Vištinės Goose

Roast Vištinės Goose with Sauerkraut, Apples and Potatoes

A traditional Lithuanian roast of the heritage Vištinės goose, stuffed with apples, garlic and caraway, roasted until the skin is mahogany and the fat rendered into a tin of sauerkraut and potatoes — finished the country way, with dark rye bread to mop the juices.

Prep

45 min

Cook

180 min

Total

225 min

Serves

6

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •3500 g (7¾ lb) whole Vištinės goose, dressed weight, giblets reserved; if unavailable use another whole young domestic goose
• •30 g (2 tbsp) coarse sea salt
• •5 g (1 tsp) freshly ground black pepper
• •6 g (1 tbsp) caraway seeds, lightly crushed
• •4 g (1 tsp) dried marjoram
• •20 g (4 cloves) garlic, crushed to a paste with salt
• •2 g small tart apples, such as Antonovka, quartered and cored (about 300 g / 10½ oz)
• •1 g (1 medium) onion, roughly chopped (about 150 g / 5¼ oz)
• •150 ml (¾ cup) water or light stock, for the roasting tin
• •800 g (1¾ lb) sauerkraut, drained, liquid reserved; not vinegar-pickled cabbage
• •800 g (1¾ lb) waxy potatoes, such as Linda or Charlotte, peeled and cut into chunks
• •300 g (10½ oz) dark Lithuanian rye bread, sliced, to serve

Steps

1. 1 Pat the goose dry inside and out and leave uncovered on a rack in the fridge for at least 12 hours, preferably 24, to dry the skin.
2. 2 Rub the cavity and skin thoroughly with the crushed garlic, then season generously inside and out with salt, pepper, caraway and marjoram.
3. 3 Stuff the cavity with the quartered apples and chopped onion — do not pack tightly; air must circulate.
4. 4 Tie the legs together loosely with kitchen twine, tuck the wing tips behind the back, and place breast-up on a rack set over a deep roasting tin. Pour the water into the tin.
5. 5 Roast at 160 °C / 325 °F for 30 minutes per kg total (about 1 hour 45 minutes for a 3.5 kg bird), basting every 30 minutes with the pan fat.
6. 6 Increase the oven to 200 °C / 400 °F for the final 20 minutes to crisp and mahogany the skin.
7. 7 The goose is safe when the thickest part of the thigh reads 80 °C / 175 °F on an instant-read thermometer and the juices run clear; rest uncovered for at least 20 minutes.
8. 8 While the goose rests, skim off 80 ml (⅓ cup) of the rendered fat and reserve. Place the sauerkraut and potatoes in a wide ovenproof pan, drizzle over 2 tablespoons of the reserved goose fat, season lightly with caraway and salt, and stir in 100 ml of the reserved sauerkraut liquid. Cover and braise at 180 °C / 350 °F for 35–40 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
9. 9 Carve the goose into legs, thighs and breast. Serve with the sauerkraut and potatoes, the rendered fat spooned over, and thick slices of dark rye bread on the side to soak up the juices.