Hotel Concorde Berlin Blog

The Goose is Getting Fat

Following on from my beginner’s guide to Christmas in Germany, I will be discussing one very important feature of a German Christmas: the food. Next week I will be writing about the hotel’s homemade festive cookies but this week, well, this week it’s all about the star of the festive menu: the goose.

Goose has been the traditional Christmas dish in Europe for centuries. Though in some countries, such as Britain for example, its popularity waned with the introduction of the turkey, the goose is just as popular in Germany as it ever was. I come from a family of devout turkey eaters, but when I was invited along to the Brasserie Le Faubourg this week to sample their festive goose, I resolved to keep an open mind…

…and I’m glad I did! I found the meat much less dry and more succulent than turkey, with a subtle yet distinctive taste. I particularly enjoyed the crispy skin on top and the ease with which the meat fell of the bone. At the Brasserie Le Faubourg you can enjoy goose any day of the week – order per person or, on Sundays, you can even order a whole goose for you and your group. Click here to see the full goose menu, or simply reserve a table here. If, however, you can’t make it to Berlin but you’d love some Christmas goose à la Brasserie Le Faubourg, why not try this recipe at home?

Recipe for roast goose

– one goose (approx. 4-5 Kg)
– 2 apples (Braeburn)
– 2 peeled onions
– 3 oranges
– 1/4 celeriac
– bunch of mugwort
– salt and pepper

Rub the goose  all over with salt and pepper and leave to chill in the fridge. In the meantime prepare the stuffing: Cut the apple, orange, onion and celeriac into small cubes (approx. 2x2cm) and mix together with the mugwort. Stuff two thirds of the mixture into the goose and close with wooden skewers. Put the goose, breast side down, in a roasting tin with 0,5 liters water and the rest of the vegetable mixture. Cook for an hour in the oven at 160°C. After an hour, turn the goose over carefully and cook for another one and a half hours, during which time you should baste the goose using the stock from the roasting tin every 20 minutes. Remove the goose from the roasting tin and grill for approximately one hour at 160°C, basting regularly. Remove the goose from the oven. Pass the stock through a sieve to remove any lumps then boil together with the carcass of the goose to make the sauce. Serve with green cabbage and the typically German red cabbage and potato dumplings.