Bayerische Martinsgans

Bayerische Martinsgans belongs to 11 November, St. Martin's Day, when the year turns properly cold and the fattened goose has done its work in the yard. In Bavaria I want apple, onion, chestnut, and Beifuß, mugwort, inside the bird, with Kartoffelknödel, potato dumplings, and Blaukraut, red cabbage, beside it. Im Norden anders, im Süden anders: further north you'll find prunes, plainer stuffing, or kale at the table, and in Austria the plate walks close beside the Bavarian one. German food has no single national goose. Das ist kein Bierzelt.

The goose is a fat bird, and that is a gift if you don't panic. Start it low, breast down at first, because the slow climb melts the thick fat under the skin before the meat tightens and dries. Blast it from the beginning and the skin shrinks over trapped fat, the breast goes woolly, and you spend supper apologising. Runter mit der Temperatur. Let the fat run, spoon it off, keep it, then finish hotter so the skin lacquers and crackles under the knife.

The gravy is made from the pan, neck, wing tips, vegetables, and browned drippings. Nicht aus dem Glas. The spooned-off goose fat goes into a jar for potatoes another day, and the carcass becomes stock after supper. Weggeworfen wird nichts. This is feast food, yes, but the method is plain: dry the skin, render the fat, rest the bird, taste the gravy. Erst verstehen, dann kochen.