German Cooking Today Read online

  Variation: You can also add a tablespoonful of finely chopped herbs (for instance, parsley and chives), finely grated cheese or tomato purée to the egg and milk mixture.

  Tip: Cooked egg garnish can also be used as an addition to clear soups and stock (for instance, chicken soup). You can also make this cooked egg garnish in a microwave oven. Put the mixture in a well-greased glass or china bowl, cover and cook at 450 watts for about 8 minutes.

  SOUPS

  15 | Meatballs

  Classic

  Preparation time: about 15 minutes

  40 g/11⁄2 oz (3 tablespoons) soft butter or margarine

  100 g/31⁄2 oz minced meat (half beef, half pork)

  yolks of 2 medium eggs

  40 g/11⁄2 oz (3⁄8 cup) breadcrumbs

  salt, pepper

  salt water (1 teaspoon salt per 1 litre/13⁄4 pints (41⁄2 cups) water) or stock

  Per serving:

  P: 7 g, F: 16 g, C: 7 g, kJ: 842, kcal: 201

  1. Stir the butter or margarine with a spoon to soften it. Add the minced meat, egg yolks and breadcrumbs and mix thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper.

  2. Bring a large quantity of salted water or stock to the boil, enough for the meatballs to be able to move about freely.

  3. With wet hands, form the meat mixture into small meatballs. Add to the boiling salted water or stock and cook for about 5 minutes (the liquid should only bubble gently).

  Tip: Small meatballs are ideal for adding to stocks (for instance, chicken stock) or to vegetable soups.

  Cooked meatballs are also suitable for freezing. Defrost frozen meatballs thoroughly, then add them to the hot soup to heat up.

  SOUPS

  16 | Semolina dumplings

  For children

  Preparation time: about 20 minutes

  125 ml/4 fl oz (1⁄2 cup) milk

  10 g/3⁄8 oz (2 teaspoons) butter

  1 pinch salt

  grated nutmeg

  50 g/2 oz (1⁄2 cup) durum wheat semolina flour

  1 medium egg

  salt water (1 teaspoon salt to 1 litre/13⁄4 pints (41⁄2 cups) water) or stock

  Per serving:

  P: 4 g, F: 5 g, C: 10 g, kJ: 424, kcal: 101

  1. Pour the milk into a small saucepan, add the butter, salt and nutmeg and bring to the boil. Then remove from the heat.

  2. Sprinkle the semolina into the milk and stir with a wooden spoon to make a smooth mixture. Cook the mixture for about 1 minute. Pour the hot mixture into a bowl and stir in the egg.

  3. Pour enough salted water or stock into a saucepan to let the dumplings move freely around and bring to the boil. Using two teaspoons dipped in hot water, make the dumplings from the semolina mixture. Put the dumplings in the boiling salted water or stock and cook uncovered for about 5 minutes (the liquid should bubble very gently).

  Tip: Semolina dumplings are ideal for adding to nourishing soups (for instance, chicken soup).

  You can also add 1–2 tablespoons chopped parsley or mixed herbs (parsley, dill, tarragon, basil) or 20 g/3⁄4 oz (3 tablespoons) grated cheese to the semolina mixture.

  Variation: To make sweet semolina dumplings, add 1 pinch of salt and 1 teaspoon sugar to the semolina mixture. Sweet semolina dumplings are delicious served with cold sweet soup made with fruit or milk soup.

  SOUPS

  17 | Croutons

  Easy

  Preparation time: about 10 minutes

  3 slices white bread

  1 clove garlic (optional)

  30 g/1 oz (2 tablespoons) butter or 30 ml/1 fl oz (2 tablespoons) olive oil

  Per serving:

  P: 1 g, F: 7 g, C: 7 g, kJ: 398, kcal: 95

  1. Cut the crusts off the bread and cut the rest into small cubes. Peel a clove of garlic if desired and chop finely.

  2. Heat the butter or oil in a pan. Add the diced bread and fry until crisp and brown, stirring occasionally.

  3. Add the chopped garlic to the pan with the croutons and fry briefly but do not let it go brown because it would develop a bitter taste. Add croutons to soup just before serving.

  Tip: Croutons are particularly delicious served with cream soups but they can also be sprinkled on salads.

  Croutons can be prepared in advance. When cool, put them in a well-sealed container and they will keep for 1 week.

