We had Christmas on Christmas Eve this year because the weather is threatening the day after Christmas and we wanted our son to be back home in Maryland by that time. His visit was quite short, Friday-Sunday, but we managed to work in the usual Christmas movies and pastimes. Tradition!
The 3 resolute carnivores and the 1 vegetarian wannabe all voted for goose for Christmas. No easy matter in our region of the country. I finally found a frozen specimen at Wegmans in Scranton, not daring to look at it’s provenance and possibly ruining the occasion for everyone.
This goose looked a bit different from the one I bought in France, not as robust/fat?
In any case, I stuffed the cavities with apples soaked in Calvados and with the turkey wing broth gravy, it was okay, if a bit rustic 🙂
Everyone loved the Food and Wine Magazine inspired vanilla bean butter, roasted squash. I used acorn, butternut and a small pumpkin. Delicious!
The apple stuffing was also nice.
As were the goose fat roasted, fingerling potatoes.
We had a local, homemade apple pie for dessert but it was practically inedible, so we didn’t 😀
Merry Christmas everyone!
Merry Christmas Rosemary! The meal looks lovely and I’m sure a good time was had by all. Question: do you peel butternut when roasting? We have not, but it looks like you might. Curious.
I didn’t peel any of the squash and it was all perfect. Merry Christmas Laura. The virgin Mary’s we had with bacon were wonderful!
Merry Christmas Rosemary!
I’ve had geese lacking in fat before, so I know what you mean, but I had a good one today – two pints of fat and very tender, not to mention beautiful crispy skin. I just got the bones into the pressure cooker with stock vegetables to make some goose jelly. Now for little cheese… (decent stock) 🙂
Merry Christmas Mad. Your goose sounds great. Oh well, next year in France 🙂
I love goose but nobody else does in my family. When I made it for a friend I found a decent one at Whole Foods . They even defrosted it for me. However, the geese in Germany are so much better.
I’m sure they are Gerlinde, having also to do with flavor. I think we in the U.S. have lost our European roots in poultry and meat husbandry, preferring profit over quality.
agree here, Gerlinde – Frohe Weihnachten!!!
today I love to comment ‘backwards’ – sorry about the apple pie – what on earth could possibly have gone wrong? Burnt, salt instead of sugar? 🙂 🙂
Goose looked ok – but I have to agree with Gerlinde 🙂 – My mother used to make goose every year when I was small until she got liver shock from the fat – so Christmas dinner turned into fish and chicken for some years.
Calvados! oh yum! – rustic? Rustic is in 🙂
Tradition! – I am 100 % and more for tradition, some people might call it ‘soppy’ but I do not care!!!
Christmas Eve – as you might know (and Gerlinde does) 24th – Christmas Eve is the main event for any German – But all in all it reads like you and your family had a wonderful peaceful Christmas. Carina
Merry Christmas Carina. My husband believed the advertisement for the pie at a road side stand and they didn’t even know how to make a crust correctly. It was okay, the rest of the meal was satisfying.
Love the sound of your Christmas dinner, Rosemary!! Merry Christmas to you too!! We had duck yesterday, cooked in a Roemertopf. I wasn’t too sure about it, but it turned out just wonderful, every part was tender and juicy after two hours in the oven!!
I’ve used that clay pot for years and love it. I’m sure your dinner was marvelous! Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year!
What a pity about the apple pie. As you say, next year in France. When are you back?
I’m going sometime in the Spring Nadia.
What a feast you had! Lovely 🙂
Thank you Brenda.
Everything looks so delicious!! From the bloody marys to the turkey to all the sides – you did a fantastic job! Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas.
Thank you Jasmine.
It’s looks so yummy, what a wonderful meal for your loved ones.
Hope you had a happy and festive Christmas.
All the best for the New Year! 🙂
Thank you Dina and Happy New Year to you.
What a fabulous idea cooking the goose with apples soaked in calvados. Brilliant. I found this year our co-op sells goose for Christmas so I’m thinking of doing a goose next year. Happy New Year!