Big Pot Goulash

A Big Pot Goulasch

Ingredients:

2kg of half and half Gulasch meat from the butcher, or cut up your own from quite lean pork and beef (a bit of fat is ok)

3 carrots diced small

1 slice of celeriac diced small

2 small leeks white only diced small

100g of speck (or diced bacon) diced

1 large onion diced not too small

3 cloves of garlic (or 1 level tsp. of garlic powder) crushed and chopped

3 large red bell peppers (red Paprika) cored and diced (15mm dice)

4 diced tomatoes (seeds removed and sliced)

1 ltr of beef stock

1 dsp of tomato puree

1 tsp. of sweet chilli powder

1 tsp. of hot chilli powder

1 tsp. of smoked chilli powder

½ tsp. cumin powder

½ tsp. Fenchel seeds

1 tin of passiert tomatoes with herbs

1 tin diced tomatoes

6 roasted paprika (out of a jar) sliced

1 bottle of Rama cooking cream (or 1 tub of sour cream)

Salt and pepper to taste

2 to 3 tbsp. of flour

Neutral oil for frying

METHOD:

Heat the oil in a frying pan, fry the speck and onions together until the onions are translucent, remove and set aside in a large bowl.

Dust the goulash meat with flour and plenty of salt and pepper, put these into the frying pan adding more oil is requires, brown over a high heat, transfer to  the bowl with the onions. Only do enough at once that can only cover the bottom of the pan, I used the frying pan and the pan that I would eventually cook the goulash in to do this.

Add all of the goulash meat, onions and garlic to the large pan, add the diced root veg. 

Deglaze the frying pan with 500ml of beef stock and add this to the large pan, add the tomato puree and stir in, bring to the boil and add the paprika powders, cumin and fenchel, mixing well. 

Add the rest of the stock and both of the tins of tomatoes, return to the boil, lower the heat, lid on and simmer for 15 mins, add the diced bell peppers and tomatoes, return to a simmer and allow to cook until the meat is tender, add the sliced roasted pepper strips and the cream, warm through.

Ready serve with parsley potatoes (on the first day and large noodles the second day) you will have enough to feed 5 hungry adults and an 18 month old child (he eats everything) for two days.

A restaurant review - Herrenhaus Stockelsdorf.

We had been working very hard over the last couple of weeks, what with packing, moving furniture and boxes, wall  papering and painting so for Sunday lunch before I set off back to NRW we decided to go out for Sunday Lunch. We decided on the local restaurant “Herrenhaus”, this is a one time country house of a local Fayence and tile manufacturer (faience) from the mid 1700s.

We had been to have a look at the outside and the park a few weeks ago and thought it looked very nice and the menu well balanced and reasonably priced.

We travelled in our mobile home and very luckily got the only free parking space, so if visiting on a Sunday it is advisable to reserve and walk (Linda did walk home) it is only a short walk from our new home.

We arrived and it seemed that a lot of families from grandparents through to the very young had decided that the first spring weather was a good time to go out mob-handed for Sunday lunch, just our luck!

We entered into a large vestibule, with various pieces of pottery in a glass display case, there was a reception going on so we actually missed this on the way in and it was not until later after reading a bit about the history of the building that I went out and had a closer look.

As I said the restaurant was quite full, but we got shown to a very nice window table overlooking the park garden with its small lake (still in the main frozen, so the ducks and moorhens were skating on thin ice).

A very pleasant waitress came almost at once and handed us the menu’s, also delivering a silver bread basket with fresh backed rolls and a small plate of sundries tomato and herb butter. We ordered a bottle of water, as I was driving and scrutinised the well balanced menu. Linda had at first thought about having the duck with red cabbage, but some one on the adjacent table had just been informed that the duck was finished (probably fell through the ice). So she settled for the “Angebotsmenu” this is a set menu that they offer for a period and this is at the moment the braised leg of lamb menu.

I had, though I can never have enough, a surfeit of lamb over the past 2 weeks and had seen that they had Grünkohl on the menu and I must say that the last time I had Grünkohl had been before Christmas so it was time to get my winter fix.

