Wienerschnitzel

I've been having serious comfort-food cravings lately, and few things are more homey or comforting for me than German food. A platter of Schnitzel or Sauerbraten with Spätzle, Rotkohl, and Kartoffelpuffer, is practically Gemütlichkeit on a plate.

The kids have been asking for a German dinner, and I got a good price on veal cutlets the other day, a package of two large cutlets which I'd cut in two for more reasonable portion size. Since there are three of us, instead of cooking up four of the small cutlets and then having all three of us fight to the death for the last schnitzel, I cooked one up for my lunch yesterday. Win-win.

Since the cutlet is pounded so thin  - technically this is called a "paillard," escalope," or "scallop" - the schnitzel cooks really quickly, so it's a good idea to have everything else ready to go in serving bowls and even already set on the table before you fry the schnitzels. Then all you have to do is just stick them on a plate and run into the dining room and eat them while they're hot. The crispy, hot breading encases the tender meat and the little bit of lemon juice and parsley add a brightness that simply makes your tongue sing. :)

Guten Appetit!

Wienerschnitzel

Ingredients:

• veal cutlets, pounded to at least 1/4 inch thickness
• flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• unseasoned, soft breadcrumbs
• peanut oil for frying
• lemon slices
• chopped parsley

Directions:

1. Set up three shallow bowls (I use pie pans) with flour in one, beaten egg in the next, and breadcrumbs in the third.
2. Make sure your cutlets are pounded very thin- at least 1/4 inch thick, thinner if you can manage it without tearing holes in the meat. Pat the cutlets dry. 
3. Working one cutlet at a time, dredge it in flour very well so that it is completely coated. Shake off the excess flour and dip the cutlet in the beaten egg and then pass through the bread crumbs. Don't press the crumbs down into the egg, but make sure that the entire cutlet is totally covered. Repeat with other cutlets and let them rest on a plate.
4. Heat a good 1/4 inch of peanut oil in a large skillet to medium-high - it seems like a lot of oil, but I've found that it is the key to keeping the breading from sticking and burning. It also gives you a lovely puffed-up crust.
5. Once the oil starts to shimmer, carefully put the cutlets into the oil. Don't crowd the pan, though. You can do this in batches of 2 cutlets at a time if you have to. 
6. Cook for 2 - 4 minutes until the breading is golden brown on the bottom and then carefully flip over (I use tongs for this) and cook until the other side is also golden brown.
7. You're done. The thinner cutlets cook really fast. Garnish with lemon slices and chopped parsley and serve.

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Rösti

Rösti is basically a large skillet potato pancake, kind of like a huge latke. I've mentioned my potato pancake preferences before, but this morning I wanted something potatoey and hashbrown-like. Last night I made some rough applesauce* and I had a smidge of crème fraîche left that needed using up, and really, what better vehicle to showcase both delicious sweet-tart applesauce and smooth, creamy crème fraîche than a gigantic potato pancake?

It is also the perfect autumnal pairing, and quite easy to make. I had fun working my Benriner Japanese mandoline, though for the life of me, I can not figure out how to use the finger guard while slicing, so I am just super-duper careful not to add shreds of finger to the fingerling potatoes.

Rösti with Chunky Applesauce and Crème Fraîche

Serves 1 generously or 2 judiciously

Ingredients:

• 2 tiny fingerling potatoes, I used a Peruvian purple and red creamer
• 1/4 of a medium-sized onion
• 1 royal trumpet mushroom
• 1 egg
• fresh thyme
• 1 - 2 t flour
• salt
• pepper
• applesauce
• crème fraîche or sour cream

Directions:

1. Grate the potato on a box grater or a mandoline that has serrated razor settings. I used the medium blade on mine which produces 1/4 inch shreds. Grate about 1/2 cup of potato. Soak the shredded potato in a bowl of cold water and set aside.
2. Grate an equal amount of the onion and as much as the mushroom as possible - I probably only got about 3 T of shredded mushroom.
3. Put the onion and mushroom into another bowl along with some fresh thyme leaves, salt and pepper and mix well. 
4. Drain the potato shreds and squeeze out as much of the water as you can, then add to the onion and mushroom mixture and mix well.
5. Crack in the egg and stir to combine, then toss in 1 t of flour and mix well. You can add a bit more flour if the mixture seems too runny.
6. Heat up a large skillet and melt some butter over medium-high heat
7. Spread the mixture out as thinly as possible, lower the heat to medium and then cover the skillet and let cook until the edges of the pancake are golden-brown and then carefully flip over and let cook on the other side until it, too, is golden-brown and delicious.
8. Remove from heat, top with applesauce and crème fraîche or sour cream and eat.

