German Cooking Today Read online

  3 basil sprigs

  50 g/2 oz (4 tablespoons) butter or margarine or 40–50 ml (3–4 tablespoons) cooking oil, e.g. sunflower or olive oil

  salt

  freshly ground pepper

  500 ml/17 fl oz (21⁄4 cups) vegetable stock

  2 tablespoons chopped parsley

  Per serving:

  P: 6 g, F: 11 g, C: 23 g, kJ: 927, kcal: 221

  1. Peel the carrots, cut off the green leaves and tips. Wash the carrots and leave to drain. Wash the potatoes, peel and rinse. Cut both the carrots and the potatoes into cubes. Top and tail the beans and remove strings if necessary. Wash the beans and cut or break them into pieces.

  2. Remove the leaves of the cauliflower and cut out any bad parts. Cut off the woody base and separate the florets. Wash the tomatoes and leave to drain. Make a cross-shaped cut in each tomato, dip briefly in boiling water, then dip in cold water. Peel the tomatoes, remove the stalks and cut into quarters.

  3. Peel the onions and dice. Rinse the basil, pat dry, remove the leaves from the sprigs, chop finely and put aside. Then finely chop the stems.

  4. Melt the butter, margarine or oil in a pan. Add the diced potatoes and onions together with the beans and brown lightly for about 5 minutes while stirring. Season with salt and pepper. Add the chopped basil stems and vegetable stock. Bring to the boil, cover and cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat.

  5. Now add the diced carrots and cauliflower florets, cover and cook for a further 15 minutes.

  6. Add the quartered tomatoes and heat them through for about 2 minutes. Season the soup with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with parsley and basil before serving.

  Tip: You can also season the soup with paprika powder or curry.

  This vegetable soup is suitable for freezing.

  For a less thick soup, increase the amount of stock to 1–1.25 litres/13⁄4–21⁄4 pints (41⁄2–51⁄2 cups).

  Instead of fresh vegetables 1 kg/21⁄4 lb of deep-frozen vegetables may be used.

  The soup can also be seasoned with vegetarian paste (from a health food

  shop).

  Variation: For thick vegetable soup with meatballs, meatballs may be added to the soup.

  THICK SOUPS

  25 | Savoy cabbage soup

  Classic

  Preparation time: about 80 minutes

  500 g/18 oz beef or lamb (from the shoulder)

  2 onions

  30 g/1 oz lard or 2 tablespoons cooking oil, e.g. sunflower oil

  salt

  freshly ground pepper

  ground caraway or caraway seeds

  750 ml/11⁄4 pints (31⁄2 cups) vegetable stock

  1 kg/21⁄4 lb savoy cabbage

  375 g/13 oz floury potatoes

  2 tablespoons chopped parsley

  Per serving:

  P: 32 g, F: 18 g, C: 18 g, kJ: 1510, kcal: 360

  1. Rinse the meat under running cold water, pat dry and cut into cubes of about 2 cm/3⁄4 in. Peel the onions, cut in half and slice.

  2. Heat the lard or oil in a large saucepan. Add the meat and turn it until it is lightly browned.

  3. Shortly before the meat is fully browned, add the sliced onions and simmer briefly.

  4. Season the meat with salt, pepper and caraway. Add the vegetable stock, bring everything to the boil and cook covered on medium heat for about 30 minutes.

  5. In the meantime, remove the coarse outer and withered leaves from the savoy cabbage, cut in quarters, rinse and leave to drain. Cut out the stalk and cut the cabbage into strips. Wash, peel and rinse the potatoes, then cut into dice.

  6. When the stock has finished cooking, add the sliced cabbage and diced potato, bring to the boil again and cook covered for about 20 minutes.

  7. Season the soup again to taste, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

  Tip: 500 g/18 oz of meat will be provided by a shoulder of lamb on the bone weighing about 900 g/2 lb.

  The soup can be frozen.

  Variation: Savoy cabbage soup also tastes good if you use small smoked sausages instead of lamb or beef. To make this, sweat the onion in the lard or oil, add the prepared vegetables, stock, seasonings and sausages, then simmer for about 25 minutes.

