Apple, Rice, and Meringue Pudding
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
- 9 oz (250g) short-grain rice
- 6 tbsp sugar
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 piece of lemon, peeled and pith removed
- 4 1/4 cups milk
- 2.2 lb (1 kg) apples, peeled
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 egg whites
Instructions
- In a tall pot, bring the rice, 2 tablespoons of sugar, the salt, the piece of lemon, and the milk to a boil over low heat. Stirring constantly, cook the rice for about 15 minutes. Peel and core the apples and chop them into small pieces. Sprinkle the apple pieces with the lemon juice immediately to prevent them from turning brown. Melt the butter in a large pot, add the apples and 2 tablespoons of the sugar, and cook until the apples are tender. Spread a layer of rice pudding in a round casserole dish with a high rim. Evenly distribute the pieces of apple over the rice, then layer the remaining rice over the apples.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Using a rotary mixer, beat the egg whites in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of sugar until the form stiff peaks. Spread the egg whites over the rice. Place the casserole on the middle rack of the oven and bake for about 5-10 minutes until the meringue is lightly browned. Watch out that the meringue doesn't burn - this can happen very quickly!
Tip: If you would like to serve this dish for dessert after a special meal, make it in individual portions as shown in the photograph. Use small ovenproof glass dishes. But spread just one layer of rice at the bottom, then top the rice with a layer of apples and top the apples with the meringue.
Kirschenmichel (Cherry Bread Pudding)
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 lb (750g) sweet cherries, such as Bing cherries
- 5 day-old bread rolls
- 2 cups milk
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tbsp softened unsalted butter
- 6 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp zest of 1 organic lemon
- 1 pinch of baking powder
- 2 heaping tbsp flour
- 1 tbsp bread crumbs
- a few small pieces of butter
Instructions
- Pit the cherries and set them on one side. Slice the bread rolls into slices 1/3in (1 cm) thick and soak them in the cold milk. Separate the eggs. Using a wire whisk, whisk the butter, 5 tablespoons of the sugar and the egg yolk in a bowl until thick and creamy. Mix in the lemon zest, baking powder, flour, and milk-soaked bread. In a second bowl, using an electric hand-mixer, beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks and fold them into the mixture.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) or 350°F (180°C) if you are using convection heat. Butter a square casserole dish. Spread a layer of the cherries on the bottom of the dish, then a layer of the bread-and-egg mixture. Continue alternating layers until all the ingredients are used up. Sprinkle the top layer with the bread crumbs and dot it with a few pieces of butter. Place the bread pudding on the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake it for about 45 minutes until it is golden-brown. Remove it from the oven, sprinkle it with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar, and serve immediately.
Tip: Cherry bread pudding has to be eaten fresh from the oven. When the pudding is cold, it loses much of its fluffiness and only tastes half as good as when it is hot.
Classic Cheesecake
Makes 1 9-1/2 inch (24-cm) cake
Ingredients
For the crust
- 9 oz (250g) flour
- 4 1/2 oz (125g) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 large egg
For the filling
- 6 oz (170g) ricotta cheese
- 1 lb (450g) cream cheese
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 4 1/2 oz (130g) sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 4 1/2 oz (125g) melted unsalted butter
- zest of 1 organic lemon
Instructions
- Sift the flour into a bowl. Add the butter, sugar, salt, and egg. Using your hands, and working quickly, knead the mixture to form a smooth, elastic, dough. Shape the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap, and put it in the refrigerator to rest for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and place the oven rack on the second level from the bottom. Butter a 9 1/2-in (24-cm) spring-form pan. Place the ricotta cheese in a fine sieve and place the sieve over a bowl. Let the ricotta drain for at least two hours. In a bowl, using an electric hand mixer, blend together the ricotta, cream cheese, and the sour cream until there are no lumps. Add the vanilla extract, sugar, eggs, cornstarch, melted butter, and lemon peel.
- Roll out the short crust pastry to line the base and sides of the spring-form pan. Pour in the filling. Place the pan on the rack and bake the cake for about 45-55 minutes.
Tip: If the cheesecake starts to brown too quickly when it is baking, simply cover it with parchment paper. This recipe is the basic cheesecake recipe and it can be varied quite easily. Blackberries or red currants taste delicious in the filling, as of course do raisins or pieces of apple.
Steamed Dumplings
Serves 4.
