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What to eat in Baden-Wurttemberg

Michelle July 30, 2014 Uncategorized No Comments

This famous Black Forest region of Germany is a joy to explore, as Sharon Preston found out on a trip there recently. It also offers some culinary delicacies worth savouring. Sharon gives a list of her favourite dishes from Baden-Wurttemberg

Sauerkraut
The most famous of all German foods, Sauerkraut, is very popular in Baden-Wurttemburg. Saukerkraut translates to Sour Cabbage in English and it’s a finely sliced green cabbage that has been fermented or pickled to give it a distinct sour flavour. Carrots and fennel fronds are also added to the dish, which is used as an accompaniment to a variety of traditional dishes.

Zwiebelkuchen
These traditional onion tarts are usually made as a pie with a crust covered with red or white onions, bacon bits, sour cream and caraway seeds. Similar in consistency to a quiche, Zwiebelkuchen is very traditional in the Black Forest region. This savoury onion pie or tart is traditionally eaten for breakfast or brunch.

Spatzle and Knopfl
Germany’s version of pasta or noodles are Spatzle or Knopfl, an extremely popular dish throughout the country, including in Baden-Wurttemberg. Made from flour, water, salt and eggs, the noodles are served as an alternative to potatoes with roast or braised meat, poultry, game or beef rolls. In this region they are called Knopfl. The basic mixture is the same as Spatzle, but these noodles are moulded into little balls the size of chickpeas, rather than the long shape used for Spatzle. They are also served as an alternative to potatoes in many meat and poultry dishes.

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What to eat when you’re visiting Germany’s Rhine region

Michelle July 29, 2014 Uncategorized No Comments

Germany’s Rhineland area offers some delectable dishes. Sharon Preston gives you an idea of what to sample when you’re exploring this fascinating region

Blutwurst
Blutwurst is black pudding or blood sausage, a dark sausage stuffed with fresh pig’s blood, diced pork, pork fat and seasoned. It’s often added to traditional German dishes, but can also be eaten on its own boiled and served with fried potatoes and onions. In the Rhine region this German delicacy is served cold, thinly sliced with a fresh baguette and some excellent Rhine wine.

Himmel und Aad (Cologne)
The words ‘himmel und aad’ translate to mean ‘heaven and earth’, and the dish with that name is made of potatoes (from the earth) and apples (from the trees, or the sky). The dish, which comprises black pudding, fried onions and mashed potato and is served with apple sauce , has been popular since the 18th Century. You’ll find Himmel und Aad served as the main part of a meal, often with a pork dish. It goes well with a beer.

Reibekuchen
These German potato fritters made with flour, grated potato and eggs are traditional fare in the Rhineland. They are delicious, crisp, chewy treats, usually accompanied with apple sauce and pumpernickel bread. You’ll find them at street fairs and markets throughout the country. Eat them as a side dish with either sweet or salty foods – but don’t forget the apple sauce, which is an integral part of the dish.

Rheinischer Sauerbrauten
Sauerbrauten, a classic German potroast, is popular throughout the country including in the Rhineland. Made from meat, usually beef, it has a sour flavour as it’s marinated in a mixture containing vinegar. The Rhineland version of Sauerbrauten, called Rheinischer Sauerbrauten is a classic Rhineland dish that has added certain ingredients to the original. The gravy is made with raisins and sugar beet syrup to provide sweetness that counteracts the sourness of the dish. It’s traditionally served with knodel, or potato dumplings, red cabbage and apple sauce.

Muscheln Rheinische Art
Mussels from the North Sea and white wine from the middle and upper Rhine region are used in the traditional dish called Muscheln Rheinische Art, or ‘Mussels, the Rhine kind’ as it translates in English. The mussels are cooked in a stock made with wine and vegetables and served in the shell with a little of the stock and accompanied by brown bread and butter. Variations of the dish include adding beer or broth to the stock instead of wine. This delicious mussel dish makes an excellent appetiser or main course.

