Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management/Chapter LII
General Observations on German and Austrian Cookery, and Recipes for Typical German and Austrian Dishes.
Cookery in Germany.—In no other country does cookery form so much a part of advanced education as in Germany and Austria, where every girl, whatever her position, learns how to cook, and not superficially, as is too often the case in England, for until she has mastered every branch of the subject her education is not considered complete. This useful preparation, aided by a complete course of instruction in the general principles of domestic economy, has naturally developed the practical side of their character, and won for almost every German and Austrian woman a well-deserved reputation of being a good housewife or hausfrau.
For some reason the general reputation of German cookery is not very high in this country: in fact, not a few think that the German diet consists chiefly of boiled beef and dumplings, milk soup, peas pudding, sauerkraut, and sausages. The recipes given in the following chapter should disabuse the mind of the reader of such an erroneous idea, for many useful dishes are included which might be advantageously employed to vary the somewhat monotonous diet of the English middle classes.
The salads, of which the Germans possess an even greater variety than the French, are extremely good, especially the salads made of fish, either freshly cooked, or previously smoked or marinaded. In addition to an almost endless variety of salads of cold cooked meat, poultry, game, etc., they have innumerable salads made of almost every kind of known vegetables, which include artichokes, beans, beetroot, celery, peas, potatoes, usually plainly boiled and served with a good dressing. Many others not generally used in England find favour in Germany, such as succory, dandelion, corn, salmagundi, young hops, and pickled red and white cabbage.
With the exception of potatoes and asparagus, plainly dressed vegetables are rarely served. The numerous vegetable preparations are known under the name of Genüse, and many of them are altogether unknown to us. The German cuisine includes many original methods of dressing potatoes. French beans are usually boiled, sautéed, and served with a rich brown gravy. Both white and red cabbage are shredded finely, tossed in butter or lard until partially cooked, and afterwards stewed very gently in a small amount of rich stock. The German and Austrian asparagus is somewhat different from the English and the French, a considerable portion of the stem being edible, although this may be in some measure due to the removal of the stringy fibres from the stalks before cooking.
German housewives exercise as much care in preserving vegetables for winter use as in preparing them for the table. French beans and scarlet runners are closely packed in jars: potatoes, turnips, and other root plants are carefully packed in sand in a cool cellar, and if not allowed to touch each other may be kept for months. The Germans, like the French, would not consider a dinner complete without soup: no matter how humble the meal may be, soup nearly always forms a part of it. They have, besides the ordinary meat and vegetable soup, a sweet milk soup thickened with flour and flavoured with apples, almond soup, chocolate soup, wine soup flavoured with vine leaves, potato soup flavoured with prunes or apples, and a variety of fruit soups altogether unknown to us. Of beef soups they have no less than 8 varieties, the most popular kind being thickened with bread and flavoured with caraway seeds.
Puddings are not much in vogue in Germany: in fact, a boiled pudding is seldom seen, and baked ones are almost unknown. Their plainer kind of sweets consist chiefly of boiled custard or a mixture of cake or bread and fruit, invariably served cold in special china dishes. Of creams, jellies, ice-puddings and ices they have an almost endless variety, and in this particular branch of cookery they may be said to excel. Fruit pies and tarts, such as we have here, are altogether unknown in Germany, but instead of these they have many curiously prepared sweets and innumerable fancy cakes not included in the English cuisine, such as "Sandtorte," "Gugelhopf," "Waffeln," "Krachtorte," etc. Their bread also comprises many kinds, from the nourishing black bread, "Schwarz brod" or "Pumpernickel," to the delicious little fancy breads. They have also milk rolls in great varieties, the stringel, long sticks and long twists, the surface of these being usually sprinkled with coarse salt, or a mixture of salt and caraway seeds.
Fruit of every kind is both cheap and plentiful, and usually of excellent quality. Every housewife understands the art of preserving fruit in jars, bottles, or tins for winter use, but curiously enough they seldom make it into jam.
The German Middle Classes rise much earlier than the corresponding class in England, and usually breakfast between 7 and 8 o'clock. This simple, informal meal consists of rolls and coffee, the family seldom sit down together, each member partaking of the meal as he or she makes his or her first appearance.
At 11 o'clock there is a sort of snatch repast, which consists of white or brown bread, smoked sausages or cheese, and a glass of wine or lager beer.
