Goose with Stuffing and Sides

Ingredients

• 1 goose (about 3.5 kg)
• Salt
• Pepper
• 3 tbsp dried sweetbriar
• 750 g Boskoop apples
• 80 g walnuts (freshly cracked and coarsely chopped)
• 1 tbsp thyme leaves (chopped)
• 500 ml rosé wine
• 250 ml apple juice
• 200 ml poultry stock
• cornstarch (for thickening)
• 6 small sweet-and-sour apples
• 500 g small raw waxy cooking potatoes
• 0.5 stale rolls
• clarified butter
• 1 kg large raw waxy cooking potatoes
• 100 ml milk
• Salt
• 1 kg red cabbage
• 2 sour apples
• 50 g clarified butter
• 1 small onion
• 2 cloves
• 125 ml red wine
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp vinegar
• Salt
• ground pepper

Instructions

1. 1.

   Wash the raw goose, pat dry, rub inside and out with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with sweetbriar. Wash apples, halve, core and cut into wedges, mix with walnuts and thyme leaves, and stuff the goose.

2. 2.

   Pinch the opening with toothpicks and then tie crosswise with kitchen twine.

3. 3.

   Preheat oven to 220°C and place goose breast-side down on the fat pan of the oven (slide appropriate tray underneath). Gradually pour in 250 ml water, wine and apple juice every 45 minutes, roast, reduce heat to 170°C. Roast another 2 hours, turning once and basting with roasting juices. About 45 minutes before end of cooking wash, dry rub the organic apples and place them on the side rack next to goose. Fifteen minutes before end of cooking baste goose with remaining wine and raise oven back to 220°C. Finish cooking goose. Reduce roasting drippings with poultry stock, skim fat if needed. Strain gravy through a sieve if desired and thicken with cornstarch mixed in little cold water as preferred. Carve goose and serve with sauce and side dishes.

4. 4.

   For the red cabbage remove outer leaves, halve cabbage, cut out core and slice into fine strips on a vegetable peeler. Quarter apples, peel, core and chop into pieces. Heat clarified butter in pot, steam apple pieces. Add cabbage. Peel onion, finely chop and add with cloves to apple pieces. Pour 250 ml water and red wine over. Add sugar and vinegar, season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer about 45 minutes.

5. 5.

   For the dumplings peel small potatoes and steam for 20-25 minutes until tender. Meanwhile cut stale roll into cubes and crisp in a little clarified butter. Peel, wash and grate large raw potatoes finely. Press potato mixture portion-wise over a bowl with kitchen towel to remove liquid; let it settle until starch settles at bottom. Slightly crush dry potato mass and pour boiling milk over. Drain water from settled starch and add starch to raw potato mix. Peel freshly cooked potatoes and immediately press through potato ricer. Mix well, season with salt. Dough should be neither too firm nor mushy. With damp hands form dumplings and press some roasted bread cubes into the center of each. Bring salted water to boil in wide pot. Drop dumplings into boiling water and let simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes.