German Cooking Today Read online

  Per serving:

  P: 2 g, F: 34 g, C: 0 g, kJ: 1345, kcal: 321

  1. Melt the butter, let it cool down slightly and skim off the froth.

  2. Beat together the egg yolks and white wine in a bowl using a whisk. Place the bowl in hot water (the water must not boil!). Whisk the egg yolk mixture until it has thickened sufficiently.

  3. Beat the melted butter slowly into the egg yolk mixture. Season the sauce with lemon juice, salt and pepper.

  Note: Only use very fresh eggs for this sauce.

  Uses: Hollandaise sauce is particularly good with asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower or other light vegetables.

  Variation 1: To make Béarnaise sauce, replace the white wine with a decoction of herbs made as follows. Peel 1 onion, chop finely and put in a saucepan. Add 1 teaspoon chopped tarragon, 1 teaspoon chopped chervil, 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar and 1 tablespoon water and bring to the boil. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the herb decoction to draw with the lid on for about 5 minutes, then strain through a fine sieve. Stir 1–2 teaspoons chopped chervil and chopped tarragon into the finished sauce. Season the sauce with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

  Variation 2: To make Maltaise sauce, replace the white wine with 2 table spoons freshly squeezed blood-orange juice, 2 teaspoons warm water and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Season the sauce with salt and sugar and sprinkle with the grated zest of 1⁄4 untreated orange.

  Tip: A beaten sauce will only keep warm in the bain-marie for a short time. If it stands too long, the sauce will separate into fat and egg yolk, in other words it will curdle. That is why a beaten sauce should be prepared very shortly before serving. A curdled sauce can be salvaged either by puréeing with a hand blender or by mixing 1 egg with 1 tablespoon cold water and little by little stirring the curdled sauce from the bain-marie.

  SAUCES

  89 | Tomato sauce

  Vegetarian

  Preparation time: about 25 minutes

  1 kg/21⁄4 lb ripe tomatoes

  1 onion

  1 clove garlic

  1–2 tablespoons olive oil

  4 teaspoons tomato paste (optional)

  salt

  freshly ground pepper

  about 1 teaspoon sugar

  2 teaspoons chopped oregano

  Per serving:

  P: 2 g, F: 7 g, C: 8 g, kJ: 442, kcal: 104

  1. Wash the tomatoes, leave to drain, make cross-shaped incision, dip briefly in boiling water, then dip in cold water. Peel the tomatoes, remove the stalks and cut into cubes. Peel the onions and clove of garlic and chop finely.

  2. Heat the oil in a pan, add the chopped onion and garlic and fry. Now add the chopped tomatoes, stir in tomato purée if used and season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and simmer gently covered over low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

  3. Purée with a hand blender if desired, season with salt, pepper, sugar and oregano.

  Uses: Tomato sauce is delicious with noodles or served hot or cold with grilled food, or cold with a fondue.

  Tip: If the finished sauce is too thin you can either boil it down a little longer or thicken it with arrowroot. You can also use unpeeled tomatoes and strain the finished sauce through a sieve to remove the skins.

  Instead of fresh tomatoes you can also use 1 large tin of peeled tomatoes (800 g/13⁄4 lb), including the juice.

  The addition of tomato purée makes the sauce thicker and gives it a more intense tomato flavour.

  Variation 1: To make tomato sauce with bacon, leave out the olive oil and replace it with 50 g/2 oz diced streaky bacon sweated in 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in which you then fry the onion and garlic. Make the sauce as described above but do not purée.

  Variation 2: To make tomato and cream sauce, prepare the sauce as described above. Then stir 1 tablespoon cornflour into 100 ml/31⁄2 fl oz (1⁄2 cup) whipping cream, add to the boiling sauce and bring to the boil. Season with salt, pepper, sugar and oregano.

  Variation 3: To make tomato and vegetable sauce, wash a bunch of soup vegetables, cut into small pieces and braise together with 1 peeled, chopped onion and 1 peeled, chopped clove of garlic in 2–3 tablespoons olive oil. Add 1 bay leaf and 125 ml/4 fl oz (1⁄2 cup) vegetable stock. Cover and cook the sauce over low heat for about 15 minutes. Add 1 tin (800 g/13⁄4 lb) peeled tomatoes with the juice and cook for a further 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaf, purée the sauce and season with salt, pepper and sugar. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon chopped basil before serving.

  SAUCES

  90 | Bolognese sauce

  Popular

  Preparation time: about 35 minutes

  1 onion

  1 clove garlic

  100 g/31⁄2 oz carrots

  about 50 g/2 oz celeriac

  4 teaspoons cooking oil, e.g. sunflower or olive oil

  250 g/9 oz minced beef

  1 can (800 g/13⁄4 lb) peeled tomatoes

  4 teaspoons tomato purée

  1 teaspoon dried, chopped oregano

  salt

  freshly ground pepper

  1–2 tablespoons red wine

  Per serving:

  P: 15 g, F: 14 g, C: 8 g, kJ: 933, kcal: 222

  1. Peel the onion and garlic. Peel the carrots and cut off the green leaves and the tips. Peel the celeriac and remove the bad parts. Wash the carrots and celeriac and leave to drain. Finely chop up all the vegetables.

  2. Heat the oil in a pan. Add all the vegetables and fry over medium heat. Next add the minced beef and continue frying while stirring, using a fork to squash any lumps of meat that might form.

  3. Chop up the tinned tomatoes and add to meat and vegetables together with the juice and the tomato purée. Season with oregano, salt and pepper. Bring the sauce to the boil and simmer gently uncovered over low heat.

  4. Add the red wine and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

  Uses: A Bolognese sauce is delicious served with pasta such as spaghetti or macaroni, potato dumplings or bread dumplings.

  Tip: Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon chopped basil and grated Parmesan or mature

  Gouda cheese just before serving.

  If children are going to eat the Bolognese sauce you can easily leave out the red wine.

  SAUCES

  91 | Mayonnaise

  Quick

  Preparation time: about 10 minutes

  1 yolk of 1 medium egg

  1–2 teaspoons white wine vinegar or lemon juice

  salt

  1⁄2–1 teaspoon medium mustard

  125 ml/4 fl oz (1⁄2 cup) cooking oil, e.g. sunflower oil

  Per serving:

  P: 1 g, F: 33 g, C: 0 g, kJ: 1231, kcal: 294

  1. Whisk together the egg yolk with the vinegar or lemon juice, salt and mustard in a bowl, using a whisk or hand-mixer with a whisk attachment to obtain a thick mixture.

  2. Add the oil little by little, 1–2 tablespoons at a time, stirring continuously (with this method it is not necessary to dribble the oil in drop by drop because the spices added to the egg yolk will prevent the mayonnaise from curdling).

  Uses: Mayonnaise is an ideal base for cold sauces and dips, and is delicious served with a fondue or in sandwiches.

  Tip: All the ingredients used to make the mayonnaise should be the same temperature so that they bind together properly.

  Should the mayonnaise curdle, mix together 1 egg yolk and vinegar or lemon juice and stir the mayonnaise into it little by little.

  Note: Only use very fresh eggs; check the sell-by date! Store the mayonnaise in the refrigerator and consume within 24 hours.

  Variation 1: For a light mayonnaise, make the mayonnaise as described above but use only 5 tablespoons oil. Then add 4 tablespoons low-fat quark and 1 tablespoon whipping cream to the mayonnaise. Optionally, 1⁄2 peeled, crushed clove of garlic may be added.

  Variation 2: To make a cold curry sauce, make the mayonnaise as described above, add 1–2 teaspoons curry powder and 150 g/5 oz natural yogurt (3.5% fat) or sour milk. To make
a sweet curry sauce, add 1–2 tablespoons of apricot jam, rubbed through a sieve, to the curried mayonnaise described here.

  Variation 3: To make a remoulade sauce, shell 2 hard-boiled eggs, rub the egg yolks through a sieve and chop up the egg whites. Mix the hard-boiled egg yolk with 1 raw egg yolk and make the mayonnaise as described above. Finally add 1 medium-sized, finely chopped pickled gherkin, 2 tablespoons chopped herbs (for instance, parsley, chives, dill, chervil or cress), 1 teaspoon drained, chopped capers and stir in the chopped egg white. Season the remoulade sauce with salt, pepper and sugar.