Ingredients
- 1 lb 2 oz (500g) flour
- 1 1/2 oz (42g) yeast cake or 2 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 pinch of sugar
- 1 cup milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
Instructions
- Sift the flour into a bowl and make a deep well in the center. Crumble the yeast in the well, then add the sugar and 4 tablespoons of the milk. Stirring in the well, carefully incorporate a bit of flour into the liquid. Cover the bowl and leave it in a warm place for 20 minutes until the yeast bubbles up. Add the remaining milk, the egg, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt to the dough. Using your hands, knead the dough until it no longer sticks to your fingers. This takes about 3-4 minutes. Shape the dough into 8 balls, place them on a floured work surface, and let them rise for 40 minutes more.
- Bring 2 cups of salted water to a boil in a wide pot and add the butter. When the butter has melted, place the balls of dough in the water. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes. Do not remove the lid! The dumplings are ready when the liquid has evaporated and a crust has formed on the bottom of the dumplings. You can hear it when a crust has formed because the dumplings crackle a bit. Remove the pot from the heat. Using two spoons, take the steamed dumplings out of the pot and serve.
Tip: These taste best with vanilla custard (page 116) or homemade fruit compote. The next day, any leftover dumplings are sliced and fried in a frying pan with diced bacon and served, for example, with butter mixed with herbs.
Pan-Fried Fish with Potato Salad
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the potato salad:
- 2.2 lb (1 kg) yellow potatoes, such as Yukon gold
- salt to taste
- 1 large egg
- 4 dill pickles
- 1 large, tart apple, such as Granny Smith (about 200g)
- 9 oz (250 g) mayonnaise
- 1/2 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika
- pepper
- 1/2 bunch of chives
For the pan-fried fish:
- 1 3/4 lb (800 g) fillets of fish, such as cod or haddock
- juice of 1 lemon
- salt to taste
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 5-8 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 lemon slices, cut in half
Instructions
- To make the potato salad, wash the potatoes and cook them in their skins for about 20 minutes in boiling, salted, water. Drain, rinse them with cold water, and let them cool down a bit. Peel the potatoes and slice them into 1/4 inch (5 mm) pieces. Put the potatoes in a bowl. Cook the egg 8-10 minutes until it is hard-boiled. Rinse the egg under cold water, peel it, dice it finely, and add it to the potatoes. Finely dice the dill pickles and add them to the bowl. Peel and dice the apple and add it to the salad. Add the mayonnaise. Stir everything carefully. Season with the cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Chop the chives finely and sprinkle them over the salad.
- To make the pan-fried fish, wash the fish fillets, pat them dry, and cut them into pieces as desired (such as fish sticks). Sprinkle the fillets with lemon juice and salt. Set up a row of three plates to create a breading station. Place the flour on the first plate, the beaten egg on the second, and the bread crumbs on the third. Successively dip both sides of each piece of fish into the flour, beaten egg, and the bread crumbs, Press the pieces firmly into the bread crumbs. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan and, over moderate heat, fry the battered fish pieces for about 4 minutes on each side until they are crisp and golden-brown. Serve them on individual plates with a helping of potato salad. Garnish each plate with half a lemon slice.
Tip: You can add grated coconut or chopped nuts to the bread crumbs.
Green Pea Soup
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 9 oz (250 g) dried green split peas
- 1/4 cup celery root
- 1/4 cup carrots
- 3 oz (90 g) leek
- 4 sprigs of flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter or pork lard
- 1 lb 2 oz (500 g) smoked pork belly in one piece
- 4 medium yellow potatoes, such as Yukon Gold
- 3 1/2 oz (100 g) frozen peas
- 1 tbsp fresh marjoram leaves
- 1 tsp salt
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- Wash the split peas thoroughly and soak in about 6 cups of cold water for at least 2 hours. Clean and trim the celery root, carrots, leek, and parsley and chop into small pieces. In a large pot, melt the butter or pork lard and sweat the vegetables over a brisk heat. Add the parsley and the peas along with the soaking water and the piece of pork belly. Turn the heat up high and bring the soup to a boil. Skim the scum that rises to the surface of the liquid. Reduce the heat and, with the pan partially covered, gently simmer the soup for 30 minutes.
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into small cubes. Add the potato cubes to the pot and cook the soup for another 30 minutes. Ten minutes before the end of the cooking time, add the frozen peas to the liquid.