  THICK SOUPS

  26 | Minestrone

  Classic

  Preparation time: about 55 minutes

  200 g/7 oz carrots

  300 g/10 oz firm potatoes

  150 g/5 oz courgettes

  200 g/7 oz leeks

  100 g/31⁄2 oz celery

  100 g/31⁄2 oz green beans

  2 onions

  75 g/3 oz streaky bacon

  2 beef tomatoes

  2 tablespoons olive oil

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

  100 g/31⁄2 oz frozen herbs

  50 g/2 oz noodles or spaghetti

  2 tablespoons chopped parsley

  2 tablespoons chopped basil leaves

  salt

  paprika powder rose-sharp

  40 g/11⁄2 oz freshly grated Parmesan

  Per serving:

  P: 13 g, F: 20 g, C: 29 g, kJ: 1480, kcal: 353

  1. Peel the carrots, remove the green leaves and tips, wash and leave to drain. Wash and peel the potatoes, then leave to drain. Cut the ingredients into small dice.

  2. Wash and dry the courgettes, cut off the ends and cut the courgettes into slices. Remove the outer leaves of the leeks, cut off the root end and dark green leaves. Cut in half lengthways, wash thoroughly and leave to drain. Cut into slices.

  3. Remove the root ends and withered leaves from the celery, pull off the stringy outer threads, wash the sticks, leave to dry and cut into slices.

  4. Top and tail the beans, remove any strings, wash and cut or snap into pieces. Peel the onions and cut into rings. Cut the bacon into small dice.

  5. Wash the tomatoes, leave to drain, make a cross-shaped cut and dip briefly in boiling water, then dip in cold water. Peel the tomatoes and remove the stalks. Cut the tomatoes in half, remove the seeds and chop into small pieces.

  6. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the chopped bacon and sliced onion while stirring. Add the carrots, potatoes, celery and beans and cook gently.

  7. Add the vegetable stock, bring all to the boil and cook covered for 10–12 minutes. Then add the courgettes, leeks, peas and noodles or spaghetti, bring to the boil and cook covered for a further 5–7 minutes.

  8. Put the tomatoes with parsley and basil into the soup and heat through. Season the soup with salt and paprika, sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.

  Tip: The pasta should always be barely cooked (see the instructions on the packet), since it will go on cooking in the hot soup.

  Minestrone is frozen without the pasta, which is cooked and added to the soup before serving.

  For a vegetarian variation, leave out the bacon and use 2 extra tablespoons of olive oil or butter.

  THICK SOUPS

  27 | Old German potato soup

  Vegetarian

  Preparation time: about 90 minutes

  For the soup:

  700 g/11⁄2 lb floury boiling potatoes

  50–75 g/2–3 oz celeriac

  250 g/9 oz carrots

  1 onion

  1 bay leaf

  1 clove

  40 g/11⁄2 oz (3 tablespoons) butter

  1.5 litres/23⁄4 pints (7 cups) hot vegetable stock

  200 g/7 oz leeks

  125 ml/4 fl oz (1⁄2 cup) whipping cream or 150 g/5 oz crème fraîche

  salt

  freshly ground pepper

  dried marjoram leaves

  grated nutmeg

  For the garnish:

  200 g/7 oz chanterelles

  1 onion

  25 g/1 oz (2 tablespoons) butter

  2 tablespoons chopped herbs, e.g. chervil, chives, flat-leaved parsley

  Per serving:

  P: 7 g, F: 24 g, C: 27 g, kJ: 1483, kcal: 354

  1. To make the soup, wash the potatoes, peel and rinse. Peel the c
eleriac and cut out the bad parts. Peel the carrots, cut off the green leaves and tips. Wash the celeriac and carrots and leave to drain. Cut all these prepared vegetables into small cubes or dice. Peel the onion and stud it with the bay leaf and clove.

  2. Melt the butter in a pan. Add the diced celeriac and carrots and brown lightly while stirring all the while. Now add the diced potatoes, studded onion and vegetable stock. Cover, bring to the boil and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes.

  3. Meanwhile, remove the outer leaves of the leeks, cut off the root ends and dark green leaves. Cut in half, wash thoroughly, leave to drain and slice. Add the sliced leeks to the soup, cover and cook for about another 10 minutes.

  4. Remove the onion, studded with the bay leaf and clove. Remove about one-third of the potato and vegetable mixture from the soup, purée, stir in the crème fraîche and pour the puréed mixture back into the soup. Heat up the soup again and season with salt, pepper, marjoram and nutmeg.

