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Coveted roast
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Coveted roast

The perfect Christmas goose with Convotherm

At Christmas, roast goose is traditionally served in Germany - both at home and in the restaurant trade. But this year, geese are in short supply.

In November and December, geese are among the most popular dishes on German festive tables. Since preparation at home is time-consuming and laborious, caterers have been delivering the coveted birds to right under the Christmas tree for several years now - and the obligatory side dishes of red cabbage and dumplings along with them. Or they offer pre-ordered 3-course complete menus for pickup on December 24, which can be completed at home in just a few steps. In this way, they not only make their guests happy, but also give their employees the gift of a free Christmas Eve.

From St. Martin to Christmas

The goose season in Germany traditionally begins on St. Martin's Day on November 11. The meat comes mainly from Eastern Europe. According to the Federal Statistical Office, a total of around 18,200 tons of goose meat were imported into Germany in 2021 - 97.5% of it from Poland and Hungary. But this year, rising energy and food costs and, above all, bird flu are having an impact on festive enjoyment: Because of the war in Ukraine, feed costs are also rising, which is why goose prices have recently become significantly more expensive. In the Munich Hofbräukeller, for example, a portion of goose with red cabbage and dumplings currently costs 26.50 euros, according to a report in the Handelsblatt. A year ago it was still 18.90 euros - an increase of over 40%.

According to an industry survey of the hotel and restaurant association Dehoga, more than three quarters of restaurateurs therefore supplement their goose menus with cheaper alternatives: Game, duck or beef are the most popular choices. Another way to keep at least the energy costs of preparation under control is to use the combi ovens in the Convotherm maxx, maxx pro and mini families, as well as the Convotherm 4 floor-standing units for large quantities. Perfectly networked, they help caterers with resource-saving overnight cooking - with absolute premium performance, the best price-performance ratio, or in the smallest possible space, depending on requirements. They score with top quality and uncompromising reliability "made in Germany", with comprehensive user-friendliness and well thought-out functionality.

Guaranteed crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside

By the way, geese feel particularly at home in Convotherm combi ovens, as proven by Convotherm Application Chef Jürgen Burkart's favorite recipe: stuffed with apples, oranges and mugwort, the geese are guaranteed to cook crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. In addition there is a fine sauce and completely side of red cabbage and dumplings or Brussels sprouts and Schupfnudeln. 

Welbilt wishes you a good Christmas and happy holidays!

Jurgen Burkhart

Jürgen Burkart

Jürgen Burkart has been with Welbilt since 2008 and is one of our Corporate Chefs in Germany responsible for training chefs, supporting customers, developing new recipes for the region and running Masterclasses. Previous experience includes roles as an Executive Chef at the Robinson Club working across Spain, Italy, Mexico and Sri Lanka and then later at the Dorint Hotel Augsburg. Outside of work Jürgen is very active enjoying diving, swimming, cycling, hiking and of course cooking for family and friends.

Here is the recipe:

  1. Clean the goose and remove the giblets. Stuff the inside of the goose with apples, peeled oranges, salt, pepper and mugwort.
     
  2. Place on a rack and place a granite tray underneath. It is best to cook overnight at a low temperature in the Convotherm maxx pro.
     
  3. The next day, remove the goose and preheat the oven to 230°C. In the meantime, season the outside of the goose with salt and pepper. Then cook on level 6 until crispy.
     
  4. The goose can then be portioned, the goose fat carefully poured out of the tray and a sauce made from the gravy, red wine, orange juice and some Calvados liqueur.
     
  5. The goose fat can be served cold with freshly baked bread as an appetizer or used with the next blue cabbage.

    6.