M E N D O Z A , C O U R T N E Y M A E B .

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German Cuisine

G E R M A N C U I S I N E

Wiener Schnitzel Stollen

Spätzle

H I S T O R Y

German cuisine has often been labeled as stodgy and fatty,

which can be attributed to the lack of variety in the rural

German countryside until the last 200 years.

But Germany has benefited from a close association with Italy

and France and adopted many of their spices and cooking

methods, always with a German twist.

G E R M A N C U I S I N E

German food generally consists of pork, beef, and poultry

with pork being the most popular

Among poultry, chicken is most common, although duck,

goose, & turkey are also used in traditional German

cuisine

Meat is usually pot-roasted or pan-fried, but these recipes

originated from France.

M E A T

Pork, beef, and poultry are the main varieties of meat

consumed in Germany, pork being the most popular

Among the most popular and most common are

the Bratwurst, usually made of ground pork and spices

F I S H

Alaska pollock is the most common

Today, many sea fish, such as fresh

herring, tuna, mackerel, salmon and sardines, are well

established throughout the country

V E G E T A B L E

Vegetables are often used in stews or vegetable soups, but

are also served as side dishes

Carrots, turnips, spinach, peas, beans, broccoli and many

types of cabbage are very common

Asparagus, especially white asparagus known in German

as Spargel, is a common side dish or may be prepared as a

main dish

S P I C E S A N D C O N D I M E N T S

With the exception of mustard for sausages, German

dishes are rarely hot and spicy

The most popular herbs are

traditionally parsley, thyme, laurel,chives, black

pepper (used in small amounts), juniper

berries and caraway.

D E S S E R T S

A wide variety of cakes and tarts are served throughout

the country, most commonly made with fresh fruit.

Ice cream and sorbets are also very popular

B R E A D

Bread is served usually for breakfast (often replaced by bread

rolls) and in the evening as (open) sandwiches, but rarely as a

side dish for the main meal

Germans use almost all available types of grain for their

breads: wheat, rye, barley, spelt, oats, millet, corn and rice.

Some breads are even made with potato starch flour.

B E V E R A G E

Beer is very common throughout all parts of Germany, with

many local and regional breweries producing a wide variety of

beers.

Drinking water of excellent quality is available everywhere

and at any time in Germany.

Water provided by the public water industry can be had

without hesitation directly from the tap. Usually no chlorine is

added. Drinking water is controlled by state authority to ensure

it is potable.

W E I N E R S C H N I T Z E L

Ingredients:

> 4 to 8 skinless pheasant breasts or boar loin medallions

> Salt

> 1 cup flour

> 2 eggs, lightly beaten

> 1 cup breadcrumbs

> Enough lard, butter or duck fat to come 1/2 inch up the sides of

your frying pan

Procedure:

1. Set out a work surface and lay a pheasant breast on a piece of plastic wrap. Lay

another piece of plastic wrap over the breast and pat it down to seal. Pound the

meat out into a very flat cutlet, about 1/4 inch thick. Take your time, hitting the

meat with about the same force as knocking on a door. Work from the center of the

meat outward. If you are using pheasant or chicken, you will need to pound the

thick end of the breast more than the thin end; pork or veal medallions should be

evenly cut. Do one breast at a time. When you are finished with one, remove the

top layer of plastic wrap and set it aside. As you finish more, stack them.

(Removing the one layer of plastic wrap will make them easier to get off the plastic

later.)

Procedure:

2. Preheat the oven to 200°F. Place a baking sheet lined with paper towels in the oven; this is

for the schnitzels as they come out of the frying pan. Set up a breading station. Put the flour

in a large tray, plate or shallow bowl. Do the same for the eggs, and the breadcrumbs. Put the

lard or butter in the frying pan and turn the heat to medium-high. You want to fry at a

temperature of about 325°F to 350°F.

3. When the fat is ready, dredge a cutlet in flour and shake off the excess. Dredge it in egg,

then the breadcrumbs. Do not press the breadcrumbs into the meat. Immediately put the

breaded cutlet into the hot fat. Shake the pan a little to make sure the schnitzel does not stick

to the bottom. The cutlet should float in the hot fat. Repeat quickly with as many cutlets as

will fit in your pan.

Procedure:

4. Fry the schnitzels until they are golden brown, about 4

minutes. As the first side is cooking, spoon some hot fat

over the other side. This will speed up the cooking

process. Flip only once. When the schnitzels are done, put

them in the oven on the baking sheet and repeat until

you’re done.

S p ä t z l e

Ingredients:

> 400 grams plain flour

> 4 eggs

> 1 ¼ tbsp butter

> ¼ tsp salt

> 200 ml water

Procedure:

1. Add the egg and a pinch of salt to the flour.

Procedure:

2. Mix with a wooden spoon until you have a smooth

paste..

Procedure:

3. Add some lukewarm water and stir again until the

consistency is right.

Procedure:

4. This is what the dough should look like when you have

reached the right consistency. If you have added too much

water, you can balance that out by adding a bit more flour

Procedure:

5. Bring lots of water with a pinch of salt added to a boil.

Now place the Spätzle press over the saucepan and put

one portion at a time into the press.

Procedure:

6. Press the handle down. When you are at the end of its

course, cut off the hanging Spätzle with a knife or a

spatula.

Procedure:

7. When they have all surfaced, take them out trying to

drain off as much of the water as possible. Put them in a

dish and add a knob of butter .

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