The principal meal of the day is the Mittagessen or dinner, which is usually served between 12 and 1 o'clock. It consists of soup, meat, either roasted, boiled, or braised, accompanied by vegetables or salad, and is followed by a compôte of fruit or some other sweet, or, failing these, a little cheese. Light wine or beer is nearly always served with the midday repast.
The middle classes have, instead of our "afternoon tea," the caffee-klatsche or coffee gossip, a light, informal meal of coffee and cakes, which any number of uninvited guests may share; although many housewives of a humbler class provide coffee between ½ past 3 and 4 o'clock, this meal is by no means general with them: in fact, as a rule, nothing is served between dinner and supper.
The Supper, "Nachtessen" or "Abendmahl," is served between 7 and 8 o'clock in the evening, and may, in summer time, consist principally of the famous Teutonic dish "dicke Milch" and fruit, and at other times of a soup or an omelet, a dish of cold meat and salad, or some kind of dressed vegetable. Except among the upper classes, late dinners are not the rule in Germany, although the elaborate meals provided when friends are invited are identical with the English dinner in all but name.
The Austrian-German Cuisine has many broad features in common, although in many respects Austria is far in advance of Germany and other neighbouring countries. Providing well-cooked food for the masses became a national question many years ago, when self-supporting "People's Kitchens" were started in Vienna and other parts of the country, whereby good and wholesome food was brought within the reach of the poor and labouring classes at the lowest possible prices.
A knowledge of cookery runs through all classes, and is an essential part of education. This knowledge, however, is not as a rule acquired either at home or at a cookery school—for these latter institutions, which abound in England and Germany, are almost unknown in Austria—but under the guidance of chefs or cooks in hotels and private families. It is customary for most Austrian cooks to be allowed to receive one or more pupils, and although this may to us appear a peculiar practice, it is nevertheless a fact that any one desirous of learning the culinary art must necessarily resort to this means to obtain what they desire.
The food materials employed by the middle classes of Austria are generally of an inexpensive description, the excellence of their cooking being chiefly due to the care bestowed on the preparation of the most simple substances. They, like the Germans, rarely serve meat plainly dressed, their savoury roasts being a national institution, like the roast and baked meats of England. These roasts, which are identical with the braisées of France, may consist of meat cooked whole, meat thickly sliced, or meat stuffed and rolled.
Typical German Dishes
3678.—APFEL TORTE. (German Apple Tart.) (Fr.—Tourte de Pommes.)
Ingredients.—10 or 12 apples, 4 ozs. of butter, 3 ozs. of almonds, 3 eggs, the finely-grated rind of 1 small lemon, 2 or 3 tablespoonfuls of moist sugar, ¼ of a pint of cream, good short crust (see Pastry, No. 1667).
Method.—Pare, core and slice the apples. Put the sugar into a basin, add the cream, lemon-rind, the butter melted, and the eggs previously well beaten. Mix well together, stir in the sliced apples, and let the mixture stand while the almonds are being blanched and cut lengthwise into strips. Line 2 large plates with paste, place a narrow rim of the same round the edge, and fill the centre with the mixture. Sprinkle the almonds on the top, bake in a moderate oven from 35 to 45 minutes, and when done dredge liberally with castor sugar. Serve either hot or cold.
Time.—About 1 hour. Average Cost, 2s. 3d. Sufficient for 2 tarts. Seasonable at any time.
3679.—BAYRISCHE KNÖDEL. (Bavarian Dumplings.) (Fr.—Quenelles Bavaroise.)
Ingredients.—8 ozs. of finely-chopped raw or cooked meat, 2 ozs. of breadcrumbs, ½ a teaspoonful of powdered mixed herbs, 1 or 2 eggs, nutmeg, salt and pepper, 2 ozs. of butter oiled.
Method.—Mix the meat, breadcrumbs, herbs, a pinch of nutmeg, and a good seasoning of salt and pepper well together, and moisten thoroughly with beaten egg. Form the mixture into balls of moderate size, drop them into boiling stock or slightly salted water, cook from 10 to 15 minutes, then remove the balls carefully and drain well. Serve with the oiled butter poured over them, or, if preferred, pour a little good gravy round them. The excellency of this dish depends on the mixture being of proper consistency, therefore an inexperienced cook would do well to test a little of the mixture, by dropping it into boiling water before forming the whole of it into balls.
Time.—½ an hour. Average Cost, 9d. to 1s. Sufficient for 6 or 8 persons.
3680.—BIERSUPPE. (Beer Soup.)