  Variation 4: To make tartare sauce peel 4 shallots or small onions, chop finely and add to the mayonnaise together with 2 teaspoons drained, chopped capers, 2 tablespoons chopped herbs (such as parsley, dill or chervil). Season with salt.

  ADVICE

  Vegetables

  For daily nutrition, vegetables are very important. They contain a high proportion of carbohydrates and roughage, mineral salts, trace elements and vitamins. In addition, most kinds of vegetables have a low energy content and a high water content (75–95%).

  Division

  Tubers and root vegetables

  e.g. potatoes, celeriac, carrots, turnips, black salsify

  Leaf vegetables

  e.g. artichokes, chicory, Swiss chard, spinach

  Cabbage vegetables

  e.g. cauliflower, broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts, red cabbage, cabbage, Savoy cabbage

  Onion vegetables

  e.g. spring onions, garlic, leek, onions

  Podded fruits

  e.g. beans, peas, lentils, soya beans, chick peas

  Fruit vegetables

  e.g. aubergines, beans, cucumbers, pumpkin, peppers, tomatoes

  Stick vegetables

  e.g. fennels, rhubarb, asparagus, celery

  Mushrooms

  e.g. mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, Shiitake mushrooms

  Buying and storage

  • Many types of vegetables are offered all year round, so the customer can be confident of finding a good supply. Native vegetables that have a particular season are often preferable, since they will be especially full of flavour and inexpensive.

  • It is best to buy crisp, fresh vegetables at markets or direct from the growers. Vegetables with wilted stems and leaves are no longer fresh.

  • The storage time should be as short as possible, so that the minimum amount of nutritional value and flavour is lost.

  • Vegetables keep best in the crisper of the refrigerator or in a cool cellar or larder.

  • Frozen vegetables widen the range available throughout the year. Since vegetables are frozen as quickly as possible after being harvested, the loss of nutrients is relatively low.

  • If possible, buy mushrooms loose, since if packed in plastic film they will mature too quickly. Packed mushrooms should be taken out of the packaging and stored in a paper bag in the refrigerator. Mushrooms are fresh if the stalk and cap are firmly connected together.

  Preparation

  A significant loss of nutrients can occur very quickly if fresh vegetables are improperly treated. They are very sensitive to the effects of air, heat, water and light. The following tips will help preserve nutrients as much as possible.

  • Clean vegetables at the last possible moment before using them.

  • Always wash vegetables before chopping them.

  • Rinse vegetables briefly but thoroughly under cold running water and let drain.

  Chopping onions

  Peel the onion and cut in half in the direction of the root. With a knife make vertical cuts close together through the half onion with a knife, but leaving the root completely untouched; then make horizontal cuts up to the root. Finally, chop vertically to make dice. Repeat with the other half.

  Preparing peppers by hollowing out with a spoon

  Cut off the top of each pepper, then remove the white walls and seeds with a spoon.

  Clean mushrooms by rubing with kitchen paper

  It is not usually necessary to rinse cultivated mushrooms. Rubbing with kitchen paper is enough.

  Peeling asparagus

  Thinly peel white asparagus from head to end with a potato peeler or sharp knife, being careful to remove the peelings without injuring the heads. Cut off the asparagus ends and any woody part of the stems. Peel only the bottom third of green asparagus and trim off the end.

  Peeling tomatoes

  Wash the tomatoes, leave to drain, make cross-shaped incisions in the top end, dip briefly in boiling water, then dip in cold water so the skins can be easily peeled off.

  Preparation

  Vegetables should be cooked quickly so that as few nutrients as possible are lost in the course of preparation and the flavours are preserved. Cook vegetables so that they are still crisp to the bite. With a short cooking time, vegetables preserve their minerals and fresh colour. Cook frozen vegetables in a little liquid without defrosting them, or braise them with diced onion.

  Braising

  Braising is the process of cooking vegetables in their own juices or in very little liquid. Put vegetables still wet from being rinsed into a saucepan with some seasoning, cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook the vegetables over a low heat, adding a little water only if necessary. In being heated, the liquid turns to steam, which condenses on the lid and drips back onto the vegetables. In this process, the vegetables are cooked at less than 100 °C/212 °F. The taste and flavour elements are preserved and the vegetable hardly needs further seasoning.

