If you like to try something new these coming Xmas holidays, a german menu could be a nice surprise for your guests.
First Starter
Swabian Wurstsalat (sausage suabian salat)
There are many types of sausage salad in Germany. In this case we refer to the one made in Swabia although the differences with the rest of german recipes are minimal, basically referring to the type of sausage used and the addition or not of cheese or some vegetables.
In Swabia (region located at the south of Germany) this salad is very popular. Two types of sausages are used, the sausage that is blanched (brühwurst type, such as frankurter) and the "blood" sausage, which corresponds to the black sausage or blood sausage as found also in England or Spain.
INGREDIENTS (4 people):
- 300 grams (aprox 10 oz) of frankfurter or beer type sausage
- 300 grams (aprox 10 oz) of blood sausage or black sausage (blutwurst)
- 2 large purple onions (sweet)
- Half a dozen gherkins (pickled in vinegar or in the typical German brine with herbs, mustard seeds and spices)
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons of the pickle broth (if they are of the German type, otherwise, add 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar)
- 3 tablespoons of oil (sunflower, corn, olive etc)
- 1 teaspoon strong mustard
- 1 or 2 teaspoons of sugar *
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
* It is usually made bittersweet. If you don't like it this way, eliminate the sugar and reduce the amount of vinegar.
Peel the onions and cut them into rings.
Take them to a bowl. Do the same with the pickles, slicing them thinly and mixing them with the onions.
Bring a casserole with water to a boil, remove from heat and place the sausages for about three minutes (or whatever the manufacturer indicates). Remove from the water, drain, remove the skin (if possible) and cut into longitudinal strips as thin as possible.
Remove the skin from the black sausage and also cut into longitudinal strips. Do not use the the blood sausage that requires prior cooking because it tends to break down easily and is difficult to cut.
Both the black sausage and the sausage are taken to the bowl and joined to the onion rings.
In a bowl we mix the vinegar, the pickle water, the mustard, seasoning the mixture. It is time to add the sugar and dissolve it in the sauce if you like it that way.
We pour the sauce over the sausages and let it rest in the refrigerator or in a place at room temperature - as long as it is somewhat cold - for at least an hour.
Second Starter
Spargel (Asparagus)
Asparagus has been consumed in Germany since time immemorial. They were probably introduced by the Romans and quickly spread throughout the country to the point that they are cultivated in almost every state.
A peculiarity of asparagus consumption in Germany is that fresh and white are preferred. To eat them fresh they must wait until spring while to get them white they must cover the sprout with earth as it grows, preventing it from receiving the sun and therefore generating chlorophyll. In that way they stay whiter than snow.
It is therefore a very seasonal and expensive product, because covering and collecting it means having enough people employed, which affects the final cost paid by the consumer. There are also packaged white asparagus but they rather prefer them fresh.
To prepare the asparagus, the fibrous part must be removed after washing them thoroughly and they must be peeled carefully.
Then they are cooked in water until they soften.
There are many recipes in Germany that feature asparagus as the main character. This one that follows is one of the simplest.
INGREDIENTS (4 people):
- 1 Kg (2.2 pounds) of fresh white asparagus
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- 3 tablespoons of butter
- 4 eggs
- 200 grams (7 oz) of speck*
- 4 small potatoes
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Chives
*speck is a smoked ham typical from central Europe and North Italy
We thoroughly wash the asparagus and peel it to remove the most fibrous part.
In a large pot where the asparagus can stand, pour water so that the tip of the same protrudes. We add the salt, the sugar and the three tablem, very typical of the cusine spoons of butter.
Cook over medium heat, avoiding bubbling, but with the lid of the casserole on. They should take about 10 minutes to soften. We take them out and drain them, preventing them from getting cold. Boil the eggs to make them hard (12 minutes).
We peel them and cut them in half, seasoned.
Boil the potatoes whole and peeled until soft.
We place the asparagus accompanied by the hard-boiled eggs, the potatoes and the speck.
Sprinkle chopped chives and season to taste.
Main Dish
Bavarian Pork Roast
In Germany, pork roasts are made in all regions, but in this case the term "from Bavaria" has been included because the recipe is made in the style of this southern state, including the black beer sauce that differentiates it.