Gourmet dining in Burgundy

Michelle July 27, 2014 Uncategorized No Comments

You can’t visit Burgundy without sampling some gourmet delicacies, says Sharon Preston, who has just returned from a trip exploring France. Here she gives her favourites, all specialities of this very famous French area

Beouf Bourguignon
This rich beef and potato stew is traditionally made using quality meat from Charolais cattle, white cattle that are bred in the Burgundy area. The beef is braised in wine (preferably a good, full-bodied red from the area) and then stewed with seasonal vegetables, including potatoes, garlic, onions and carrots. It’s seasoned with a bouquet garni, a special little bag of herbs containing a mix of thyme, bay leaves and parsley. The dish is cooked for two days before serving, to soften the meat even further and combine the flavours.

Escargots de Bourgogne, Burgundy snails
These edible snails, called escargots, come from Burgundy and are traditionally served with a garlic and parsley butter. The snails are a delicacy; big, plump and sweet and are exported world-wide. Although the garlic is traditionally pureed and the parsley is chopped, you can have yours served with garlic oil and parsley cream, or an addition of a lemon and crème fraiche. Escargots de Bourgogne are served warm in a special plate with 6 or 12 holes to accommodate the snails. They are accompanied by snail tongs and a special fork for prying out the flesh. Enjoy with a glass of Chablis.

Fondue Bourguignonne
Fondue, Burgundy-style, is a meat fondue where chunks of meat are dipped into a metal pot of hot oil to cook. They are served with a selection of sauces including Dijon mustard sauce, Truffle mushroom sauce, Blue cheese sauce and pepper sauce. Once you have removed the cooked meat from the oil with your long fondue fork, you take it off the fork and use a regular fork to eat it, dipping bites into your preferred sauce. Savour with a glass of red Burgundy wine.

Coq au vin
This popular speciality in Burgundy is a classic French dish created by braising a free-range chicken from the region of Bresse and cooking it in a red wine sauce. Traditionally, the tender Bresse capons are marinated for a day in red Burgundy wine before being cooked with herbs, tender onions and mushrooms, to create a simple, rustic, mouth-watering dish. These special chickens are distinguished by their white feathers, fine blue feet, red wattles, white flesh and skin.

Gougeres (Cheese puffs)
Gougeres are savoury cheese puffs with with choux pastry, the same dough used for cream puffs and eclairs. The dough is traditionally mixed with grated Gruyere, Comte or Emmentaler cheese and baked. These addictive snacks are usually served cold as hors d’oevres when wine tasting in the Burgundy wine cellars, or warm as an appetiser with the local aperitif called Kir. Gougeres are sometimes filled with other ingredients including beef, ham or mushrooms and baked in a ring or pie tin.

Belle Dijonaise Pear or Poir Belle Helene
This traditional Burgundian dessert was invented by the famous French chef Auguste Escoffier in 1864. It comprises pears poached in red wine with a syrup of spices and vanilla. Served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and dark chocolate sauce, this is heaven on a plate. Sometimes you’ll enjoy the dish decorated with almonds, berries and icing sugar, although traditionally it was decorated with crystallised violets.

Burgundy wines
Burgundy’s vineyards extend south for around 150 miles via Dijon to Macon. Here, 101 different wines are produced in 4 600 wineries in five main wine districts – Chablis, Cote de Nuits, Cote de Beaune, Cote Chalonnaise and Maconnais. These excellent wines are used abundantly in the region’s traditional dishes, including Coq au Vin and Beouf Bourgogne. They include Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from around Chablis, Merlots and Cabernets from Bordelais, and exquisite nectars produced on the Cote-de-Nuits.

Dijon mustard
Burgundy’s gourmet Dijon mustard is famous world-wide. It is a gastronomic classic, used as an accompaniment and a seasoning to a variety of dishes made with chicken, beef and fish. Its name describes the production method used to create the mustard and its distinctive taste comes from blending mustard seeds with vinegar and then grinding them to a smooth paste. The biggest producer of this famous dish is Grey Poupon-Maille. You can visit their boutique in Dijon to buy a range of mustards and pick up some of their recipes.

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