  Steaming

  To steam vegetables (cooking them over steam in a sieve), cover the bottom of the saucepan with water, put the vegetables in a matching sieve and cover with a tight-fitting lid. The vegetables cook in the steam.

  Boiling

  Some kinds of vegetables must be boiled. To boil vegetables (boiling them in a lot of liquid), almost cover them in liquid. Some vegetables, such as potatoes, are brought to the boil from cold, while others such as green beans are added to boiling water.

  Little glossary

  Artichokes

  Firm green flower heads with tightly packed leaves that are thick and fleshy towards the base. When the heads are cooked, the leaves are pulled off but only the fleshy part is eaten, accompanied by a sauce. Before being eaten the hairy “choke” must be cut out with a knife. There are also violet artichokes, which are eaten whole.

  Asparagus

  A spring vegetable available from the beginning of March to the end of June. Underground stem with edible shoots with white, green or violet heads. Green asparagus grows above the ground and has a more intense taste.

  Aubergines (eggplant)

  Long, oval-shaped vegetables with a smooth peel, deep purple colour and little flavour of their own. The skin can be eaten.

  Beans

  There are many different types (e.g. princess beans, French or green beans and broad beans). Beans should never be eaten raw since they contain phasin. This substance can cause inflammation of the stomach and intestines but it is destroyed in the course of cooking.

  Beetroot

  A root vegetable very rich in minerals and nutrients. It has powerful dyeing properties so rubber gloves should be worn when preparing it.

  Black salsify

  Long, dark-brown root vegetable. A winter vegetable rich in minerals and vitamins.

  Broccoli

  Green-violet heads with small florets, not quite as tight as cauliflower.

  Brussels sprouts

  Thick, powerful stem covered with cabbage-like buds that are the size of walnuts. A winter vegetable very rich in vitamin C.

  Carrots

  Sturdy root vegetable with a pointed end. Very rich in vitamin A, which is easily absorbed by the body when combined with a little fat (for instance, by adding butter to the carrots). There are many varieties on the market.

  Cauliflower

  A solid white to pale yellow head consisting of many small florets. Before cooking, place the cauliflower head downwards in s
altwater for about 2 minutes in order to wash out any insects. Romanesco is a green cauliflower.

  Celeriac

  Firm, full-flavoured yellowish root. When buying celeriac, make sure it does not sound hollow when you tap it because this would mean that it is woody inside.

  Chestnuts

  Also called sweet or Spanish chestnuts, these are available fresh, roasted, in tins or preserved in syrup.

  Chicory

  Slightly bitter vegetable that is also used as a salad. The bitter stalk should be cut out.

  Chinese cabbage

  Large oblong heads of pale green colour. Tastes good as vegetable or salad.

  Courgettes (zucchini)

  Dark green or yellow, cucumber-like fruits with firm flesh. The smaller the courgette, the more delicate the taste. The flowers are also edible.

  Cucumbers

  There are salad cucumbers and pickled cucumbers or gherkins. Cucumbers grown in the open are often bitter at the stalk end, in which case you should cut off the ends.

  Fennel

  White, fleshy leaf stalks that form a solid bulb at the base. The delicate leaves can also be used. Fennel has a slight taste of aniseed.

  Jerusalem artichoke

  The beige-reddish brown roots of this tuberous plant, which is related to the sunflower and artichoke, have a sweet, nutty taste.

  Kale

  The leaves have a frizzy edge and a strong central rib. They should really only be eaten after the first frost because the starch present in the leaves will then have been converted into sugar. In addition, the cold also makes the cabbage more digestible.

  Kohlrabi

  Vegetable with a smooth, firm, bright green and blue-violet turnip-like stalk. Kohlrabi is very tender when young but is often quite woody when older. The tender leaves can also be eaten.

  Leaf spinach

  Leaf vegetable rich in vitamins and mineral elements. The leaves are cut off above the root and must be washed very thoroughly.

  Leeks

  Firm stem consisting of pale to dark green leaves with small roots. Leeks are rich in minerals and have a strong flavour.