Roast pork is a preparation that is found interchangeably in homes and restaurants. In the former it is "Sunday lunch" and in the lasts it would be rare, especially in Bavaria, for it to be missing from the menu.
It can be made with several pieces of meat from the pig. The most common are the shoulder (front leg), the loin and the ham (rear leg). It is customary to make a rhomboid or "square" lattice to make the crust more crisp. If it is rhomboid, it recalls the Bavarian flag.
The Bavarian flag has two versions. The least common is two stripes, one white and one blue. The other, more frequent, is formed by lozenges, that is, alternating white and blue diamonds. The same motif, somewhat more stylized, is used in the central part of the logo of the BMW cars that are the number one pride of Bavaria.
If you go to Munich, the lozenges are everywhere. The souvenir that does not incorporate it is rare.
There are several poetic explanations for the meaning of the Bavarian flag, most of them fitted with a shoehorn. The most plausible refers to historical reasons linked to the families that once reigned in the area.
INGREDIENTS (4/6 people)
- 1.5 Kg (3.3 pounds) pork shoulder or leg
- 250 ml (1 cup and a quarter) of black beer (german, if possible) *
- 2 large red onions
- 1 large carrot
- 1 celeriac **
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 teaspoon ground caraway seeds ***
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
- Sunflower oil
* You should have a little more beer in case you need it.
** celeriac is not the root of celery. It is a tuber of which only the root is used, the leaves having no use whatsoever.
A celeriac specimen weighs around 1kg (2.2 pounds) and is very popular in Germany. It is used in the same way as potatoes, although it has a fairly powerful flavor that takes over stews and roasts. In Germany the celery that is known in southern Europe is not consumed, probably due to a question of adaptation of the plant to the harsh climate of the area. If it is not easy for you to find it, use a couple of branches of celery since here we are only looking for its flavor.
*** Caraway seeds are often used in German cuisine. They can be found with relative ease in herbalists or large food stores or it is possible to substitute it for oregano or thyme.
The first step that is followed to make this roast is to cut the skin with a knife to make the rhomboid lattice that we have explained before. You can ignore this because it does not affect the flavor of the roast.
We rub the palette with salt, pepper and caraway.
In a large frying pan over high heat with a little oil, brown the meat on all sides but without it being done internally. It's just marking it, not cooking it. We remove and reserve, preventing it from getting cold.
In a dish that can go into the oven and that is also large enough for the shoulder to fit in , we add the onions made into large pieces, the celeriac or the equivalent in potatoes, the garlic without the central green germ cut in diced and sliced carrot.
On the vegetables we place the pallet and put in the oven preheated to 190 degrees (374 F).
After 20 minutes we pour 250 ml (1 cup + 1/4) of dark beer over the vegetables. It is advisable to heat the beer before incorporating it.
We keep the roast in the oven for 3 hours. Every half hour we put a saucepan in the liquid in the tray and we soak the palette so that it does not remain dry. If there is no liquid, we add some extra beer and if you don't have it, water. Of course, always preheated.
When there are 20 minutes until 3 hours are up, we turn on the grill at 210 degrees (410 F). During those 20 minutes of grill we do not take our eyes off the roast, soaking if we see that it gets too dark.
We remove from the oven and cover so that it does not cool.
The vegetables and the broth are strained. The resulting liquid is seasoned and served with the meat.
Potatoes can be cooked or mashed to accompany the roast. The vegetables with which we have baked it only serve to give flavor, they are not served to the diner.
Desserts
Christstollen
The Christstollen is a type of sweet bread very popular in Germany that is consumed during Christmas. It is about giving it the shape of a baby since it tries to represent the baby Jesus. Thus the shape would correspond to a baby wrapped in diapers, hence the bath in icing sugar. If you usually see elephants or hearts in the shape of the clouds, you will also see the newborn child. It is a matter of imagination.
It seems that its modern origin is the city of Dresden, present-day Saxony, during the 15th century, although its consumption is currently very popular throughout the country. It is relatively easy to make.
There are many different recipes, almost one for each German city, although Dresden is often recognized as the original.
The Christstollen, like happens with the Italian Panetonne, can be purchased ready-made in any German bakery or supermarket.
