The story behind the recipe
The Polish tradition of goose includes many local stuffing variations. The regional publication 'Following the Goose' describes a boneless goose stuffed with grains, offal, and dried fruits. In this variant, deboning means removing the bones from the body while leaving the bones of the thighs and wings intact.
In our home version, we use buckwheat and barley, plums, and cranberries. The offal and bacon are prepared before stuffing, and we also check the readiness inside the filling. This is a demanding guide for a festive dinner: the most attention is needed for knife work on the skin, loose filling of the carcass, and even roasting.
Ingredients
Bird
- 4 kg goose (whole, about 3.5–4 kg)
- 35 g salt
- 15 g garlic
- 2 tsp (10 ml) marjoram
- ½ tsp (2.5 ml) pepper
- 200 ml water (for the roasting pan and possible replenishment)
Filling
- 60 g buckwheat groats (dry mass)
- 40 g pearl barley (dry mass)
- 300 g goose offal (cleaned heart, stomach, and liver)
- 80 g raw pork bacon (unsalted, skinless)
- 100 g onion
- 50 g dried plums (pitted)
- 30 g dried cranberries
- 15 g parsley
- 1 pc egg
- 5 g salt (for the filling, ultimately to taste)
- ¼ tsp (1.3 ml) pepper
Method, step by step
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Remove the packaging and offal from inside the carcass. Do not rinse the goose under running water: dry it with paper. Clean the stomach from the tough membrane and the remaining offal from membranes and vessels. Set them aside in the fridge.
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Place the goose breast side up. Cut the skin along the spine, using a small knife to separate the meat from the ribs on both sides, keeping the blade close to the bones. At the joints of the wings and thighs, cut the connections to the body; do not remove the bones from these limbs.
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Remove the backbone, ribs, and breastbone, carefully cutting the tissues at the breast where the skin is thin. Spread the carcass open and check with your hand for any loose sharp fragments. Keep the bones for a separate broth. If you damage the skin, stitch that area later.
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Rub the meat with 35 g of salt, garlic, marjoram, and pepper. Cover and marinate for about 8 hours in the fridge at 4°C. Do not leave the carcass to marinate on the counter.
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Cook both grains separately according to the package instructions until tender but not mushy. Cook the stomach and heart in water until tender and at least 74°C in the center. Chop the bacon, render it in a pan, add the onion, and then the chopped liver; heat to 74°C as well. Cool everything down.
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Finely chop the offal. Mix with the grains, bacon, onion, chopped plums, cranberries, and parsley. Season with 5 g of salt and pepper. The mixture should be crumbly and cohesive, not wet. Keep the egg separately in the fridge for now.
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Preheat the oven to 180°C, top and bottom. Remove the goose and prepare the thread and needle. Mix the egg into the cold filling. Fry a small portion until it reaches 74°C and then adjust the seasoning.
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Loosely spread the filling along the body. Bring the edges of the skin together, assessing whether they can be closed without tension. Remove some filling if there is too much. The goose should retain its natural, slightly flattened shape.
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Sew or tie the opening where the bones were removed, close the neck and remaining openings. Leave the ends of the thread visible for later removal. Tie the legs. Pierce the thicker skin in fatty areas lightly, avoiding the filling and meat.
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Place the goose on a rack in the roasting pan breast side up. Pour 200 ml of water into the bottom. Place in the preheated oven and roast for 40 minutes at 180°C.
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Reduce the temperature to 170°C. Roast for approximately 2–2.5 more hours, covering any areas that are browning too much with foil if necessary. Carefully pour off excess fat; if the sediment at the bottom starts to burn, add a little hot water.
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Check for at least 74°C in the center of the filling, in the thickest part of the breast and thigh, avoiding touching the bones. If any area is cooler, continue roasting. Only after reaching the temperature can you uncover the skin and briefly roast it for color.
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Transfer the goose to a board and leave loosely covered for 20 minutes. Degrease the juices from the roasting pan, dilute with a little water, bring to a boil, and strain. Remove all threads and any toothpicks.
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Cut off the thighs and wings, and slice the carcass into thick pieces with the filling using a sharp knife. Support the skin instead of pressing down on the whole roast. The cut should show the grains and pieces of fruit.
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Serve hot with sauce, red cabbage, or beets. Warn that bones remain in the thighs and wings. Cool the leftover meat and filling separately.
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