  5. For the garnish: Clean the chanterelles with a brush and remove any bad parts. If necessary, rinse the chanterelles and pat dry. Peel the onion and dice finely. Melt the butter in a pan, add the diced onion and fry in the melted butter, stirring continuously. Add the chanterelles and fry for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

  6. Add the onion-chanterelle mixture to the soup and simmer for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with herbs just before serving.

  Tip: If desired, small Vienna sausages may also be added to the soup. By preparing the chanterelles while the soup is cooking you can reduce the preparation time by 15 minutes. Bottled or canned chanterelles may be used instead of fresh ones.

  THICK SOUPS

  28 | Lentil soup with smoked sausage

  Easy

  Preparation time: about 60 minutes

  1 bunch soup vegetables

  250 g/9 oz dried lentils

  375 g/13 oz firm potatoes

  2 onions

  2 tablespoons cooking oil, e.g. sunflower oil

  1.5 litres/23⁄4 pints (7 cups) vegetable stock

  4 smoked sausages (chorizo), each about 90 g/3 oz

  wine vinegar

  salt

  freshly ground pepper

  some sugar

  2 tablespoons chopped parsley

  Per serving:

  P: 34 g, F: 31 g, C: 42 g, kJ: 2444, kcal: 584

  1. Prepare the soup vegetables. Peel the celeriac and cut out any bad parts. Peel the carrots and cut off the green leaves and tips. Wash the celeriac and carrots and let them drain. Remove the outer leaves of the leeks, cut off the root ends and dark green leaves. Cut in half lengthways, wash thoroughly and leave to drain. Finely dice the celeriac, carrots and leeks.

  2. Put the lentils in a sieve and rinse under cold water. Wash the potatoes, peel and rinse them and then cut into pieces. Peel the onions, cut in half and slice.

  3. Heat the oil in a pan, add the prepared potatoes and vegetables and brown lightly. Add the vegetable stock and lentils, bring to the boil, cover and cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes.

  4. Add the smoked sausages and cook for a further 10 minutes.

  5. Season the soup with vinegar, salt, pepper and sugar. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.

  Tip: If desired, add a bay leaf which is then removed before serving.

  Variation 1: You can save time by using bottled or canned lentils. In this case, put the prepared potatoes in 750 ml/11⁄4 pints (31⁄2 cups) of vegetable stock, cover and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Then add the smoked sausages, cover again and cook for a further 5 minutes. Finally, add the can of lentils and the soup vegetables (800 g/13⁄4 lb) and cook for a further 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, vinegar and sugar.

  Variation 2: To make a vegetarian lentil soup, increase the amount of potatoes to 500–600 g/18 oz–11⁄4 lb, leave out the smoked sausages and sprinkle with grated Parmesan just before serving.

  THICK SOUPS

  29 | Pichelsteiner (meat and vegetable soup)

  Classic

  Preparation time: about 70 minutes

  500 g/18 oz mixed meat from shoulder or neck (lamb, pork, beef)

  2 onions

  30 g/1 oz (2 tablespoons) clarified butter or margarine or 2 tablespoons cooking oil, e.g. sunflower oil

  salt

  dried marjoram

  dried lovage

  freshly ground pepper

  500 ml/17 fl oz (21⁄4 cups) vegetable stock

  250 g/9 oz carrots

  375 g/13 oz firm potatoes

  350 g/12 oz leeks

  300 g/10 oz cabbage

  2 tablespoons chopped parsley

  Per serving:

  P: 30 g, F: 17 g, C: 19 g, kJ: 1469, kcal: 351

  1. Rinse the meat under cold running water, pat dry and cut into cubes of 2 cm/3⁄4 in. Peel the onions, cut in half if necessary and slice.

  2. Heat the clarified butter, margarine or oil in a pan. Add the cubed meat and brown lightly, stirring continuously. Shortly before the meat has browned sufficiently, add the sliced onions and fry briefly.

  3. Season the meat with salt, marjoram, lovage and pepper. Add the vegetable stock, bring to the boil, cover and cook over medium heat for about 40 minutes.

  4. Meanwhile, peel the carrots and cut off the green leaves and tips. Wash the carrots and leave to drain. Wash the potatoes, peel and rinse. Cut both the carrots and potatoes into cubes. Remove the outer leaves of the leeks, cut off the root ends and dark green leaves. Cut in half, wash thoroughly, leave to drain and cut into slices. Remove the dried outer leaves of the white cabbage, cut into quarters, rinse, leave to drain, cut off the base and cut into thin strips.