INGREDIENTS :
- 400 grams (14 oz) of bread flour
- 200 grams (7 oz) of butter
- 2 large eggs (L or XL)
- Fresh yeast (the amount indicated by the manufacturer for 400 grams/14 oz of flour)
- 100 grams (3.5 oz) of sugar
- 200 grams (7 oz) of raisins (pitted)
- 100 ml (half a cup) of whole milk
- 100 ml (half a cup) of rum
- the grated skin of two lemons
- the grated skin of two oranges
- 1 pinch of salt
- icing sugar
First the night before we soak the raisins in the rum. This is very important, don't forget it.
The next day we heat the milk a little in the microwave in a large bowl - keep it warm - and undo the yeast in it. After about 15 minutes we add the previously sifted flour - so that it does not make lumps -, the sugar and the pinch of salt. Add the beaten eggs and the butter that we have previously left in the microwave.
We knead for 5 minutes until we obtain a homogeneous dough. We cover the bowl with a cloth, place in a cool and dark place in the kitchen until it doubles in size.
When the size is doubled, we take the dough out of the bowl and roll it on the kitchen marble covered in flour until it is flat. We spread the raisins that we have "alcoholized" and the grated skin of the lemons and oranges on top of the spread.
We close the dough again and work it another 5 minutes. It is left to rest in a dark place and when it doubles in size again, we place it in a rectangular mold or it is given that shape without the need for a mold (it is a dense mass, so it will hold the shape we give it).
We preheat the oven to 200 degrees (392 F) and introduce for 50 minutes or until it is visibly golden. We extract, let cool and sprinkle with icing sugar.
As I said, don't expect a fluffy bread but rather a dense, very dense one. Some recipes include candied fruit and even nuts. You can add them if you like it better that way.
Second Dessert
Rote Grütze
This recipe comes from northern Germany, almost certainly from the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein.
This state, whose most important city is Kiel, was for centuries a border territory where Germans and Scandinavians (who are indeed a type of Germanics) coexisted generally under the rule of Danish kings. The north - what would become Schleswig - was the Danish-speaking area and Holstein, the south, the German-speaking area. Both were for a long time a personal fiefdom of the King of Denmark although they belonged to the Germanic confederation.
After the war between Denmark and a coalition formed by Prussia and Austria that occurred in the mid-nineteenth century, the territory became a Prussian province and until today it has continued to be German territory, although it houses a minority of Danes and Frisians that you can detect thanks to to the bilingualism of some traffic signposts.
This cultural proximity to Scandinavia is guessed in many recipes like this one that concerns us, present in most Nordic gastronomies.
Berries from the forest were practically the only source of vitamin C in ancient times that the peoples of northern Europe could enjoy. That is why they were often used as table fruit but also in compotes, jams or preserves that allowed them to be consumed throughout the year.
Rote Grütze is often referred to as a jelly although in reality it is a soup thickened by the effect of cornstarch. It is a very easy dessert to make and very popular throughout Germany.
INGREDIENTS (4 people):
- 100 grams (3.5 oz) of raspberries
- 100 grams (3.5 oz) of red and black cranberries
- 100 grams (3.5 oz) of tart cherries *
- 100 grams (3.5 oz) f strawberries **
- 1 liter (5 cups) of red fruit juice ***
- 1 vanilla bean
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
* It is a type of cherry widely used in Central European pastries. It can be substituted for gooseberries or strawberries.
** Traditionally, strawberries were not used in the preparation of this dessert but if it is not possible to find sour cherries, they can be substituted for these by doubling the quantity.
*** You can buy a juice without sugar or sweeteners, although it is best to make one with strawberries and blueberries or use pomegranate and even black grape juice with a touch of red fruits to avoid making it more expensive.
We wash all the fruits well and then drain them to remove the excess water.
We make a longitudinal cut to the vanilla bean. We scrape the pulp that we add to the red fruit juice. We mix well.
Bring the juice to a boil - also adding the vanilla bean to give it more flavor - and add the cornstarch without stopping
Remove from the heat and immediately add all the red berries and sugar, while stirring.
Let cool, remove the vanilla bean, and serve, generally with milk, cream or vanilla ice cream. We will see that it has become a kind of thick soup that resembles jelly although in reality it is not.
You can use frozen red fruits, it tends to be equally good. If strawberries are used it is better to cut them in half, not to use them whole.
Drinks
White wines Riesling
Sparkling Sekt
Spezi (for children)
Coffee
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