ÜBER delicious
Hearty, flavorful German food you can make at home
Arecent story in the Washington Post reported on a sad trend: All over the country, German restaurants are going out of business.
This news is especially troubling because Germans still make up the largest ancestry group in the United States. But the food of their homeland is rarely served in restaurants. The reason given most often is that German food is heavy. To which I say: So? What’s wrong with heavy? Let’s not even call it heavy, let’s call it hearty. That sounds better, and is more accurate. It’s hearty, it’s filling, it’s fullflavored. And it’s wonderful.
German food typically comes one of three ways: made with pork, made with bacon or made with both pork and bacon. But the country is also known for its robust, chewy breads and its delicate, cream-filled pastries.
And, of course, its beer. German beer — stouter and sturdier than American — is a perfect accompaniment for dishes made from pork and bacon, as well as brawny loaves of bread.
I took a culinary tour of Germany and decided to stay away from the most obvious
choices. That meant no sauerbraten, no sausages, no potato pancakes. It would have meant no schnitzel, but I love schnitzel, so I made it anyway.
MEDALLIONS OF PORK WITH MUSHROOMS IN COGNACCREAM SAUCE
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
1 to 1¼ pounds pork tenderloin, sliced ½ inch thick 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided ¼ cup cognac ¼ cup Riesling wine ½ cup beef broth 1 pound baby portobello mushrooms (also called cremini), cleaned and thinly sliced ¼ cup minced shallots 2 cups half-and-half Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Brown the pork in 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large, heavy skillet over moderately high heat; remove to a shallow baking dish, cover with foil and keep warm.
Add the cognac and wine to the skillet and heat 1 to 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits. Add the broth and boil, uncovered, until reduced by two-thirds. Pour the cognac mixture over the pork, re-cover and set in the oven.
Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter to the skillet, add the mushrooms and shallots, and sauté 8 to 10 minutes, until the mushrooms are limp and their juices have evaporated. Stir the pork medallions and all liquid back into the skillet, add the half-and-half, and simmer, uncovered — but do not boil — over moderately low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the cream reduces by half and is the consistency of thin white sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve at once.
PER SERVING (based on 4): 492 calories; 32 g fat; 19 g saturated fat; 143 mg cholesterol; 29 g protein; 13 g carbohydrate; 9 g sugar; 2 g fiber; 257 mg sodium; 153 mg calcium
— Recipe from “The New German Cookbook,” by Jean Anderson and Hedy Würz
LEEK & PORK STEW
Yield: 4 servings
1 pound lean pork shoulder (also called butt) ⅓ cup vegetable oil 1 onion, thinly sliced 2 cups meat stock 2 pounds leeks 1 pound potatoes Salt and pepper 1 garlic clove, crushed Finely chopped parsley
Cut pork into 1½-inch cubes. Heat oil in a large, heavy saucepan. Add pork and brown on all sides. Add onions; sauté until golden brown. Add stock. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer 20 to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, wash and trim leeks, and cut white and light green parts only into ½-inch
rounds. Peel and dice potatoes. Add leeks and potatoes to cooked pork mixture and season with salt, pepper and garlic. Avoid mixing at this stage. Cover and simmer 30 more minutes. Adjust seasoning, if needed. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.
PER SERVING: 470 calories; 30 g fat; 8 g saturated fat; 61 mg cholesterol; 20 g protein; 31 g carbohydrate; 4 g sugar; 4 g fiber; 513mg sodium; 78 mg calcium
— Adapted from “Best of German Cooking,” by Edda Meyer-Berkhout
BEET SALAD
Yield: 4 servings
1 pound small beets 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish ½ onion, finely chopped or thinly sliced 5 tablespoons vegetable oil 3 to 5 tablespoons vinegar ½ teaspoon cumin or caraway seeds Salt and pepper Pinch of sugar ½ teaspoon mustard seeds, crushed, optional Chopped fresh parsley 1 bay leaf
Wash beets thoroughly and boil in plenty of water until tender, 30 to 50 minutes depending on size. Plunge into cold water and let stand to cool. Peel and thinly slice. Place in a medium bowl and mix with horseradish and onion.
In a small bowl, combine oil, vinegar, cumin or caraway seeds, salt, pepper, sugar and mustard seeds, if using. Pour dressing over beet mixture, and garnish with parsley and bay leaf. Let stand 1 hour before serving at room temperature. Salad may be covered and refrigerated for up to 7 days.
PER SERVING: 194 calories; 17 g fat; 2 g saturated fat; no cholesterol; 1 g protein; 9 g carbohydrate; 7 g sugar; 2 g fiber; 73 mg sodium; 19 mg calcium
CREAM PUFFS
Yield: About 15 servings
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon water 4 tablespoons butter 1¼ cups bread flour or allpurpose flour 4 eggs 1 cup whipping cream 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, plus more for sprinkling ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or lightly dust with flour), and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add butter and allow to melt, stirring to mix. Lower heat. Add flour, all at once, beating vigorously with a wooden spoon. Continue cooking over low heat, stirring constantly until dough pulls away cleanly from side of pan and forms a ball; do not overcook or dough will not puff when baked.
Remove from heat and add 1 egg; quickly work egg into mixture. Continue adding 1 egg at a time, working in each totally before adding another. If necessary, use a whisk to break up any lumps in the dough.
Using a tablespoon or a pastry bag, place small mounds of dough about 1½ to 2 inches high on prepared baking sheet. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown; do not open oven door during first 20 minutes of baking. Cool on a rack.
Whip cream in a medium bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold in powdered sugar and vanilla. Slice or cut the puffed buns in half. Spoon or pipe cream mixture into the bottom of each bun and replace the bun tops. Dust lightly with powdered sugar.
PER SERVING: 143 calories; 10 g fat; 6 g saturated fat; 79 mg cholesterol; 3 g protein; 10 g carbohydrate; 2 g sugar; no fiber; 26 mg sodium; 20 mg calcium
— Adapted from “Best of German Cooking,” by Edda Meyer-Berkhout