So Linda’s fixed menu was:

Wild garlic cream soup

Braised leg of lamb in a rosemary sauce with green beans and potato gratin
Rhubarb compote with vanilla ice cream

Mine was a far more rustical selection:

I ordered the Brochette as my starter,

followed by one of my all time favourites, Green Curley kale with pigs cheek, Kassler, special smoked sausage and what was termed as browned potatoes.

Not only did we get a well stocked bread basket and the tomato butter, but along came the waitress with two amuse bouche served on those Yuri Gella presentation spoons. This consisted of a cream cheese filled smoked salmon roulade on a cucumber slice, a very nice touch and very tasty.

Linda’s Soup and my brochette arrived, Linda’s soup had a foam island floating in it, it looked very nice and she said it was excellent.

My brochette consisted of 4 nice sized roasted crouton topped with a very good portion of a diced tomato and herb salsa, these surrounded a small salad with a very nice raspberry dressing, I realise that it isn’t what one would or should call out of the ordinary, but it was well presented, well rounded and most of all tasted nice to boot.

Next in came the mains.

Linda’s lamb which she said was soft and tender and very tasty. The vegetables and sauce really well cooked and presented.

I had ordered the Grünkohl as having lived for the past 20 years in East Westphalia where they believe that they invented the dish, I always like to make a comparison. This was served with the Schweinebacke (pigs cheek), a slice of kasseler (cured and then smoked pork loin) a Kohlwurst (a sausage specially manufactured to accompany the curly kale) and what was termed “ gebräunten Kartoffeln” (browned potatoes).

I found the composition well rounded and was a bit perplexed when I was asked if I wanted sugar for the Grünkohl, now I had heard of this strange custom but have put it down to me not quite getting the dialect, but no they do actually sprinkle sugar on their savoury cabbage, ah well there is nowt stranger than folks.

On reflection, though it was very tasty, I think I prefer mine done in the Westphalian way, with cured ham hock, smoked mettenden, Kasseler and fried potatoes and no sugar.

We both thought the meal was very tasty and it showed on our cleaned plates.

 

Linda’s desert came it was a nice portion of stewed rhubarb with a fair dollop of vanilla ice cream. Here was the only part that didn’t turn out well, Linda discovered a piece of sharp plastic in her rhubarb, this took the edge (sorry, couldn’t resist) off her meal, the waitress was very apologetic but alas a minus point.

We had a very nice meal, with only the one small fault. I must compliment the waiting staff on their very professional and speedy service. They where very friendly and it was a joy to eat at the restaurant and we shall certainly return, I like the idea of them having various events, musical concerts etc in the park garden. So we are now planning for the Whitsun Brunch in May and also Swedish mid-summers festival in June.

Just in passing I do like the look of their vaulted cellar bar!!!!  

 

For anyone visiting Lübeck for the Christmas Market or the Travemunde Woche, it is well worth a small detour (it is signposted) but book a table as I am sure in summer places are at a premium.

 

http://www.herrenhaus-stockelsdorf.de/index2.html

 

Faience (Fayence Ger)

This was the forerunner of the fine Chinese porcelain of Meissen, Wedgewood, Limoges and Copenhagen, it was delicate earthenware pottery with a tin-oxide on a lead slip glaze. The process was first introduced into Europe from Faenza in northern Italy and was soon copied through out Europe. Delft being a famous production centre, as was many of the other pottery manufacturers in Northern Europe, one of which was the Georg Nikolaus Lübbers of Stockelsdorf .

The original process is thought to have been refined in Persia or the Indus region, but beads have been found in Egypt from pre-Christian times so the process may well have been first refined in the Nile valley and then taken to the land of the two rivers by traders only to return westwards via Persia and then on to Italy. A similar process was also used on the Balearic Islands and traces of this pottery can also be found in other Mediterranean areas, whether by trade or manufacturing process may be we shall never know.

The Berliner buletten

The Berliner buletten is the grandfather of all frikadellen (though there are others that will say it is just the load mouthed Prussians making another unsubstantiated boast)


Here is my recipe, which varies each time I make it but this time it required

1kg of mixed mince (50% beef, 50% pork)

250g of Mett (Hackepeter) this is spiced minced pork that is often eaten raw for breakfast a sort of pork tartar but with a good smattering of fat, herbs and spices.