Notes:

• Rough applesauce - I simmered 2 Ginger Gold apples, peeled, cored and cut into quarters in 2 cups apple cider with about 8 inches of stick-cinnamon, 4 whole cloves and 4 allspice berries until the apples were soft and falling to pieces and the liquid had reduced. I pulled out the spices and let the sauce cool and then refrigerated it.

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Rotkohl (Sweet & Sour Red Cabbage)

Anyone who has had a German meal has mostly likely had rotkohl, that sweet and sour stewed red cabbage, as an accompaniment. It might be habit, or it might just be my personal bias, but I don't think that any German meal is complete without some sort of red cabbage side dish, and this one is my favorite.

Red cabbage is often shunted to the back of the class, relegated as a sometime slaw ingredient or an occasional burst of color and crunch of texture in a green salad, or tossed into borscht and then largely forgotten. Sometimes people will stew it beyond recognition into a purple mush.

It is the red-headed stepchild of the vegetable crisper, and there is no need for that.

Marry the cabbage with the right combination of flavors, certain spices and, mostly importantly, avoid cooking it down to a flatulence-inducing mess of stewed leaves, and you've got a wonderfully fragrant and comforting dish.

The apple, the cloves and juniper, the vinegar and sugar all combine to create a satisfying dish that lures you in. The first bite grabs you with tartness, but then mellows out with a hint of sweetness and then rounds off with the notes of clove and juniper. Each mouthful always leaves me wanting another, wondering if that same progression of flavors would appear with the next forkful.

It always does.

Rotkohl

Ingredients:

• 1/2 head small red cabbage, shredded
• 1/2 Granny Smith, peeled and julienned
• 1/2 onion, julienned
• 1-1/2 T butter
• 1 t sea salt
• 4 black peppercorns
• 2 cloves
• 3 juniper berries
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3 T sugar

Directions:

1. Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat.
2. Add the cabbage, onion and apple and mix so that everything is nicely coated with the butter.
3. Add the water, vinegar, sugar and spices and bring to a boil.
4. Once it boils, cover and reduce the heat to low and keep simmering for 1-1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Notes:

• I saw some recipes that called for a slurry of cornstarch and water to be added once the dish had finished cooking, but I didn't see the need for it. I don't mind if my cabbage is a little bit juicy. The spaetzle can always soak it up. :)

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Coming Soon on Crisis Brownies

I am 99% certain that I will be making Jaeger Schnitzel for myself this weekend. I don't have my kids this weekend, so I can really feel free to make only what I know will appeal to me, and the German Potato Pancakes from earlier this week got me craving German food. I haven't had a good Jaeger Schnitzel since the Gasthaus Edelweiss days. Another dish would would be yummy now, and ironic, considering it's Easter weekend, would be Hasenpfeffer, but where in the hell would I get a rabbit?

Anyone?

So, it may be a German-food weekend. In keeping with the German + Easter theme, I'll probably be listening to the St. Matthew Passion all weekend long, taking a break only long enough to squeeze in the Rachmaninoff Vespers, so maybe I'll make Russian Black bread or something.

And now, for your listening pleasure, my favorite aria from the St. Matthew Passion, the gorgeous bass aria "Mache Dich, Mein Herze Rein," performed by one of my favorites, Matti Salminen:

And a beautiful choral piece from the Rachmaninoff Vespers, the Hail Mary:

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German Potato Pancakes

Here's another favorite from the annals of comfort foods: Potato Pancakes. The thing is, what most people know as potato pancakes bear no resemblance to the potato pancakes we had growing up.