- Remove the pork belly from the pot and slice it into bite-sized pieces. Return the pork cubes to the soup, add the marjoram, and let steep for 2 minutes. Season the soup liberally with salt and pepper.
Tip: If you like your soup a bit creamier, after you have removed the pork belly from the pot, use a hand-held blender to purée the peas until the soup has the consistency you like.
Gugelhupf
Makes 1 9 1/2 inch (24-cm) Gugelhupf
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 oz (100 g) raisins
- 3 1/2 oz (100 g) currants
- 14 oz (400 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 oz (30 g) yeast cake or 3/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup (130 g) sugar
- 9 oz (250 g) unsalted butter
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- 1 pinch of salt
- zest of 1 organic lemon
- 3 tbsp confectioner's sugar
Instructions
- Wash the raisins and currants in hot water and put them on paper towels to drain. Set 2 tablespoons of the flour on one side. Sift the remaining flour into a bowl and make a deep well in the center. Crumble the yeast in the well, then add the sugar and 4 tablespoons of the milk. Stirring in the well, carefully incorporate a bit of flour into the liquid. Cover the bowl and leave it in a warm place for 20 minutes until the yeast bubbles up.
- Set aside 1 tablespoon of the butter. Melt the rest of the butter in a pot. Using the dough attachment of an electric mixer, mix the melted butter, remaining sugar, vanilla extract, remaining milk, eggs, salt, and lemon zest into the dough until it shows bubbles. Toss the raisins and currants in the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour and gently fold them in to the dough. Grease a 9 1/2 inch (24 cm) gugelhupf mold (or a fluted tube pan), place the dough in it, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm place for 40 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Place the gugelhupf on the middle rack of the oven and bake it for about 50 - 60 minutes. Test the cake to see if it is done (see tip page 146). Remove the gugelhupf from the oven and cool for about 20 minutes. Turn the cake out on to a cake rack. Melt the reserved 1 tablespoon of butter and brush it over the cake. Sprinkle the cake with the confectioner's sugar.
Tip: This cake doesn't just go beautifully with coffee, tea, or cocoa, but also tastes fabulous with a glass of red wine or a sweet dessert wine, such as ice wine or port. If you like, you can use candied lemon or orange peel instead of or along with the currants, adjusting the measurements accordingly.
Königsberg Meatballs
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 2 day-old bread rolls
- 1 large onion
- 1 3/4 lb (750g) mixed ground meat (such as veal, beef, and pork)
- salt to taste
- a pinch of pepper
- a pinch of grated nutmeg
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 heaping tbsp flour
- 1 cup milk
- 3 1/2 oz (100g) capers from a jar, with their liquid
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
- Put the bread rolls in water to soften them. Dice the onion finely. Squeeze out the bread to remove excess water. Place the ground meat in a bowl and add the bread rolls, diced onion, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and eggs and knead everything together very well. Moisten your hands and shape the mixture into 20 meatballs.
- In a large pot, bring 8 1/2 cups of well-salted water to a boil. Add the meatballs to the water. Turn down the heat so the water barely simmers, and gently poach the meatballs for 10 minutes, making sure the water does not boil. Remove the meatballs. Measure out 2 cups of the cooking liquid and set aside.
- Melt the butter in a pot, stir in the flour and cook for a minute or two. Gradually add the milk and poaching liquid, stirring constantly with wire whisk to prevent lumps from forming. Turn off the heat and let the sauce rest on the burner you have just used, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Stir now and then. Add the capers along with their liquid. Beat together the egg yolk and cream and stir into the sauce. Season with the salt, pepper, sugar, and lemon juice. Put the meatballs in the sauce and gently warm the sauce and meatballs, making sure the sauce does not boil.
Tip: An excellent side dish to serve with "Königsberg Meatballs" is a salad of cooked red beets dressed with a pinch of salt, oil, and freshly grated horseradish.
Zwetschgendatschi (Plum Tart)
Makes 1 baking tray
Ingredients
- 1 lb 2 oz (500g) flour
- 1 1/2 oz (42g) yeast cake or 2 tsp active dry yeast
- 3 1/2 oz (100g) sugar
- 1 cup lukewarm milk
- 4 1/2 oz (125g) softened unsalted butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1 pinch of salt
- 2.2 lb (2 kg) fresh plums or prunes
- 1 3/4 oz (50g) sugar
Instructions
- Sift the flour into a bowl and make a deep well in the center. Crumble the yeast in the well, then add the sugar and 4 tablespoons of the milk. Stirring in the well, carefully incorporate a bit of flour into the liquid. Cover the bowl and leave it in a warm place for 20 minutes until the yeast bubbles up.