1 Schrippe (bread roll) from the day before.

100 ml of milk

1 fresh egg

1 dsp of marjoram

2 tsp. vegetable stock powder (I use marigold low salt)

2 tsp. tomato concentrate

2 medium onions or 1 large one diced quite fine

2 cloves of garlic chopped

2 heaped tsp of mustard, what type I shall leave up to you, but Dijon or mittelscharf is my preferred

A good grinding of black pepper (at least a tsp. worth)

Cut the Shrippe into 3 or 4 pieces (this gives it more surface area to absorb the milk) and put it into a bowl with the milk, allow it to soak up as much of the milk as possible. It should swell and become very soft, squeeze the Schrippe and place in a kitchen machine and buzz it until it is a paste,

put into a bowl with the mince etc.

Fry the onion and the garlic in a little oil

Place this in the bowl with the rest of the ingredients and mix either with a hand mixer or do as I do use your hands, it is far better and also very therapeutic. When mixed taste, you can adjust the seasoning if needed (you can also fry a small patty to see if it is correct). Now form into balls of about 110g ( this will give 12 or 11 nice buletten)

Heat some oil in a pan (traditionally it would be pork dripping, but we are being healthy)

Here you don’t want it too hot, you should fry the buletten at a medium heat, turning when the bottom is brown and crisp.

Fry them and when done put them on a plate covered with kitchen paper to absorb the fat (again see that I am thinking about your health)

Berliner buletten are traditionally served with Salzkartoffeln (steamed potatoes and peas)

Or eaten with pommes (Chips) and Senf (mustard)

Or eaten with a curry sauce (curry buletten)

Or eaten straight out of the pan, but beware hot, this is why my dozen only has 11 in it

Goose legs and curly kale

2 left legs coming from market


Saturday morning and a heavy head, the evening before had been the AGM and a few of us had then gone to the wonderful traditional Christmas market around the old church in the centre of town. It has only about 25 stalls in all, 10 of these selling Glühwein, 5, selling bratwurst and the rest including the inner of the church selling cards, tree decorations and a myriad of festive decorations, knitwear and Weihnachtgebäck (Christmas biscuits), all in a good cause and going to third world projects. Oh the reason for the heavy head was that we had to stop and try a cup of Glühwein at each stall.

But never mind the head I was up and about at 06:30 had a pot of coffee, put some washing in the machine and was out at the market for 08:00. I went to the poultry lady and saw she had goose legs (poor lass) I said I’ll take a pair off you, she said you jolly well will not, I need them to stand on for the rest of the day, but pop around tonight and you can give them a rub. Who said the Germans have no sense of humour “lol” ahem or do you think she was being serious and I missed a trick !!!!

Anyway goose legs purchased, next to my pork butchers (he didn’t look any better than I felt , we had been drinking together the night prior, I got some air dried ham, some cooked roast beef and a couple of Mettendchen, these dried cured sausages peculiar to NRW, are great to have in the house as not only are they good as a snack, but can be a wonderful addition to soups, stews and Eintopfen.

Next to the egg lady (she really sells potatoes, so should be called the potato lady that also sells eggs)

And then to the fish lady to buy a plaice (yours or mine), the plaice are rubbish at the moment, cannot wait until May so I can get out and get the real plump Maischollen from the Baltic

Then I popped into the bakers to get myself a pot of coffee and a roll for breakfast. Then off home by the long way home as I needed a bit of fresh air to blow the cobwebs away.

2 fresh free range goose legs
1 shallot
1  onion
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 bunch of root vegetables (Suppengrün)
100g of chopped speck (or bacon or Lardoons)
½ ltr of chicken stock
½ ltr vegetable stock

Pricked the legs all over on the skin side and rubbed with salt and pepper, put on a bed of root vegetables, a chopped shallot covered with chicken stock , put into the oven at about 200-210°C for 30 minutes to crisp the skin.

In the mean time the washed curly kale, add to the speck and chopped onion in a large frying pan sweated in a little goose fat and put into the Slow Cooker.

Next removed the legs from the oven, set to one side and then poured the root veg and stock over the kale, mixing well, placed the legs on top set the timer for 4 hours on low and went out to the pub for a couple of pints.

On returning peeled a few spuds and a couple of carrots, into boiling water and served with a gravy made from the kale stock.