Most people know the kind of potato pancakes made from shredded potatoes (latkes), or those made from leftover mashed potato which have been mixed with egg and then fried. I've never cared for latkes because it seems that sometimes they'd be burned on the edges and pretty-near raw in the middle, and the mashed-potato kind are usually too gluey and lumpy. These pancakes are smooth-textured, with a definite potato flavor and even a bit fluffy, unlike the other two types.

These were the potato pancakes I'd been looking for when I had my German dinner on Christmas Eve in 2009. It was surprisingly difficult to track this recipe down. most of the recipes were for some variety of latke, with the occasional Leftover Mashed Potato Pancake recipe.

Finally I found Ann Chandler's German Potato Pancake recipe, and I knew as soon as I saw the pictures that these were the potato pancakes we'd had growing up. When the batter hit the sizzling-hot oil in the skillet, again, I knew that these were them, and then when I had the first bite of the first "tester" pancake, I had flashbacks to childhood at the Oktoberfests and Schlachtfests at Gasthaus Edelweiss.

Yep. These're them.

Herbed German Potato Pancakes (Kartoffelpuffer)

Makes 12 small pancakes

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 1 medium onion
• 5 medium potatoes
• fresh rosemary and thyme
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• pinch black pepper

Directions:

1. Wash, peel and quarter the potatoes and onion.
2. Puree the eggs, herbs and onion in a blender, not a food processor.*
3. Carefully add the potatoes one piece at a time and continue to blend until everything has liquefied.
4. Pour the mixture in a large bowl and slowly add enough flour to thicken to the consistency of pancake batter, stirring well. I like to add the flour 2 Tablespoons at a time.
5. Add the salt and pepper and stir.
6. In a large skillet, heat some olive oil over medium-high heat. Once the heat starts to shimmer, add the batter by the ladleful and cook until nicely golden brown around the edges. I use a 12 in. skillet and fit 4 pancakes in it.
7. Once the edges are nicely browned, carefully flip the pancakes and let cook a few minutes. The pancakes will puff up slightly, and you want to flip them only once, so check the color underneath.
   
   You'll want them to look like this on both sides:
   
   
   
   
   
8. Add olive oil to skillet for each new batch of pancakes. Let them rest on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb extra oil.
   
   
   
   
   
9. Serve hot with salt and pepper, butter, sauerkraut or sour cream. If you omit the herbs, you can top them with applesauce, jam, vanilla yogurt or even maple syrup.

Notes:

• A food processor isn't strong enough to really liquefy this into a batter, so use a blender. 
• A word of warning: Do NOT attempt to bend the potatoes, eggs and onion all at once, because the potatoes will gum up the blades. You want to liquefy the eggs and onion first and then gradually add the potato for a smooth batter.

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Haluski with Spaetzle

You read that right, that's haluski with spaetzle.

Some of you may be shuddering in horror at the thought of haluski made with anything but homemade noodles, potato dumplings or egg noodles, but the way I see it, as I browsed through recipes of "authentic Slovakian haluski," no one could agree on what noodle/dumpling/potato addition was right. So I said, what the hell, spaetzle are a noodle-type dumpling, right? I like to walk on the crazy side sometimes.

The verdict: It was fantastic!

The spaetzle soaked up all the flavor of the dish without being too doughy. I used fresh-cut slab bacon from the butcher's counter instead of packaged bacon, and I have to say, I think that made a huge difference. If it makes sense, that bacon tasted more "bacony" than any other bacon I've ever had. Its saltiness complemented the cabbage's sweetness perfectly.

Adding the caraway seed was a last-minute inspiration, but it worked. I can't wait to eat the leftovers tomorrow after the flavors have melded even more.

Haluski with spaetzle

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound slab bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 white onion, sliced
• 1 head of green cabbage, cored and chopped coarsely
• caraway seed
• salt
• pepper
• garlic powder
• caraway seed
• cooked, buttered spaetzle*
  

Directions:

1. Cook the bacon until nicely crisp, then remove to a paper-towel lined plate.
2. To the rendered bacon fat, add the sliced onion and cook over medium-high heat until they start to soften.
   
