Main Course

Martin Bräcker, 38, German, executive sous chef, Kempinski Hotel Lufthansa Center Beijing. He began his career in catering in 1986 and has served in five-star hotels in Germany, the Philippines and in Greece. He believes that Christmas is a time for family reunions. Everyone sharing and talking heart to heart is more important than anything else during this festival.

 

Golden-Roasted Stuffed Christmas Goose

 

Ingredients:

1 Goose, about 4.5 kilogrammes

   Salt and white ground pepper

The Stuffing

250 Grams minced pork neck

250 Grams minced fresh goose liver

20   Grams spiced mustard

60   Grams toast bread, dried

30   Millilitres milk

2     Eggs

50   Grams butter

150 Grams apples, peeled and sliced

100 Grams onions, peeled and sliced

30   Grams garlic cloves, freshly chopped, 3 cloves, peeled

20   Grams parsley, coarsely chopped

10   Grams thyme, coarsely chopped

10   Grams marjoram, coarsely chopped

80   Grams prunes, de-seeded

60   Grams dry apricots

1/2  Cup red tea

        Salt, black ground pepper and a pinch of nutmeg

 

Preparations:

The Stuffing

1.    Soak the prunes and apricots in tea overnight.

2.    Soak the dried-toast bread in milk for 15 minutes.

3.    Add butter into a heated skillet and start melting until butter is foaming but not brown.

4.    Add apples, onions and garlic; sauté until all ingredients are glossy, without colour.

5.    Add the coarsely chopped herbs and toss all ingredients until well blended, set aside to cool, about 30 minutes.

6.    Chop the cooled mixture on a cutting board.

7.    Place the minced pork and liver into a large mixing bowl.

8.    Add eggs, mustard, seasonings and onion-apple mixture. Mix all ingredients until everything is well-blended.

9.    Season the stuffing to taste and add the soaked prunes

       and apricots.

 

 The Goose

1.    Clean the goose. Make sure it’s free from quills, remove and discard any excess fat.

2.    Dry the inside of the goose with kitchen paper towels.

3.    Cut the neck and wings; chop into three-centimetre-long pieces.

4.    Cut small slits in the back of the goose’s skin so that excess fat can escape while roasting so the skin becomes crispy.

5.    Wrap the inside and outside with salt and pepper.

6.    Fill in the stuffing and stitch up the back so that the stuffing cannot be squeezed out.

7.    Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees F. Fill a large roasting pan with two centimetres of water.

8.    Place the goose with the breast upside down in the pan and roast for 15 minutes.

9.    Add the neck and wing pieces to the pan.

10. Turn the goose over with the breast up, and douse with the liquid from the roasting pan until the skin starts taking colour.

11. Lower the heat to 160 degrees F and glaze the goose every 20 minutes with the liquid from the pan. If the liquid has reduced, douse the goose with chilled water.

12. Roast the goose for approximately 3.5 hours while glazing every 20 minutes.

13. Reduce the liquid in the roasting pan. Add poultry juice and thicken it with beurre manier, a mixture of half butter and half flour. Let the sauce simmer for 15 minutes.

14. Strain the sauce and season to taste.