Stuffed Christmas Goose

Ingredients

• 800 g chestnuts
• 1 goose (about 3 kg)
• Salt
• Pepper
• 0.5 tsp dried savory
• 600 g tart apples

Instructions

1. 1.

   Slice the chestnut shells crosswise and roast in a preheated oven at 180°C (convection) until the shells burst. Peel the chestnuts and let them cool.

2. 2.

   Preheat the oven to 180°C (convection).

3. 3.

   Wash the goose, pat it dry, and rub salt, pepper, and savory inside and out. Sew the cavity shut with kitchen twine.

4. 4.

   Peel the apples, cut them in half or quarters, and remove the core.

5. 5.

   Tie the wings to the body, bind the legs together, and place the goose breast‑side down on a fat pan (or a very large roasting tray) in the oven. Pour 500 ml boiling water over it and roast for about three hours. After one hour turn the goose over and carefully pierce under the wings several times so that fat can drip out. Place the apples and chestnuts to the side of the pan. Keep basting with cooking liquid. Twenty minutes before the end of cooking brush the goose with salted water, raise the oven temperature to 220°C, and let the stuffed Christmas goose brown crispily.

6. 6.

   Break apart the finished goose and serve it with the apples and chestnuts on a preheated platter.

7. 7.

   Strain the sauce, skim off fat, season, and serve separately.