(ED. Note: For the holiday season, we bring you Elfie Resch's article concerning the Austrian Burgenland holiday of Martinmass or Martini (no dear reader this is not a time to drink gin and vermouth). Goose is as traditional for this holiday as turkey is for Thanksgiving. I remember my grandmother Sorger buying goose for Christmas. She kept it in our alleyway and would feed it corn for weeks. My grandfather loved it. She used the feathers to stuff pillows. She also force-fed the goose to enlarge its liver. On our first trip to the Burgenland in 1974, we were staying at a Gasthaus in Mörbisch am See. We ordered chicken and were told they had none. They suggested goose. Molly and our children said it was the best bird they ever ate. I had Wienerschnitzel, not being fond of fowl. Molly now orders it whenever it appears on the menu. Geese are good at giving alarms. On our last trip, we were inspecting Castle Bernstein when an irate goose with goslings attacked Molly when she came too close - pecked her leg and pulled her slacks - we have a picture of the event. November 11 is also the day after which the previous year's vintage becomes old wine and the current vintage becomes new wine.)

Elfie writes:

Martini (Saint Martin)
November 11 is the day of the national patron, Saint Martin. Pupils, teachers and officials of the Burgenland really enjoy it, because they then have a holiday. In several towns, like Eisenstadt, there will also be a "Martini-Kirtag" (Martini-Fair).

St. Martin was born 316 AD in Savaria/Steinamanger and he became a Roman soldier. When he was 18, he became a baptized Christian. The legends tell us: Martin was riding on a cold day, saw a beggar and divided his coat with his sword, giving the beggar the other half. As he worked for the poor, the citizens of Tours (France) voted for him to become a bishop. Martin dreaded accepting this position and hid, but cackling geese divulged his hiding place. He went on to continue his good works and was eventually elevated to sainthood, becoming the patron Saint of Tours as well as of Austria.

It is thus traditional to serve Martini-goose as dinner on this day. The geese stay six months at the farm; in the summer every day they are driven to the meadow. The geese reach a weight between four and six Kilos (8.8 to 13.2 lbs). A few days before Martini they are slaughtered, plucked and, in the name of St. Martin, roasted crunchy brown and consumed. The goose feathers (down) would on dark winter evenings be pulled out from the quills. This was a typical work for the farm wives. During this work, they would tell stories or sing folksongs, some of which are included in the songbook of the Burgenland Bunch (see Homepage).

The following recipe was from my grandmother (she was not from the Burgenland, but she understands good cooking) and from GRETE TAUBER, a woman from Oberpullendorf.

Martini-Goose with chestnut-filling, potato dumplings, fork-cabbage or red cabbage (for 6 - 8 Persons)

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Some hints for the method:

Today we buy the goose in a store and there are quills left in the goose; pull them out with a tweezers.

For every Kilogram of weight, roasting time will be 1 hour. A goose weighing 4 Kilograms needs 4 hours to roast, at a temperature of 200-220 degrees Celsius (400-425 degrees Fahrenheit). It is necessary to plan the time so the cook can also enjoy the result. A goose is a very fat bird, and it makes sense to remove all fat. Pour away the fat (save it) as it comes into the pan and during the roasting pierce the skin under the legs and wings for the fat to flow out.

Goose-fat tastes good spread on bread or can be used for roasting the goose-liver (but this is another story).

For a crunchier skin:
1) clean the goose with boiled water before roasting and then pat dry.
2) 10 minutes before the roast is finished, coat it with honey.