blue artichoke

Woohoo Oktoberfest!
Last night we had another German meal. I won't go so far as to say that German is my favorite cuisine, but I am a big fan of meat and potatoes, especially when the weather is cold. Unfortunately, yesterday was quite warm. GC and I went for a scramble-hike along the Pinnacles. GC is an expert scrambler; I'm slower and more cautious, in part because that's my nature and in part because I was wearing shoes inappropriate for running up rocks covered in dead leaves. It was so windy that I got scared standing on top of the rock formations, so my hike was more like a crab-walk in parts. Anyway, we worked up a good appetite.

I made a meat dish (beef in spiced sour-cream sauce), a potato dish (potatoes with apples) and a dessert (lemon cream). All were pretty good, but the dessert was outstanding.

Würzfleisch (Beef in Spiced Sour-Cream Sauce)

4 T. flour
1 t. salt
½ t. pepper
2 # top round steak, sliced ½” thick and cut into 4 pieces
3 T. lard [I used butter-BA]
½ c. finely chopped onions
1 t. paprika
6 whole black peppercorns
3 whole allspice
½ small bay leaf
1 whole clove
2 c. water
1 c. sour cream
1 T. Madeira

In a mixing bowl, combine 3 T. flour with s/p. Dip in the pieces of beef 1x1; shake off excess (vigorously!). In a heavy 10-12” skillet, melt 2 T. of lard over high heat until a light haze forms above it. Add the beef and brown on both sides, regulating the heat so meat browns quickly and evenly without burning. Remove meat to a platter; add remaining tablespoon lard to the skillet. Drop in onions and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, 5-8m, or until onions are soft and slightly brown. Add paprika, peppercorns, allspice, bay leaf and clove. Pour in the water and bring to a boil, meanwhile scraping into it any browned bits in the skillet.

Return the meat to the pan, reduce heat to low and cover tightly. Simmer 1 ½ -2h, basing occasionally. When beef can easily be pierced with the tip of a fork, transfer it to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

Strain the cooking liquid through a fine sieve into a small bowl, pressing down hard on the onions with the back of a spoon before discarding them. There should be 1 ½ - 2 c. of liquid in the bowl. If less, add canned or fresh beef stock; if more, boil the liquid briskly over high heat until reduced to 2c. Return the liquid to the skillet, bring to a simmer over high heat, then reduce heat to low.

With a whisk, beat the remaining tablespoon of flour into the sour cream. A few tablespoons at a time, beat the sour cream into the simmering liquid and cook, whisking constantly, until sauce is hot and slightly thickened. Don’t let it boil. Return the beef to the skillet; baste well with sauce and cook just long enough to heat it through. Sit in the Madeira and taste for seasoning. To serve, arrange the meat on a heated platter. Moisten the slices with a few tablespoons of sauce and serve the rest separately in a sauceboat. Traditionally, Würzfleisch is accompanied by dumplings or boiled or mashed potatoes.

Serves 4.
Foods of the World: The Cooking of Germany, by Nika Standen Hazelton and the Editors of Time-Life Books. NY: Time Life, 1969.

I halved the recipe, because we are but two, and I'm glad we didn't have any leftovers. It seems that I am not such a fan of boiled meat. It was kind of bland. The sauce was good, though.

Himmel und Erde (Potatoes with Apples)

1 T. sugar
2 t. salt
½ t. freshly ground black pepper
2 c. cold water
9 med boiling potatoes, ~3#, peeled and cut into 1” cubes
1# tart cooking apples, peeled, cored and quartered
½# lean bacon, cut into ¼” dice
2 med onions, peeled and sliced 1/8” thick and separated into rings
1 t. cider vinegar

In a heavy 12” skillet, combine sugar, 1 t. of salt and the pepper in 2 c. of water. Then drop in the potatoes and apples and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to moderate and cover the skillet tightly. Simmer, undisturbed, until potatoes are tender but not falling apart.

Meanwhile, in an 8- to 10” skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat until brown and crisp. With a slotted spoon, spread it out on a double thickness of paper towels to drain. Add the onions to the fat remaining in the skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently, for 8-10m, or until the rings are soft and light brown.

Just before serving, stir the remaining teaspoon of salt and the teaspoon of vinegar not the potatoes and apples; taste for seasoning. Then transfer the entire contents of the skillet to a heated bowl and serve topped with the onion rings and bacon.

Serves 8.
Foods of the World: The Cooking of Germany, by Nika Standen Hazelton and the Editors of Time-Life Books. NY: Time Life, 1969.

I also halved this recipe. I used a Rome apple, which is supposed to be pretty good for cooking, but it got really mushy. It was also sweeter than I'd like for this dish. I think with a different apple, one tarter and better suited for cooking, this recipe would be great.

Zitronencreme (Lemon-Cream Dessert)

1 envelope unflavored gelatin
¼ c. cold water
3 egg yolks
½ c. + 3 T. sugar
¼ c. fresh lemon juice
2 t. finely grate lemon peel
1 c. heavy cream
3 egg whites
1 lemon, cut lengthwise into halves and cut crosswise into paper-thin slices, optional
½ c. heavy cream, optional
1 t. icing sugar, optional

In a heatproof measuring cup or small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over ¼ c. cold water. When softened for 2-3m, set the cup in a small skillet of simmering water and stir until gelatin dissolves completely. Remove skillet from heat, but leave cup of gelatin in the skillet.

With a whisk or electric beater, beat egg yolks with ½ c. of sugar until yolks are pale yellow and thick enough to fall back in a ribbon when beater is lifted from bowl. Stir in the dissolved gelatin, lemon juice and peel. With the same whisk or beater, whip the cream in a large chilled bowl until firm enough to hold it shape softly. With a spatula, gently but thoroughly fold the cream into the lemon and egg mixture, using over-under cutting motion rather than a stirring motion.

Wash and dry the whisk or beater; in a separate bowl, use it to beat the egg whites until frothy. Sprinkle in the remaining 3 T. sugar and continue beating until egg whites are stiff enough to stand in unwavering peaks when whisk is lifted from bowl. Gently fold egg whites into lemon mixture and continue to fold until no trace of white can be seen in the mixture.

Spoon the lemon cream into six individual dessert dishes or into a large serving bowl. Cover tightly and refrigerate for 3h before serving.

If you like, you may garnish with lemon slices and whipped cream. Whip the cream with a wire whisk or beater until it holds its shape softly, sprinkle with icing sugar and beat until stiff. With a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip, pipe rosettes or swirls of whipped cream on top of the dessert.

Serves 6.
Foods of the World: The Cooking of Germany, by Nika Standen Hazelton and the Editors of Time-Life Books. NY: Time Life, 1969.

This recipe was the star of the meal. Though it uses a lot of bowls, it has to be made so far in advance that you have plenty of time to clean up and put away all the bowls. Like a mousse, the texture of this lemon cream is really light and fluffy. The flavor is rather bright and acidic, making it a nice light end to a heavy meal of meat and potatoes. I'll definitely make this dessert again. I probably will make the potato and apple dish again, with some tweaks; it is unlikely that I'll make the meat dish again. Though good enough the first time around, I don't think it was special enough to make again.

Getting to Know All About You: What's your favorite beer? Or, if not a beer drinker, what's your drink of choice?