  SOUPS

  18 | Cream of vegetable soup (basic recipe)

  Classic

  Preparation time: about 40 minutes (cream of pea soup about 30 minutes)

  650–1,100 g/11⁄2–21⁄2 lb vegetables

  1 onion

  25 g/1 oz (2 tablespoons) butter or 4 teaspoons cooking oil, e.g. sunflower or olive oil

  1 litre/13⁄4 pints (41⁄2 cups) vegetable stock

  salt

  freshly ground pepper

  spices (optional)

  croutons, smoked salmon pieces, sliced leeks, prawns (optional garnishes)

  Per serving:

  P: 4 g, F: 6 g, C: 4 g, kJ: 350, kcal: 84

  1. Prepare the vegetables and chop up if necessary. Peel and chop the onion. Heat the butter or oil in a pan, add the chopped onion and fry while stirring.

  2. Add the prepared vegetables and fry with the onion while stirring. Then add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Cook until done.

  3. Now purée the soup and season to taste with salt, pepper and appropriate herbs. Add a garnish before serving if desired.

  Cream of broccoli soup: Take 700 g/11⁄2 lb broccoli, remove the leaves, separate the florets, peel the stems, cut into pieces and wash both the florets and the stems. Put the stems and florets with the chopped onion in the saucepan. Add the vegetable stock, cover and cook over medium heat for about 8 minutes until done. Now purée the soup. Season with freshly grated nutmeg and if desired add 1–2 teaspoons peeled, grated, roasted almonds or some chopped parsley.

  Cream of carrot soup: Take 700 g/11⁄2 lb carrots, peel and cut off the green leaves and tips. Wash the carrots, leave to drain and cut into slices 1 cm/3⁄8 in thick. Add the carrots to the stock, cover and cook over medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes, then purée. Season the soup with sugar and ground or freshly grated ginger. If desired add 1–2 teaspoons crème fraîche, 1 teaspoon roasted sesame seeds, some chopped dill or even a few strips of smoked salmon in each bowl.

  Cream of pumpkin soup: Cut a pumpkin weighing 1.1 kg/21⁄2 lb into segments and peel. Remove the seeds and fibres and cut the flesh into cubes. Add the stock, cover and cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes until done, then purée. Season the soup with sugar and curry or ground ginger. If desired, add 1–2 teaspoons yogurt or crème fraîche, 1–2 teaspoons pumpkin seeds or sesame seeds or chopped dill in each bowl.

  Cream of pea soup: Take 650 g/11⁄2 lb frozen peas, not defrosted. Add the stock, cover and cook over medium heat for about 8 minutes until done, then purée. Season the soup with grated nutmeg, sugar and cayenne pepper. If desired, add 1–2 teaspoons crème fraîche, 1 teaspoon peeled, chopped roasted almonds, some chopped parsley or chervil or a few prawns to each bowl.

  Cream of potato soup: Prepare 1 bunch of soup vegetables for the soup. Peel the celeriac and cut out all the bad parts. Peel the carrots, cut off the green leaves and tips. Wash the carrots and celeriac and leave to drain. Remove the outer leaves of the leeks and cut off the root ends and the dark green leaves. Cut in half lengthways, wash thoroughly and leave to drain. Wash, peel and rinse 400 g/14 oz potatoes. Chop all the vegetables you have just prepared. Add the stock, cover and cook over medium heat for about 15–20 minutes, then purée. Season the soup with grated nutmeg. If so desired, add 1–2 teaspoons crème fraîche, some chopped parsley or chopped chervil and a few croutons to each bowl.

  Tip: You can also use mixed vegetables. Vegetable soups should be frozen without their garnish. Just before serving you can add various garnishes to the soup such as croutons, meatballs, 50–75 g/2–3 oz raw or cooked ham cut into strips, 75 g/3 oz smoked salmon cut into strips, or 50–100 g/2–31⁄2 oz
prawns.

  SOUPS

  19 | Unripe spelt grain soup

  Vegetarian

  Preparation time: about 25 minutes

  1 onion

  40 g/11⁄2 oz/ 3 tablespoons butter

  100 g/31⁄2 oz (1 cup) spelt flour

  generous 1 litre/13⁄4 pints (41⁄2 cups) vegetable stock

  125 ml/4 fl oz (1⁄2 cup) whipping cream

  salt, pepper, sugar

  grated nutmeg

  1 tablespoon chopped herbs, e.g. parsley, dill, tarragon, chives

  Per serving:

  P: 4 g, F: 19 g, C: 20 g, kJ: 1119, kcal: 267

  1. Peel the onion and chop finely. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the chopped onion and fry until pale yellow, stirring all the while. Add the spelt flour and cook briefly, stirring continuously.

