WINTER ROAST GOOSE RECIPE

Rich, sweet and earthy, roast goose makes an indulgent alternative to turkey at Christmas. If you’ve not yet planned your festive menu, these sumptuous recipes from Villa Kennedy’s Gusto restaurant will delight your family around the dinner table.

Roast goose and sauce

4-5 kg goose (save the carcass for the sauce)
3 tablespoons goose fat
100g carrots, roughly sliced
100g celeriac, roughly sliced
100g leek, roughly sliced
100g onion, roughly sliced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
500ml red wine
1 bay leaf

1) Roast the goose in the oven at 200°C for 10 minutes, then turn down to 180°C and cook for 20 minutes per kg for medium rare or 32 minutes for well done. Rest for 30 minutes before serving.

2) Roast the vegetables in a pan with the goose fat, then add the tomato paste. Deglaze with red wine and cook until the red wine has almost evaporated.

3) Fill a large pan with 3 litres of water and add the roasted goose carcass. Let it simmer for approximately 3 hours. Pass through a sieve and serve with the goose.

Spiced red cabbage

1 red cabbage
400g onions
2 apples
2 teaspoons juniper berries
2 teaspoons allspice grains
1 bay leaf
60g goose fat
Salt & pepper
60g cranberry jelly
200ml red wine
200ml red port wine

1) Clean the red cabbage the day before and remove the outer leaves. Quarter the cabbage, cut out the stem and chop the cabbage into fine stripes.

2) Peel the apples and cut into cubes. Chop the onions into fine strips Put the allspice, bay leaf and juniper berries into a cloth and tie up with cooking string. Add it to the cabbage and the onions. Add the red wine, port wine, cranberry jelly and apple cubes and combine. Put the red cabbage in a cool place over night.

3) Heat the goose fat in a pan, sweat the red cabbage without liquid for approximately 10 minutes on a medium heat. Now add the liquids and cook everything for another 25 minutes. Season it with salt, pepper and cranberry jelly, then remove the spice sack.

Potato dumplings

800g starchy potatoes
200g potato flour
1.5 teaspoon salt
Approx. 160ml lukewarm water

1) Boil the potatoes the day before, leave to cool down, peel and press through a potato press.

2) Combine the mixture with salt and potato flour. Process it with the water to make a soft, sticky dough. Add more water if required. Shape the dumplings into egg-sized balls and leave to draw in salt water for approximately 20 minutes - the water must not boil. The dumplings are done when they spiral upwards.

3) It is also possible to stuff the dumplings with half of a prune or with croutons. To do this, flatten the mixture in your hands, press the prune or croutons into it and roll it into the form of a dumpling.

Orange chestnuts

800g chestnuts
200ml orange juice
1 tablespoon sugar
20g butter

1) Wash the chestnuts and soak for one hour in cold water. Carve the chestnuts crosswise with a small knife.

2) Boil the chestnuts for six minutes in salt water. Put the moist chestnuts on a baking tray and put it into the 180°C preheated oven for 20 minutes. Cover the warm chestnuts with a moist cloth and peel them with a knife.

3) Caramelise the sugar in a pot and deglaze with the orange juice, let it reduce by two thirds. Add the chestnuts and the butter.

If you’d rather let someone else take care of Christmas dinner, Gusto are serving a 4-course German-Italian inspired menu on 24^th, 25^th and 26^th December. For reservations and further information please contact us at: +49 (0) 69 717 121 205 or email gusto.villakennedy@roccofortehotels.com