Christmas Goose with Glazed Chestnuts and Roasted Apple

Ingredients

• 1 goose (4.5 kg, ready to cook)
• Salt
• Pepper (freshly ground)
• 2 small Boskop apples
• 3 sprigs of savory
• 1 tsp Cornstarch
• 6 Boskop apples
• 3 tbsp softened butter
• 40 ml rum
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• Nutmeg (freshly grated)
• 6 pieces cube sugar
• 500 g peeled chestnuts
• 50 g butter
• 50 g cane sugar
• 250 ml vegetable broth

Instructions

1. 1.

   Preheat oven to 180°C.

2. 2.

   Wash and dry the goose, rub inside and out with salt and pepper. Wash apples, remove small leaves from savory as they can taste bitter. Stuff the goose with apples and savory, then sew the opening shut.

3. 3.

   Place the goose breast-side down in a roasting pan, pour about 250 ml hot water over it, cover, and roast in the preheated oven for about 1½ hours. Turn it over and prick the skin with a sharp knife to allow fat to drain. Add another cup of water and roast for one more hour, basting intermittently with the drippings.

4. 4.

   Meanwhile wash apples and use an apple corer to remove the core. Knead butter with rum, sugar, cinnamon, and a touch of nutmeg. Insert one cube sugar into each lower apple opening. Spoon the butter mixture into the cavity, poke around several times with a fork, and place the apple in a greased baking dish.

5. 5.

   About 30 minutes before the end of cooking remove the lid, raise the heat to 225°C, and put the apples back in the oven. Brush the goose repeatedly with cold salted water for a crisp finish.

6. 6.

   Score the chestnuts on the convex side crosswise with a sharp knife. Bring water to boil and add chestnuts. Cook for about 15 minutes until shells burst. Drain into a colander and remove shells. Heat butter and sugar in a pot, let caramelize slightly, then add peeled chestnuts, pour in broth, and simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes, shaking the pot often so the chestnuts are evenly glazed.

7. 7.

   Place the finished goose on a preheated platter. Use a brush to scrape off roast drippings from the pan and skim excess fat. Whisk cornstarch with 3 tbsp cold water, stir into sauce, bring briefly to boil, then thicken. For serving carve the goose onto a plate with roasted apples and glazed chestnuts.