seem to shape the food we eat in the festive present.\

This Christmas, Your Goose Is Cooked

“As a young child, I used to run in between their legs trying to see what was going on. The family cooked everything that they grew or reared on the property, including geese. I just remember feeding the geese in the yard and then all of a sudden they were gone – then they’d end up on the dinner plate for Christmas.”

This Christmas, Your Goose Is Cooked

German families have eaten roast goose at Christmas (called weihnachtsgans) for centuries. However, Schroeter says he didn’t realise his family's practice of eating goose for special occasions was a German tradition until he was an adult.

Culturally-rich Roast Goose

“Growing up, it just felt normal to eat goose. I thought everyone in Australia ate the same as us. But when I look back, I see there were a lot of recipes and cooking styles that were very traditional, like roast goose and kuchen (German Christmas cake)."

Culturally-rich Roast Goose

“I feel that today, we still have a strong sense of tradition that’s being carried on. For example, this Christmas, I will cook roast goose for my family of 20-30 people and attempt to recreate the same atmosphere that I grew up with.”

Culturally-rich Roast Goose

Goose is also eaten by families at Christmas throughout Hong Kong and Alsace in France. The waterfowl was once a staple on the festive table in Britain (having even appeared in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens) before being overtaken in popularity by turkey.

A Goose Crown Bonus

Schroeter says you don't have to be a chef to cook goose. In fact, it's a versatile protein that anyone can work with. “It’s very forgiving. The flavour of the goose is also quite interesting. If you cross a duck with lamb, that is the taste of goose.”

A Goose Crown Bonus

Serves 6-8 Buy a whole goose and ask your butcher to cut off the legs, winglets and backbone (or do it yourself just as you would a chicken).  Two breasts will remain on the rib cage – this is called the ‘crown of the goose’.

Roast Crown Goose

The idea behind isolating the crown is to even out the cooking, as goose legs and breasts require different cooking times.  You can confit the legs separately in a master stock or chicken stock. The legs will take 2.5 hours at 120°C.

Roast Crown Goose

Ingredients – 2-3 kilograms, whole goose – 1 lemon – Pinch of salt

Roast Crown Goose

Method 1. Leave out the goose on the bench at room temperature for an hour before cooking to become more supple. While on the bench, prick into the skin, horizontally with the tip of a paring knife so you don’t pierce the flesh under the skin. This will help to render the fat and make crisper skin while cooking.

Roast Crown Goose

2. Cut a lemon in half and rub it over the goose skin. 3. Lightly sprinkle salt over the skin and rub it in. Let the goose sit at room temperature for an hour (the same hour above).

Roast Crown Goose

4. After the goose has sat on the bench for an hour turn on the oven to 180°C to pre-heat. While the oven heats up, find your flat heavy cast iron pan (preferable) or a heavy casserole pan that can fit the crown goose.

Roast Crown Goose

5. Place the pan on low heat on the stovetop. Once the pan has warmed up, place one goose breast skin side down in the pan to slowly render the fat and crisp the skin.

Roast Crown Goose

Drain fat into a container to use for roasted potatoes later. Then repeat for the breast on the other side. The idea is to start the cooking process while colouring the skin and rendering the fat before going into the oven.

Roast Crown Goose

6. Once both breasts are coloured, place upright (breast side up) in a roasting pan and place in preheated oven. 7. Roast at 180°C for 20 minutes. Then turn the oven temperature down to 120°C and cook for another 20 mins.

Roast Crown Goose

8. Remove from oven, place on the kitchen bench, cover with foil to keep warm and let rest for 30 minutes.

Roast Crown Goose

Carving options Carve thin slices directly off the carcass and serve. Or, carve off the whole breasts from the ribcage first and then slice thinly.

Roast Crown Goose

Note – Goose breast should be eaten medium-rare, otherwise, the flavour is lost, and it will become tough and chewy. If you prefer it cooked more, use the pan you seared the breast in and quickly sear the flesh side of the breast after being cut off the ribcage.

Roast Crown Goose

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