  2. Now add the vegetable stock little by little, whisking vigorously and making sure that no lumps are formed. Bring the soup to the boil and cook uncovered over low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

  3. Add the cream, heat the soup up again and season with salt, pepper, sugar and nutmeg. Stir in the herbs just before serving.

  Tip: Garnish with croutons before serving.

  SOUPS

  20 | Mushroom soup

  Vegetarian

  Preparation time: about 30 minutes

  500 g/18 oz mushrooms (white or brown), or oyster mushrooms

  1 onion

  35 g/11⁄4 oz (2 tablespoons) butter or margarine

  35 g/11⁄4 oz (5 tablespoons) plain (all-purpose) flour

  1 litre/13⁄4 pints (41⁄2 cups) vegetable stock

  125 ml/4 fl oz (1⁄2 cup) double cream

  salt, pepper

  1 tablespoon chopped basil leaves

  Per serving:

  P: 7 g, F: 21 g, C: 8 g, kJ: 1024, kcal: 246

  1. Prepare the mushrooms, wiping them clean with kitchen paper and rinsing if necessary. Pat dry and cut into slices or pieces. Peel and dice the onion.

  2. Melt the butter or margarine in a saucepan. Add the diced onion and mushroom slices or pieces and fry gently, stirring continuously. Sprinkle the flour on top, stir thoroughly and continue frying for a little while.

  3. Add the vegetable stock, stirring vigorously with a whisk, making sure that no lumps are formed. Bring the soup to the boil and cook uncovered over low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

  4. Stir in the double cream or crème fraîche. Season the soup with salt and pepper and sprinkle with basil.

  Variation: You can change the taste of the soup by adding a little sherry or some curry powder, a pinch of sugar and 1–2 teaspoons lemon juice.

  SOUPS

  21 | Tomato soup

  Easy (6 servings)

  Preparation time: about 50 minutes

  1.5 kg/31⁄4 lb beef tomatoes

  2 onions

  2 cloves of garlic

  4 teaspoons olive oil

  500 ml/17 fl oz (21⁄4 cups)

  vegetable stock

  sugar, salt, pepper

  cayenne pepper

  1 bay leaf, oregano leaves

  some small basil leaves

  Per serving:

  P: 3 g, F: 4 g, C: 8 g, kJ: 329, kcal: 78

  1. Wash the tomatoes and leave to drain. Cut them into quarters, remove the stalks and cut the flesh into cubes. Peel the onions and garlic and chop finely.

  2. Heat the oil in a pan. Add the chopped onions and garlic and fry gently, stirring continuously. Add the diced tomatoes, vegetable stock, sugar, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, bay leaf and oregano and bring back to the boil. Cover and cook over low heat for about 15 minutes.

  3. Remove the bay leaf, then purée the soup and rub through a sieve. Bring the soup back to the boil again and adjust the seasoning by adding the sugar, salt and pepper. Sprinkle with basil.

  Variation: You can also serve the soup with small balls of mozzarella. To make them, take 250 g/9 oz mozzarella, drain, chop coarsely and purée. Rinse a bunch of basil, pat dry, remove the leaves from the stems, chop up and stir into the puréed mozzarella. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Make 18–24 mozzarella balls and garnish the soup with them.

  SOUPS

  22 | Fruit soup (basic recipe)

  Refreshing

  Preparation time: about 30 minutes, excluding cooling time

  500 g/18 oz fruit, e.g. sweet or sour cherries, assorted berries (fresh or frozen), plums, apricots, peaches or melon

  1 litre/13⁄4 pints (41⁄2 cups) liquid (such as white grape juice, apple juice, apricot or peach nectar, for light fruit; or red grape juice, sour cherry or red currant nectar for dark fruit)

  1–3 pieces of lemon peel (untreated)

  2–3 cloves (optional)

  1 cinnamon stick (optional)

  1 sachet vanilla sugar or 2–3 drops natural vanilla essence in 1 tablespoon sugar

  40 g/11⁄2 oz custard powder, e.g. vanilla or cream flavour

  50–125 g/2–41⁄2 oz sugar

  some lemon juice (optional)

  Per serving:

  P: 2 g, F: 0 g, C: 79 g, kJ: 1400, kcal: 335

  1. First, prepare the fruit. Wash the cherries, drain, and remove the stalks and stones. Sort the berries, wash if necessary and drain thoroughly. Defrost any frozen berries (reserve the juice and use to make the soup). Wash the plums and leave to drain, cut in half and remove the stones. Wash the apricots and peaches, drain, cut in half and remove the stones. Cut the melon in half, remove the seeds and peel. Cut the fruit into smaller pieces if necessary.