  5. When the meat is done, add the prepared vegetables and potatoes. Bring to the boil, season with salt and pepper, cover and cook for a further 20 minutes.

  6. Season with the various herbs and sprinkle with parsley before serving.

  Tip: This soup is suitable for freezing.

  THICK SOUPS

  30 | Soup with green beans

  For guests

  Preparation time: about 80 minutes

  500 g/18 oz braising beef, e.g. from the shoulder

  1 onion

  2–3 sprigs savory

  30 g/1 oz (2 tablespoons) margarine or clarified butter, or 2 tablespoons cooking oil, e.g. sunflower oil

  salt

  freshly ground pepper

  500 ml/17 fl oz (21⁄4 cups) vegetable stock

  1 kg/21⁄4 lb green beans

  500 g/18 oz firm potatoes

  1–2 tablespoons chopped parsley

  Per serving:

  P: 33 g, F: 15 g, C: 27 g, kJ: 1592, kcal: 380

  1. Rinse the beef under cold running water, pat dry and cut into cubes of 2 cm/3⁄4 in. Peel and chop the onion. Rinse the savory and pat dry.

  2. Heat the margarine, clarified butter or oil in a pan. Add the cubed meat and brown lightly while stirring. Shortly before the meat has browned sufficiently, add the onion and fry briefly.

  3. Season the meat with salt and pepper. Add the savory and vegetable stock. Bring to the boil, cover and cook over medium heat for about 40 minutes.

  4. Meanwhile, top and tail the green beans removing any strings. Wash the beans and cut or break into small pieces. Wash the potatoes, peel, rinse and cut into pieces.

  5. Add the potato and bean pieces and season with salt and pepper. Bring back to the boil, cover and cook for a further 20 minutes.

  6. Remove the savory. Season the soup with salt and pepper and sprinkle with parsley before serving.

  Tip: This soup is suitable for freezing.

  Variation: A shoulder of lamb may be used instead of beef, and 2–3 tomatoes may also be added. Wash them, leave to drain, make crossshaped cut, dip briefly in boiling water, then dip them in cold water. Peel the tomatoes, remove the stalks and dice. Add the tomatoes to the soup shortly before the cooking is completed. If desired, sprinkle with basil before serving.

  THICK SOUPS

  31 | Unripe spel
t grain soup with crème fraîche

  Easy

  Preparation time: about 45 minutes

  2 onions

  400 g/14 oz leeks

  50 g/2 oz (4 tablespoons) butter

  125 g/41⁄2 oz unripe spelt grains

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

  2 beef tomatoes

  150 g/5 oz crème fraîche

  salt

  freshly ground pepper

  1 tablespoon chopped chives

  Per serving:

  P: 7 g, F: 23 g, C: 27 g, kJ: 1447, kcal: 347

  1. Peel the onions and dice. Remove the outer leaves of the leeks, cut off the root ends and dark green leaves. Cut in half lengthways, wash thoroughly, leave to drain and cut into strips.

  2. Melt the butter in a pan. Add the diced onion and brown lightly, stirring continuously. Now add the strips of leeks and the spelt grains and brown them lightly, too.

  3. Add the vegetable stock, bring to the boil, cover and cook for 25 minutes.

  4. Meanwhile, wash the tomatoes, drain, make a cross-shaped cut, dip briefly in boiling water, then dip in cold water. Peel the tomatoes, remove the stalks and dice the tomatoes.

  5. Stir in the crème fraîche. Add the diced tomatoes and briefly heat them through.

  6. Season the soup with salt and pepper and sprinkle with chopped chives before serving.

  Tip: This soup is suitable for freezing.

  ADVICE

  Meat

  Preparation/Storage

  Meat must be prepared when it is as fresh as possible because its high protein and water content make it highly perishable. When using meat which has not been minced, you must first rinse it under cold running water, pat it dry and then prepare it according to the recipe. Otherwise put the pieces of meat in a china or stainless steel container, cover (for instance with a lid, a plate or clingfilm) and store in the fridge until you use it. In this case you should only rinse the meat just before you are about to prepare it. Coat small amounts of meat with oil before storing in the fridge. This will prevent the meat from drying out and will also make it more tender.