Beer-basted Chistmas goose
To get the bird golden all over, you need a rack inside a roasting pan and a two-pronged fork for piercing the bird during cooking. When you baste the goose with beer, you have to remove the bird from the pan and set it on a platter. The roasting pan will fill with goose fat, so each time you baste the bird, ladle the fat from the pan. Heat this later for cooking potatoes. Use German winter beer or Sam Adams Holiday Porter for basting. Serves 8.
1 goose (12 to 16 pounds)
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 to 3 tablespoons dried mugwort (or a mixture of dried marjoram and sage)
1 sweet apple (such as Delicious or McIntosh), peeled and diced
1 sour apple (such as Granny Smith), peeled and diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 bottles German winter beer or Sam Adams Holiday Porter
1. Set the oven at 400 degrees. Have a large roasting pan on hand. Set a rack inside.
2. Rub the goose inside and out with salt and pepper. Rub with mugwort or the marjoram mixture. Stuff the goose with the apple, onion, and parsley. Place the goose on a platter and pour 1 cup of beer into the cavity. Save any beer that runs out of the goose. Prick the bird well all over.
3. Close the goose cavity with skewers. Place the bird on the rack in the pan. Roast the bird for 25 minutes per pound (maximum roasting time is 6 hours and 40 minutes). During roasting, prick the skin frequently with the fork. Turn the bird three times to render all the fat. Each time you turn the bird, baste it. Follow this sequence: Start cooking the bird breast down for one-quarter of the total time. Then turn the bird on one side for another quarter, on the other side for another quarter, and finally on its back for the last quarter. Remove the fat in the pan each time you turn the bird and baste the bird on a platter each time.
4. When the goose is cooked through, transfer it to a warm platter and carve it as you would a turkey. Serve with boiled chestnuts, red cabbage, and egg noodles.
Adapted from Horst Dornbusch 