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German Roasted goose and duck
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Traditional German Roasted Goose & Duck

The ultimate recipe showcases how to make a perfectly juicy and crispy bird. It works for ducks and geese with a weight of 2-6 kg.
Course Main Dish
Cuisine German
Keyword german rosated goose recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours 45 minutes
Servings 6 people

Equipment

Ingredients

The Filling for 5 kg Bird

  • 6 bread rolls white
  • 3 eggs medium
  • 3 tbsp chives chopped
  • 200 ml milk
  • salt & papper

The bird

  • 1 goose/duck 5kg
  • 1 tsp salt to season the inside
  • salt to season the outside
  • 3 glasses water for roasting
  • 4 tbsp cold, salty water

The sauce

  • 100 ml cherry juice from the glass with sour cherries
  • 1 tbsp lingonberry jam
  • sugar
  • salt & papper

For Serving

  • Traditional German Potato Dumplings
  • Traditional German Apple Red Cabbage
Metric - US Customary

Instructions

The Filling

  • Cut the bread rolls into small cubes.
  • Warm up the milk. Pour over the bread cubes and let it rest for 10 minutes.
  • Add eggs and chives, season with salt, and mix it with your hand.

The Bird

  • Check and clean the outside and inside of the bird and remove any giblets.
  • Pat the bird dry.
  • Remove the butt with a knife.
  • Cut off the excess skin from the neck.
  • Check the skin and remove the rest of the feathers.
  • If you have a large bird with thick skin you can poke the skin of the bird with a needle or a knife. This will help the fat to come out.
  • Rub the bird with salt from the inside.
  • Stuff the inside of the goose with the bread roll mixture.
  • Sew up the cavity.
  • You can tie the wing and the legs with the thread (please check the video on how).
  • Rub the bird with salt from the outside.
  • Place the bird in the cold oven on a wire rack breast down. Place a dutch oven underneath. This way the fat will drop into the dutch oven.
  • Turn on the oven to 160°C (320°F) and set the timer for 45 minutes.
  • For 1 kg bird, you need to count a little bit more than 1 hour in the oven.
  • The instructions for 2-2,5 kg bird:
    After the first 45 min remove the dutch oven with the fat (keep it or not) and pour 1 glass of water into it. Put the dutch oven back in the oven.
    Let the bird roast for another 45-50 minutes. Remove the dutch oven with the drippings (keep it) and pour 1 glass of water into it. Put the dutch oven back in the oven.
    Turn the bird upside down and roast it for 30 minutes. Remove the dutch oven with the drippings (keep it) and pour 1 glass of water into it. Put the dutch oven back in the oven.
    Change the oven setting to a grill function and the temperature to 220°C (430°F). Brush the skin of the bird with cold salty water, and keep the bird around 10-15 minutes (depending on how brown you want the skin to be). Then turn the bird upside down and repeat the process.
  • The instructions for 2,5-3,5 kg bird:
    After the first 45 min remove the dutch oven with the fat (keep it or not) and pour 1 glass of water into it. Put the dutch oven back in the oven.
    Let the bird roast for another 45 minutes. Remove the dutch oven with the drippings (keep it) and pour 1 glass of water into it. Put the dutch oven back in the oven.
    Let the bird roast for another 45 minutes. Remove the dutch oven with the drippings (keep it) and pour 1 glass of water into it. Put the dutch oven back in the oven.
    Turn the bird upside down and roast it for 45 minutes. Remove the dutch oven with the drippings (keep it) and pour 1 glass of water into it. Put the dutch oven back in the oven.
    Change the oven setting to a grill function and the temperature to 220°C (430°F). Brush the skin of the bird with cold salty water, and keep the bird around 10-15 minutes (depending on how brown you want the skin to be). Then turn the bird upside down and repeat the process. 
  • The instructions for 3,5-4,5 kg bird:
    After the first 45 min remove the dutch oven with the fat (keep it or not) and pour 1 glass of water into it. Put the dutch oven back in the oven.
    Let the bird roast for another 45 minutes. Remove the dutch oven with the drippings (keep it) and pour 1 glass of water into it. Put the dutch oven back in the oven.
    Let the bird roast for another 45 minutes. Remove the dutch oven with the drippings (keep it) and pour 1 glass of water into it. Put the dutch oven back in the oven.
    Let the bird roast for another 45 minutes. Remove the dutch oven with the drippings (keep it) and pour 1 glass of water into it. Put the dutch oven back in the oven.
    Turn the bird upside down and roast it for 60 minutes. Remove the dutch oven with the drippings (keep it) and pour 1 glass of water into it. Put the dutch oven back in the oven.
    Change the oven setting to a grill function and the temperature to 220°C (430°F). Brush the skin of the bird with cold salty water, and keep the bird around 10-15 minutes (depending on how brown you want the skin to be). Then turn the bird upside down and repeat the process. 
  • The instructions for 4,5-6 kg bird:
    After the first 60 min remove the dutch oven with the fat (keep it or not) and pour 1 glass of water into it. Put the dutch oven back in the oven.
    Let the bird roast for another 60 minutes. Remove the dutch oven with the drippings (keep it) and pour 1 glass of water into it. Put the dutch oven back in the oven.
    Let the bird roast for another 60 minutes. Remove the dutch oven with the drippings (keep it) and pour 1 glass of water into it. Put the dutch oven back in the oven.
    Turn the bird upside down and roast it for 90 minutes. Remove the dutch oven with the drippings (keep it) and pour 1 glass of water into it. Put the dutch oven back in the oven.
    Change the oven setting to a grill function and the temperature to 220°C (430°F). Brush the skin of the bird with cold salty water, and keep the bird around 10-15 minutes (depending on how brown you want the skin to be). Then turn the bird upside down and repeat the process. This way you ensure that the skin is crispy and shiny!
  • The dutch oven will contain fat only when you remove it after the first 45 minutes of roasting. The next 1-4 times (depending on how big your bird is) the goose/duck will give up the juices as well which you want to keep for the gravy.
  • If you don't have a fat separator you can keep the fat with juice in the freezer. This way it will be easier to separate the fat from the juices. To make the gravy we will need only the drippings.
  • Or like me in the video - you can collect all the dripping and fat in one bag, seal it, and then cut off the bottom edge of the back to remove the juices from the bag.
  • Remove the bird from the oven, take out the filling and make sure there are no threads left. Cut the filling into slices and set it aside. You can fry them in butter for a few minutes and serve them with the bird.

The Gravy

  • Pour the drippings through the sieve.
  • Separate the fat from the meat juice.
  • Place the juice in the casserole, add cherry juice and lingonberry jam and mix it with a whisk. Thicken the gravy if you like with a butter and flour mixture, or Mondamin.
  • Season it with salt, pepper, and sugar according to your taste.
  • Serve the bird with red apple cabbage and potato dumplings.
    German Roasted goose and duck
  • If you already prepared make-ahead gravy, you just need to add the drippings to the sauce and season it with salt, pepper, and sugar according to your taste.

Notes

How to prepare make-ahead gravies for Christmas: https://youtu.be/7MnJOBe_RKc