3. Sprinkle some garlic powder over the top and then add the chopped cabbage.
4. Cover to let steam. Cook for five minutes covered, and then stir to be sure it is cooking evenly. Add a little bit of salt, pepper and caraway, stir and cover again.
5. Let it cook down, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is soft but not limp. It should still have a little bit of bite to it.
   
6. Add the buttered spaetzle, and combine well. Let it cook for a minute, then add the reserved bacon pieces.
   
7. Taste to check the seasoning and then serve.
   

Spaetzle

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground caraway seed
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
  

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, pepper, caraway seed and nutmeg.
2. In another mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together.
   
3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients to the dry ones.
4. Combine well until smooth. This will be somewhere between a dough and a batter, and it will be quite thick. Let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
   
6. To form the spaetzle, press the batter through your handy-dandy spaetzle press into the water, one batch at a time, cooking for about 5 minutes, until the spaetzle is all puffy and have floated to the top of the pot. stirring gently to prevent sticking.
   
   - If you don't have a spaetzle press, you can use a large holed colander or slotted spoon over the simmering water and push the dough through the holes with a spatula or spoon.
   
7. Scoop out the spaetzle with a slotted spoon and set in a bowl to rest.
8. Add a small pat of butter and stir well.
   

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Linzertorte

One of the desserts from my Christmas Eve dinner. The crust is a very rich shortbread-like pastry whose richness comes from a ton of butter and ground almonds.

When I first made it, I was surprised at how short it was. I thought that the 1 cup of raspberry filling could not be nearly enough, although it was perfect. I made this in a 10-inch springform pan. The next time I make this, I may seek out a slightly smaller pan or add just a smidge more filling.

The crust is outstanding, though. I think that it might stand on its own as a great shortbread, or as the base for a thumbprint cookie.

Linzertorte

Ingredients:

For the dough:

• ¾ cup blanched, sliced almonds
• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• ½ cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
• ¼ t cinnamon
• 1/8 t ground cloves
• 1/8 t salt
• 9 T unsalted butter, cold
• 1 large egg, cold
• ½ t vanilla extract
• ¼ t almond extract (optional)
  

For the filling:

• 1 cup raspberry preserves

For the topping:

• 1 large egg
  
• pinch of salt
• confectioner's sugar for dusting
  

Instructions:

1. Grind the blanched almonds very well in a food processor. In a large bowl, combine the almonds, flour, sugar, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Mix well.
   


2. Cut the butter into 1/2-inch chunks and add them to the dry mixture. Mix on low speed until the mixture looks like coarse bread crumbs. Add the egg and extracts, then mix until the dough starts to form.


3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured surface and gently knead until it comes together into a ball. Be careful not to overknead.
   


4. Divide the dough into two pieces, one twice as large as the other, and shape into balls, and then flatten them into disks. Wrap each disc tightly in plastic wrap, put in separate plastic bags and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.


5. When you're ready to assemble the Linzertorte, pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.


6. On a lightly-floured surface, roll the larger disk of dough into a 12-inch circle, about 1/4 inch thick. Pat the dough into the tart pan, gently pressing it into the corners and sides. Do not stretch it, just press and pat gently. If the dough becomes too soft or oily, freeze it for a few minutes.


7. Spread the raspberry preserves evenly over the bottom of the tart shell. Refrigerate while making the lattice top.
   


8. Roll the remaining disk into a 10-inch circle, about 1/4 inch thick. Use a knife or a pizza or pastry cutter to cut the dough into ten strips, about 3/4 inch wide.


9. Remove the tart from the refrigerator and carefully lay five strips evenly spaced about 3/4 inches apart across the tart. Lightly press the ends of each strip into the edges of the crust. Lay the remaining strips above and perpendicular to the first strips, pressing the ends into the edge of the tart.


10. Chill for at least 15 minutes before baking.


11. Whisk the egg with a pinch of salt. Brush the egg over the lattice and crust, then bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the filling bubbles and the pastry turns golden brown.


12. Cool completely on a rack before unmolding and serving.
    


13. You can re-heat it if you like. Dust the top with additional confectioner's sugar and then serve.


14. Store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to a week.
    

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Christmas Eve Sauerbraten

From my Christmas Eve dinner.