  2. Take 4 tablespoons from the liquid. Pour the remaining liquid into a saucepan and, if desired, add lemon zest, cloves, cinnamon and vanilla sugar. Bring to the boil.

  3. Mix together the custard powder and 50 g/2 oz (1⁄4 cup) sugar. Stir in the 4 tablespoons of reserved liquid little by little until you have a smooth mixture. Remove the pan from the heat and stir the mixture into the liquid in the pan with a whisk. Return the pan to the heat and bring the mixture back to the boil.

  4. Add the prepared fruit. Bring the sweet and sour cherries to the boil and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring gently now and again. Bring the frozen fruit to the boil. The fresh berries should be added after the pan has been removed from the heat (soft fruit such as strawberries and raspberries should be added to the cold fruit soup just before serving). Plums, apricots, peaches and melons should be cooked from 1 to 5 minutes depending on their firmness, stirring occasionally.

  5. Remove the lemon zest, cloves and/or cinnamon stick. Add sugar and lemon juice to taste. Pour the soup into a glass bowl and leave to cool down.

  6. Serve well chilled and, if necessary, add more sugar and lemon juice.

  Tip: You can replace half the liquid with red or white wine or water if desired. Cold fruit soups may be garnished with finely chopped lemon balm or peppermint leaves, or sprinkled with finely chopped peeled almonds. Cold fruit soups are also delicious with sweet semolina dumplings or “floating islands” cooked in water (see recipe for milk soup with floating islands, below). You can also serve it with whipped cream, crème fraîche, yogurt or vanilla ice cream, and pastries such as waffles, sponge fingers or macaroons. Instead of fresh sour cherries you could also use a jar of sour cherry preserve (drained weight 350 g/12 oz). Leave the sour cherries to drain and reserve the juice; measure the juice and add the other fruit juices or fruit juice-water mixture to bring the liquid up to 1 litre/13⁄4 pints (41⁄2 cups). Peaches and apricots should be peeled before use. To do this, blanch the fruit briefly in boiling water (do not let them boil), pour cold water over them and peel off the skin.

  SOUPS

  23 | Milk soup with floating islands

  For children

  Preparation time: about 20 minutes

  For the soup:

  1 packet custard powder, vanilla, almond or cream flavour

  60 g/2 oz (1⁄4 cup) sugar

  1 pinch salt

  1 litre/13⁄4 pints (41⁄2 cups) milk

  1
egg yolk from medium egg

  peel of 1⁄2 lemon (untreated)

  For the floating islands:

  1 egg white from medium egg

  1 rounded teaspoon sugar

  Per serving:

  P: 10 g, F: 11 g, C: 36g, kJ: 1181, kcal: 282

  1. For the soup, mix together the custard powder and sugar with a pinch of salt. Little by little add at least 4 tablespoons of the milk and stir until you obtain a smooth mixture. Stir in the egg yolk. Bring the milk and lemon peel to the boil in a large saucepan.

  2. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the custard and milk mixture using a whisk. Return the pan to the heat and bring back to the boil briefly, stirring continuously. Remove the lemon peel from the mixture.

  3. To make the floating islands, whisk egg white with sugar until stiff. Using 2 teaspoons, make little balls from the whisked egg whites, then drop them in the mixture. Cover the pan and cook for about 5 minutes (liquid must only simmer very lightly).

  Tip: If desired you can also sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top or add 50 g/2 oz (1⁄3 cup) of raisins or currants to the mixture. For the lemon zest, wash the lemons in hot water, wipe dry and peel, removing only the yellow part because the white pith underneath has a very bitter taste.

  Variation: To make chocolate flavoured floating islands, use a packet of chocolate flavoured custard powder and 75 g/3 oz (3⁄8 cup) sugar but no lemon peel. You can also add a cinnamon stick to the mixture which is removed before serving.

  THICK SOUPS

  24 | Thick vegetable soup

  Vegetarian

  Preparation time: about 70 minutes

  375 g/13 oz carrots

  375 g/13 oz floury boiling potatoes

  375 g/13 oz green beans

  250 g/9 oz cauliflower

  250 g/9 oz tomatoes

  2 onions