Gänsebraten mit Leberwurstklösschen und glasierten Pfirsichen
The first goose of the season is eaten on November 11 (St. Martin's Day), and goose is also the traditional German Christmas dish. Roast goose frequently appears on menus all over Germany. Its dark, delicious and tender meat cooks to a light crispiness on the outside while the rich skin means the flesh bastes itself. Cook tasty liver pate and rye breadcrumbs stuffing balls alongside and, for a special serving, add halved fresh peaches baked and glazed with sugar and red currants.
Ingredients
- 7-8 lb whole oven ready goose
- 3 large just-ripe peaches halved and pitted
- 1-1/2 oz butter melted
- 2 tbsp light brown sugar
- a few pinches ground cinnamon
- 1 small box fresh red currants
- 1-2 tsp all-purpose flour
- 2-1/2 cups water
- 2 tbsp red currant jelly
- a little fresh lemon juice
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the stuffing:
- 1 small onion
- 1 tsp rapeseed or vegetable oil plus extra for brushing stuffing balls
- 1/2 tsp ground paprika
- 1/2 tsp dried sage
- grated zest of 1 small lemon
- 3-1/2 oz liver pate softened
- 5-1/2 oz fresh rye breadcrumbs
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 egg beaten
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Prick the skin of the goose in several places, especially around the leg and thigh. Rub the breast with salt. Place on a roasting rack set inside the baking dish.
- Roast for about 1 1/2 hours, lowering the temperature to 320 degrees F if the bird starts to over-brown.
- For the peaches, brush them with melted butter and place in another shallow roasting dish. Strip the red currants from the stalks and mix with the sugar. Spoon it into the peach cavities and dust with cinnamon. Bake them on the shelf above the goose at the start of the roasting for 15 to 20 minutes then remove and cool to room temperature.
- Meanwhile, make the stuffing. Sauté the onion in the oil for 5 minutes then stir in the paprika and cook for half a minute. Cool, then mix with the rest of the stuffing ingredients adding pepper to taste. Shape into 6 balls using wet hands if necessary.
- Lay them in a shallow ovenproof dish, brush with oil and bake for the last 30 minutes of roasting, near the top of the oven. As the goose cooks, you may want to pour off the fat as it drips off to cut down on it smoking. Make sure you have help to do this, as the bird will be heavy.
- When the goose has cooked, remove and let stand for 10 minutes before carving. Pour the fat off the pan and sprinkle in the flour. Stir well and cook for a minute, then pour in about 2 1/2 cups of stock or vegetable water. Stir well and boil, then add 2 tablespoons red currant jam, a squeeze of lemon juice and seasoning.
- Strain into a jug, then after the bird has been carved, pour the juices over. Arrange the stuffing balls and peaches around it.
- Serve with German potato dumplings (Kartoffelklöße) and red cabbage (Rotkohl).
- Guten Appetit!