From the minute the idea gelled in my mind to have a mostly-German themed dinner, I knew I wanted to make Sauerbraten. I knew that I wanted to recreate the one we grew up eating. The Sauerbratens I'd tried since the last time I had it at Gasthaus Edelweiss, over 20 years earlier, never came close to the original.

I was cautiously optimistic when I smelled the marinade simmering the very first evening; it smelled just right to me. I base a lot of my cooking on how things smell as well as how they taste. By the time it had finished simmering on Thursday night, I knew I was close, but when my sister tasted the leftovers on Christmas day, even though cold, she said, "OMG, this is just like the Sauerbraten from Gasthaus Edelweiss!"

Success. :)

Sauerbraten

Ingredients:

• 5 - 6 pound eye of round roast

For the marinade:

• 1 ½ cups of red wine vinegar
• 1 cup of red wine
• 1 ½ cups of water
• 2 bay leaves
• 5 black peppercorns
• 6 whole cloves
• 8 allspice berries
• 10 juniper berries
• 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
• 2 onions, sliced
  

For the braise:

• 2 onions, sliced
• 2 carrots, sliced into large chunks
  

For the gravy:

• ½ - ¾ cup crushed gingersnaps
• Sour cream
  

Directions:

1. 3 - 4 days before you plan on cooking the meat, rinse the eye of round roast and pat dry. Place in a large, 2-gallon ziplock freezer bag. Put that in a large bowl (I used the ceramic dish from my 8-qt crock pot).


2. Put the marinade ingredients in a saucepan and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Do not boil. Turn off the heat, take it off the burner and let cool.


3. Once the marinade has almost come to room temperature, carefully pour it onto the meat inside the bag. Press out the air and seal it up. Rotate the meat once or twice, making sure each side has had contact with the marinade. Place the bag back into the bowl and put it in the fridge to marinate for 3-4 days.


4. Flip the meat at least once every 24 hours as it marinates to be sure that each side of the meat has had extra time sitting in the marinade.


5. On the morning of the day you’d like to eat, take the meat out of the marinade and wipe it dry. Strain and reserve the marinade liquid. Brown the meat in olive oil in a heavy dutch oven over medium-high heat.


6. Place the meat in a large crock pot (8 quart or bigger) and cover with the reserved marinade. Add the 2 sliced onions and carrots, cover and cook on low for 10 hours.


7. Every few hours, flip the meat in the broth as it cooks to ensure an even braise.


8. When the meat is ready, take it out to rest on a platter. Strain the liquid into a saucepan and heat it up. Whisk in gingersnap crumbs to thicken the gravy to the consistency you like.


9. Slice and serve with the gingersnap gravy. Optionally, you can put a dollop of sour cream on top and mix it in with the gravy.

Notes:

• Timing: I started making this on a Monday night to be eaten on a Thursday.


• Advice: get the best cut of meat you possibly can. I went to a German deli/butcher shop locally for this meat which was trimmed up fresh for me.


• This thing was a beast! I had the hardest time flipping it while I was browning it, but that’s because it was crowded into my 7-qt dutch oven. Use the largest pots and bowls possible to make it an easier job.


• The recipes I consulted for a roast this size said to cook on low for 10-12 hours, but it was done after 10 hours, and only a few of my guests had arrived, and it wasn’t even time for appetizers. The next time I make this, I will start it a few hours later.


• Of course, this thing can be cooked in a dutch oven on a low simmer on the stove-top or in a slow oven (200F).
  

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The Sauerbraten Sagas - Part IV: The Dinner

Well, three days later I've finally recovered from the abundance of festivity enough to give a run-down of the dinner. The food was fantastic - all the effort was worth it seeing people eat heartily and with pleasure; the wine flowed freely and the company was terrific.

The Food

Amuse bouche: - Goat cheese and roasted beet stacks with balsamic reduction.

I loved this last-minute addition; the flavors melded together nicely and it was a visually striking dish the way the beet juices seeped into the goat cheese, turning it hot pink.