- Melt the butter. Add the rest of the milk and sugar, the eggs, butter, and salt to the dough. Using your hands, knead the dough until it no longer sticks to your fingers. This takes about 3 - 4 minutes. Cover and let the dough rise in a warm place for 40 minutes more until it has almost doubled in volume.
- Wash the plums or prunes, and cut them in half, but not completely, so that the halves are still attached together. Remove the pits. Then cut each half lengthwise into two, again not completely, so that the fruit hangs together like an accordion. Grease a 16x12x1 inch (40x30x2.5cm) baking tray or line it with parchment paper.
- Turn out the dough onto a floured work surface, roll it out into a rectangle the size of the baking tray, and place it on the baking tray. Using the tines of a fork, prick the dough all over. Arrange the plums or prunes in closely-packed rows on top of the dough. Cover the tart with a cloth, and let it rise for 20 minutes more. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Place the baking tray on the middle rack of the oven and bake the tart for 30 minutes. Remove it from the oven and sprinkle it with the sugar while it is still hot.
Poppyseed Streusel Squares
Makes 1 baking tray
Ingredients
Filling:
- 9 oz (250g) raisins
- 2 tbsp rum
- 1 lb 2 oz (500g) ground poppyseed
- 2 cups milk
- 2 1/2 oz (70g) semolina
- 5 1/2 oz (150g) sugar
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 large egg
- juice of 1/2 lemon
Base:
- 5 1/2 oz (150g) softened unsalted butter
- 5 1/2 oz (150g) sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 pinch of salt
- zest of 1/2 organic lemon
- 9 oz (250g) flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
Streusel:
- 7 1/2 oz (200g) unsalted butter
- 9 oz (250g) flour
- 9 oz (250g) sugar
- 1 pinch of salt
Instructions
- To make the filling, soak the raisins in the rum for 30 minutes. Place the poppyseed in a bowl and pour 2 cups of boiling water over it. Stir, and let the poppyseed swell for about 15 minutes. In a pot, bring the milk to a boil, and add the semolina, sugar, and salt. Stirring constantly, cook the mixture for 1 minute. Remove it from the heat. Pour the semolina into the poppyseed, stir in the egg and the lemon juice, and let cool. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 16x12x1 inch (40x30x2.5cm) baking tray with parchment paper.
- To make the base, using an electric hand mixer cream together the butter and sugar. Gradually add the eggs, salt, lemon peel, flour, and baking powder. Mix everything together until the dough is smooth. Spread out the dough on the parchment paper.
- To make the streusel, first melt the butter. Put the flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl, add the melted butter, and mix until large crumbs (the streusel) form. Spread the poppyseed filling over the dough. Evenly sprinkle the streusel over the filling. Place the baking tray on the middle rack of the oven and bake the poppyseed squares for 40 - 45 minutes.
Potato and Jam Pastries
Makes 1 dozen pastries
Ingredients
- 9 oz (250g) salad potatoes, such as Yukon Gold
- 1 3/4 oz (50g) softened unsalted butter
- 2 large eggs
- 3 1/2 oz (100g) sugar
- 9 oz (250g) flour
- 1/2 tsp double-acting baking powder
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 12 heaping tsp jam to taste
- 3 tbsp milk
- a bit of confectioner's sugar
Instructions
- The day before you want to make the pastries, boil the unpeeled potatoes in liberally salted water until they are done. On baking day, peel the potatoes and put them through a potato ricer. Cream the softened butter and the eggs and sugar in a bowl until thick and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla extract and the potatoes. Mix the flour with the baking powder and salt and beat into the potato mixture. Lightly knead the dough, gather it into a ball, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rest for 1 1/2 hours in the refrigerator.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Roll out the dough on a floured work surface until it is 1/4 inch (5mm) thick. Cut out 12 squares about 4 inches (10cm) on each side. Spread each square with 1 heaping teaspoon of the jam. Working from the tip, roll up the squares diagonally into croissant shapes. Place them on the parchment paper and brush them with milk. Place the baking tray on the middle rack of the oven and bake the triangles for 20 - 25 minutes until they are golden-brown. Remove the baking tray from the oven and dust the pastries lightly with confectioner's sugar.