A smashing winters meal and I have enough for tomorrow evening and a portion of kale with one of those Mettendchen chopped up for lunch.

Wirsingkohlrouladen-krautwickel, Savoy cabbage stuffed parcels with a twist

This is a smashing autumn/winter dish; it takes a bit of time, but well worth the effort.

This is an addapted old German recipe using an Eastern twist. Here in Germany Lamb mince will only be available from Turkish or speciality butchers and this is the first time that I have ever come across lamm-mett. The use of cumin makes a nice change, some use bread crumb to make the filling go a bit further (they say it makes it a bit looser, ahem).

You shall need:

A large head of Savoy cabbage, remove the large outer dark green leaves and shred, when you get to the lighter ones, remove carefully and blanch in boiling water for a couple of minutes until pliable. Run under cold water and then place on a board and cut out the centre vein.

Blanching the leaves in plenty of salted boiling water

Stopping the cooking process

Cut out the hard centre vein

Filling

500g of beef mince
200g of lamb mince or if in Germany try to get lamm mett (this is a ready spiced mince that is normally eaten raw on bread)
1/2 a large sweet onion diced
1 small leek sliced and diced
1 carrot diced
shredded cabbage
1 clove of garlic crushed and diced
1 dessert spoon of tomato puree
1 egg
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1 teaspoon of herb de Provence
1knife point of mustard powder
1 teaspoon of fresh chopped rosemary and thyme
Salt and pepper


Mix the two minces together.

left the beef mince, right the Lamb mett

soften the onion, leek, etc.

add to the mince and mix

adding the mustard powder along with the rest of the ingredients

Sauté the onion, leek, garlic, cabbage and carrot, add this to the mince, add the tomato puree, the egg, mustard and cumin and the herbs, get your hands in and give it a good mix, taste and adjust seasoning. Set to one side while you do the rest of the prep, (in the fridge in warm weather) to allow the herbs and spices to permeate the mixture)

Poaching sauce

500ml of vegetable stock (marigold or other good quality)
1 teaspoon of tomato puree
1 red pepper (capsicum), de-seeded and diced
1 large mushroom diced
Shredded outer leaves of the Savoy
¼ of the large onion
1 garlic clove crushed
25g diced speck (bacon)
1 sprig each of thyme and rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste
Oil for frying

Fry the speck in the oil and then soften the onion and garlic, when translucent add the mushroom, and red pepper, soften and add the sprig of thyme and rosemary.

Put Savoy leaf on a board place another on top but with the slit where the centre vein had been at 90 degrees to the first.

Place a good patty of mince in the middle and fold one side over the top, now fold the ends into the centre, finally wrap the remaining side over all. Now tie it together with kitchen string.

a bit like a spring roll

Heat some oil(or butter) in a frying pan and fry each of the parcels until golden brown all round.

Put the sautéed onions etc. in base of a large pan, place the parcels on top, dissolve the tomato puree in the stock, deglaze the pan with this and pour over the parcels. Bring to the boil reduce to a low heat, cover and poach for about about 45 minutes.

deglaze the frying pan with stock

The finished "Rouladen"

Don't forget to remove the string before serving!!!!!, it can be a bit chewy

Served with a mushroom ragu and potato, garlic and celeriac champ

The Wild Mushroom Ragu

200g of ceps (Steinpilz) picked over, cleaned and chopped
100g of Chanterelles (Pfefferling) , cleaned
100g of field mushrooms (Champions)
25g of diced speck
1/4 diced onion
1 clove of garlic crushed and chopped
1 table spoon of olive oil
1 teaspoon of rosemary and thyme
100ml veg stock
25 ml of catering creme (this is called Rama Cremefine in Germany)
S&P to taste

Saute the speck, onions and garlic in the oil until the onions turn translucent, add the diced mushrooms until they start to give off their liquid, add the herbs and pour over the stock, add the creme, bring to the boil and adjust seasoning.

Pick over cut out any not too nice parts (maggots just love Ceps)

Dice into quite large pieces, crush and chop the garlic

chop the speck (bacon)

Saute the speck, garlic and onions, then add the diced mushrooms

add the stock

adding the creme

The finished ragu