Appetizer: Kartoffelpuffer - German Potato Pancakes

I'd really missed the potato pancakes we had growing up. They were not the kind similar to latkes made from grated potato, but smoother and puffier, but neither did they appear to be made from leftover lumps of mashed potato.

After some searching, including some consultation with a Facebook friend in Germany, I got it.

When I tasted the first tester out of the skillet, as is my right as cook, I got swept back to Gasthaus Edelweiss and their fluffy, cripsy potato pancakes.

Success!

The Main Course:

1. Sauerbraten
   

   After going back and forth over the procedure, I finally decided to cook it in the crock pot on low for 12 hours. A good decision, except that the meat was done in 10. I turned the heat down to warm and let it sit in the broth until it was time to let it rest on the platter and make the gingersnap gravy.
   
   It was delicious, and this also came pretty close to what we grew up eating. Everyone enjoyed it, but the real test was when I brought the leftovers to my sister's house and she tried it. She said, "OMG Barbara! This tastes just like the sauerbraten we had at Gasthaus Edelweiss!"
   
   The gingersnap gravy was tangy without being too thick. As good as it was on its own, we discovered how much better it was with a bit of sour cream added to it.
   
   Again: success. :)



2. Spätzle
   

   I love these things. My SIL brought over her Spätzle-maker, andI really need to get one of my own.



3. Red cabbage slaw
   

   My SIL's canned spicy red cabbage slaw complemented everything perfectly. I need the recipe, too.



4. Steamed green beans with walnut vinaigrette
   

   Would you believe it? I forgot to put this out!
   
   Several of us had even taste-tested the vinaigrette of walnut oil and balsamic vinegar right before I started making the other dishes, and we put it back in the fridge to sit a while.
   
   A shame, because it was tasty. It'll be today's lunch. :)



5. Roasted Onions, Shallots and Leek with Grueyre Croutons
   

   This was another sort of last-minute, I'll-just-wing-it dish. A good choice.



6. Cauliflower gratin
   

   So simple, so delicious. I make this pretty often because it's easy, it's good and the kids will eat it.

Bread

I made Parker House rolls brushed with melted butter, chopped fresh rosemary and sea salt.

Yeah, piping-hot, straight from the oven? Pretty good. They were good cold, too, which I discovered when I inhaled one down before making my cinnamon rolls in the wee hours of Christmas morning.

Dessert

1. Linzertorte
   

   I forgot to dust it with confectioner's sugar, but it was pretty good. The almond short crust was especially yummy.



2. Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte
   

   Another SIL made this, and after I'd taken the first bite I knew I needed to have the recipe. Again, this was just like the black forest cherry cakes we'd had when we were kids: a not-too-sweet chocolate cake, a chilling made from kirsch and sour cherries (very important), and topped with freshly whipped real whipped cream and chocolate shavings.
   
   I had two, count 'em, two pieces of leftover cake yesterday.

   
   

All in all, a great meal and the best part was when people hung out in the kitchen drinking wine while I puttered around.

The second best part? Lots of leftovers.

Lots of leftover wine, too. :)

Recipes are forthcoming

The Sauerbraten Sagas - Part I: The Menu
The Sauerbraten Sagas - Part II: Shopping and Initial Food Prep
The Sauerbraten Sagas - Part III: Revision and Timing

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The Sauerbraten Sagas - Part III: Menu Revision & Food Prep

The Sauerbraten Sagas - Part I: The Menu
The Sauerbraten Sagas - Part II: Shopping and Initial Food Prep

D-day (dinner day) fast approaches and my to-do list has not really shrunk any. The first thing I do this close to food prep is change the menu somewhat.

Part I- The Revised Menu:

Appetizer:

Kartoffelpuffer

I found a recipe that looks promising!

My SIL is bringing her homemade applesauce, too. Excellent.

Meal:

Sauerbraten

It is marinating away nicely, and I've pretty much decided to go with the crockpot. My only question now is whether to cook it for 11-12 hours on a really long, low simmer or 5-6 hours on high. Slower might be better, even if it means I'm in the kitchen at 5:30 browning that beast in the dutch oven.

Oh yes, I've decided to give that Martha Stewart dutch oven a whirl. We'll see how the enamel holds up.