Tip: Apricot jam, plum butter, or rosehip butter also make good fillings for the pastries. Don't worry if a bit of the jam leaks out when the pastries are baking, they taste even better.
Rhine Sauerbraten with Potato Dumplings
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the sauerbraten:
- 1 carrot
- 1 large onion
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup red wine vinegar
- 4 cloves
- 10 dried juniper berries
- 10 allspice berries
- 1 tsp white peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- 2.2 lb (1 kg) boneless beef bottom round
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 oz (80 g) raisins
- 1 tsp cornstarch if desired
- honey or sugar to taste
For the potato dumplings:
- 2.2 lb (1 kg) white potatoes, such as russet potatoes
- salt
- 3 1/2 oz (100 g) flour
- a bit of freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
- Wash the carrot, peel the onion, and dice them finely. Place the vinegar, water, and carrots in a pot, and bring to a boil. Add the cloves, dried juniper berries, allspice berries, pepper, and bay leaf and stir. Remove the marinade from the heat and cool it down. Put the venison in a large bowl, pour the marinade over it, cover, and marinate the meat in the refrigerator for 3 days, turning it now and then - sauerbraten is not a dish for impromptu dinner invitations!
- Remove the meat from the marinade, pat it dry, and season it with salt. Pour the marinade through a sieve, retaining the marinade and vegetables. In a heavy casserole, heat the vegetable oil and sear the meat on all sides. Add the marinade vegetables and spices. Pour 1 cup of the marinade into the casserole, stirring to loosen the brown bits on the bottom. Boil the sauce briefly and reduce the heat. Cover the casserole and gently simmer the roast over low heat for about 2 hours, turning it now and then. If needed, add a bit of water.
- To make the potato dumplings, boil the potatoes in salted water. Let the steam evaporate and peel the potatoes while they are still hot. Immediately put them through a potato ricer into a bowl. Cover and chill. Once they are cool, sprinkle the flour over the potatoes and season them with 1/2 teaspoon salt and the - [Rest of recipe missing; page cuts off there.]
Sauerkraut
Makes 10 1/2 qts (101)
Ingredients
- 1 lb (5 kg) green cabbage
- 1 1/2 oz (40 g) salt (not sea salt)
- 20 dried juniper berries
- 1 cup white wine or whey
Instructions
- Remove the outer leaves from the heads of cabbage and set them aside. Quarter the cabbages, core them, and finely shred the cabbage using a cabbage grater or pickling grater. Place half of the outer cabbage leaves on the bottom of the fermenting pot. Place the cabbage in the pot in layers about 4-in (10-cm) high. Salt each layer, add a few juniper berries, and then pound the layer vigorously with a cabbage masher to release as much juice as possible. Only then proceed to make the next layer. Repeat this step until all the cabbage and salt have been used. The pot should be about three-quarters full.
- Pour the white wine or whey into the stoneware pot to start the fermenting process. Use the remaining outer leaves of the cabbage to cover the top layer. Fill the rim of the stoneware pot with water and set the lid on top. Let the cabbage ferment at room temperature. An occasional bubbling shows that the fermented process is underway. Check the sauerkraut pot regularly to make sure there is enough liquid since the sauerkraut always must be covered by liquid. If it isn't, pour in brine made of 2 tablespoons salt per 4 1/4 cups of water). After 10 days, the pre-fermentation phase is finished. Then, place the stoneware pot in a cool place such as a basement. After 8 weeks, the sauerkraut is ready. To ensure that the lid stays tightly sealed, now and then top up the water in the rim.
Wiener Schnitzel with Potato and Cucumber Salad
It was decades ago when I was first introduced to real Wiener schnitzel. While I was visiting Vienna, a friend took me to a small, rustic, restaurant "Zu den 2 Lieserln." There, without much ceremony, we were served two thin, tender, crispy, golden-brown schnitzels so large that they hung over the edges of the plates. They were served with the classic side dish of lukewarm potato-cucumber salad. I was so impressed - and enthusiastic. In Germany, I'm still looking for a simple local restaurant that serves this dish. But it isn't all that hard to make real Wiener schnitzel - if you pay attention to a few small details, that is.
Birgit