6 am Update: I've decided to give it a go in the crockpot on high.

Accompaniments:

• Spätzle: check.
  

  You bet your ass there will be spätzle. I'll make a triple batch if I have to!

  
  


• Red cabbage slaw: check.
  

  SIL is bringing it.

  
  


• Green Beans in walnut vinaigrette - check.
  

  I have to rummage up my vinaigrette recipe and hope like hell I still have walnut oil. I forgot to check.
  
  Also, I bought some beets. I thought that I could roast them and toss them in with the green beans. Yes? Maybe?
  
  Otherwise I fond a really cool roast beet goat cheese appetizer that would make a nice amuse bouche.

  
  


• Braised Leeks with Chestnuts - nope.
  

  I couldn't find the recipe for braised leeks, but I did dredge up this, which I think could be adapted by adding some leeks to it. Roasted Onions with Gruyere Croutons

  
  


• Cauliflower gratin - check.
  

  All systems go on this.

Bread:

No idea. I was thinking of my Maple Wheat dinner rolls, but don't think the flavor will work with everything else. Now I want Parker House rolls, but don't have a go-to recipe for those. I'll just wing it.

Yes, I like to live dangerously.

Dessert:

1. Linzertorte - check.
   
   

   This is definitely happening. I think I need to make it as soon as I get the roast in the crockpot though.



2. Apple Strudel - Nope.
   
   

   I just don't think I'll be able to get this done too if I'm making the strudel dough, and I forgot to get phyllo, and I'll be damned if I'm going back to the grocery store.



3. Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte - I hope like hell YES.
   
   

   Another SIL offered to make one and bring it, provided her cold doesn't get the best of her.
   
   What is not to love about Black Forest Cherry cake, a mess of kirsch-infused chocolate cake with chocolate shavings, sour cherries and cream. Dear God - or perhaps that should read; Lieber Gott!

   
   

Part II - Timing

Timing the events in the kitchen so that everything appears on the table at the same time, and at the perfect temperature, is an intricate dance which includes strategic runs of the dishwasher, the rummaging out of serving platters used once a year, that panicked 11th-hour mini-laundry load when you realized you've forgotten to wash the tablecloth, and copious amounts of wine.

Wine is not merely for saucing the dish but also saucing the chef.

So, I have a very hazy idea of what needs to get done when.

1. Meat.
   
   I have to get to the meat first. I have to take it out of the marinade, pat it dry and then brown it nicely before chucking it back into the crockpot with the strained marinade and some carrots and onions to cook forever.
   
   Something tells me it is going to take a while to brown well. You're not supposed to use these dutch oven on a very high heat on the stovetop. A piece of meat this big over medium-low heat? Yeah, it'll take a while.
   


2. Linzertorte.
   
   Actually, if I still have it in me after I blog this, I could really probably bake this sucker first and then refrigerate it. Barring that, it is the very first thing I'll do once the meat is safely in the crockpot.
   
   Most recipes I've found for it mention that the torte needs to chill a while, even a whole day if possible.
   


3. House Prep
   
   A shitload of cleaning: laundry, sweeping, vacuuming, mopping, putting-away-of-various-items etc.
   
   Lucy has promised that she will be my big helper. She is dying to run the vacuum, although it pains me to watch her vacuum: she misses whole swaths of the carpet. Whatever. I'll let her have her fun.
   


4. Cookies
   
   Yes, damnitall, I ran out of cookies and need to bake some more to send to my MIL & FIL and to the neighbors.
   
   Plus I'm making a little sweet treat to set on the plates, a pre-appetizer snack, if you will. I made a bunch yesterday and they're so easy I'll have the kids work on them. Chocolate Hazelnut Sticks. Stick 4 of them n a cellophane bag and presto. Snack.
   


5. Bread
   
   Whatever rolls I make, I'll need to bake them ahead of time and then warm them up I think I might be able to let them rise in the fridge and stick them in the oven once the meat is resting and I'm making the gravy, but my oven is kind of small. :/
   


6. Table Prep
   
   Get the cat the hell out of the dining room. That will be a job for the kids. Then they'll fluff out the tablecloth and set the table with as little breakage of my fine stoneware (ha!) as possible.
   
   I'll have to have them set the living room coffee table which will serve as the dreaded Kids' Table. Sorry guys, maybe next time I'll have a bigger dining room table! You'll survive.
   


7. Food prep
   
   
   • Wash green beans;
   
   
   • Peel a shit-ton of onions, shallots and clean leeks;
   
   
   • Roast the shit-ton of onions, shallots and leeks;
   
   
   • Roast beets for the green beans or the amuse bouche - still undecided there.
   
   
   • Make the garlic croutons;
   
   
   • Shred gruyere and put it back in the fridge;
   
   
   • Fry up the bacon;
   
   
   • Roast the chestnuts (I can still use them for something);
   
   
   • Pre-steam the cauliflower;
   
   
   • Make the vinaigrette;
   
   
   • Make the topping for the cauliflower;
   
   
   • Drink some wine;
   
   
   • Feed the kids something at some point;
   
   
   • Freak out over some lost ingredient;
   
   
   • Have some more wine;
   
   
   • Feed the cat;
   
   
   • Take a shower;
   
   
   • Assemble the cauliflower and the onion dishes;
   
   
   • Get the assorted vegetable dishes in the oven to heat through - onions/leeks and cauliflower;
   
   
   • Make the spätzle batter;
   
   
   • Steam the green beans;
   
   
   • Assemble the amuse bouche if making, and plate it;
     
   
   
   • Make the gingersnap gravy - this is just about the last thing that needs to be started;
   
   
   • Make the spätzle;
   
   
   • Carve the meat.
   
   

OK. That should be just about it, though I'm sure I've forgotten some small detail.

OMG I've lost my fucking mind, haven't I?

It ought to be great. :D Tweet

The Sauerbraten Sagas - Part I: The Menu

If only we still spoke Old English, I could write this like one of the Eddas.

So, Christmas Eve dinner. I'm making a German dinner. That's the plan, anyway. The menu so far, and believe me, this is subject to change pending any kitchen disasters and perilous mood changes, is as follows:


Appetizer:

Kartoffelpuffer - German Potato Pancakes served with applesauce or sour cream.

Here's the thing about these. Most people, when they think of potato pancakes, think of latkes, made with shredded/grated potatoes.

Now those are yummy, but we grew up eating a potato pancake that was made from a batter of pureed potato, flour and egg. They fry up fluffier than the latkes. I have had a bitch of a time finding the recipe, but I'm working on it.

Meal:

Sauerbraten - German marinated pot roast.

I went on about this at length this morning in a status update entitled "Apparently when it comes to Sauerbraten, people have very strong feelings about the gravy and whether or not gingersnaps have any place in it."

Done well, Sauerbraten is sublime: melt-in-your-mouth meat accompanied by a gingersnap-thickened gravy. Really, words can't describe it.

It is accompanied by:

• Spätzle, a cross between a noodle and a dumpling, and coated with lots of butter.


• Red cabbage cole slaw. It works as a salad, and hey, Germans love their cabbage.


• Steamed green beans with a walnut vinaigrette. Ok, so not specifically German, but it's really good. I may toss in some bacon too, just because... say it with me, kids: "Bacon makes everything better."


• Braised leeks with chestnuts. At some point over the past few days, I found a divine-sounding recipe for braised leeks, but hell if I can find it now. it's possible that I only dreamed of finding it. That sort of stuff happens to me all the time. I may just make something up. I have the leeks. I have the chestnuts. I'm feeling sassy.


• Cauliflower gratin. Very simple. Just par-boiled cauliflower covered with a mixture of mayo, whole grain mustard, paprika and freshly grated parm or romano and baked until nicely browned.

Bread:

Haven't thought about this, but I suppose I can make my totally non-German, but completely worth it, Maple Wheat dinner rolls.

Dessert:

• Linzertorte. Who doesn't love Linzertorte?


• Apple Strudel. Maybe. I probably do need another dessert.

To drink:

• Wine


• Beer


• Possibly egg nog.


• Maybe even more mulled wine.

Next installment : Day 1 of shopping and prep!


I need to write about this in order to maintain my sanity. Thanks! Tweet