Ingredients.—2 pints German beer, 2 slices of bread, 1 oz. butter, 2 eggs, ginger, caraway seeds, and salt to taste.
Method.—Remove the crust of the bread, and divide the crumbly part into small pieces. Put them into a stewpan, add the beer, boil up, whisking meanwhile, and stir in the ginger. In the meantime the caraway seeds should have been fried gently in the butter; now drain them well and add them, with a seasoning of salt to the contents of the stewpan. Cook slowly for about 15 minutes, then pour over the yolks of eggs, which should be previously well beaten and placed in the soup tureen.
Time.—½ an hour. Average Cost, 10d. to 1s.
3681.—FLADCHEN MIT SPINAT. (Pancakes with Spinach). (Fr.—Crépes aux épinards.)
Ingredients.—Spinach, 1 oz. of butter, 1 finely-chopped small onion, 1 tablespoonful of cream, 1 tablespoonful of flour, 1 pint of milk, 3 eggs, pancakes (see No. 3693).
Method.—Boil as much spinach as will, when finely-chopped or passed through a sieve, produce 1 pint of purée. Melt the butter in a stewpan, fry the onion lightly, put in the spinach and cream, sprinkle in the flour, season to taste, and stir over the fire for a few minutes. Have ready some thin pancakes, made as directed in No. 3693, spread each one with the spinach preparation, roll them up and place them in an earthenware baking-dish or large pie-dish. Beat the eggs well, stir in the milk, add salt and pepper to taste, and pour over the pancakes. Bake in a moderately hot oven until the custard is set, then serve.
Time.—1½ hours. Average Cost, 1s. to 1s. 3d. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.
3682.—FLEISCHKUCHEN. (Meat Pancakes.) (Fr.—Omelette Allemande.)
Ingredients.—½ a lb. of finely-chopped cold meat, 1½ ozs. of butter, 2 finely-chopped shallots, ½ a gill of gravy or stock, 1 dessertspoonful of flour, salt and pepper, batter (see Pancakes No. 3693), lard.
Method.—Fry the shallots lightly in the hot butter, sprinkle in the flour, add the stock, and boil well. When the flour is sufficiently cooked, add the meat and seasoning to taste, and stir over the fire for a few minutes. Make the batter as directed in the recipe for pancakes, and pour a thin layer of it into an omelet-pan in which a little lard has been previously heated. As soon as it is set spread over it about 2 tablespoonfuls of the meat preparation, and cover with another layer of batter. Now place the omelet-pan in a hot oven, bake until the batter is set and lightly browned, then cut into convenient portions, and serve as hot as possible. This will be found an excellent way of disposing of cold meat. To be served in true German fashion, it should be accompanied by some kind of green salad.
Time.—40 minutes. Average Cost, 1s. 2d., exclusive of the batter. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons. Seasonable at any time.
3683.—GEFÜLLTE LEBER. (Stuffed Liver.) (Fr.—Foie farcie.)
Ingredients.—1½ lbs. of calf's liver, 1 calf's caul, 4 ozs. of fat bacon. 4 ozs. of crumb of bread, 3 eggs, 1 level tablespoonful of finely-chopped onion, stock, milk, dripping, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Method.—Wash and dry the liver thoroughly, and chop it finely. Cut the bacon into dice and fry it lightly, then add the onion and fry until slightly browned. Put in the liver, add nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste, stir over the fire until the liver changes colour, then turn the preparation into a basin, and let it remain until cool. Meanwhile, soak the bread in a little milk until soft, then squeeze it as dry as possible, and add it to the liver preparation. Beat the eggs well, and stir them well into the other ingredients. Wash and dry the caul thoroughly; with it line an earthenware casserole, or, failing this, a stewpan, put in the mixture, and fold the caul so as to envelop it completely. Add a little dripping, and bake in a moderate oven for about ¾ of an hour. 15 minutes before serving drain off the fat, add a little strong stock, and baste well. Serve hot.
Time.—1½ to 2 hours. Average Cost, 2s. 2d. to 2s. 6d. Sufficient for 4 or five persons. Seasonable at any time.
3684.—GEHIRNSCHNITTEN. (Brain Toast.) (Fr.—Cervelles sur Croûtes.)
Ingredients.—2 calves' brains, 1½ ozs. of butter, 1 heaped tablespoonful of fine breadcrumbs, oiled butter, croûtes of fried or toasted bread, grated cheese, salt and pepper. For garnishing: slices of lemon and crisp green parsley.
Method.—Wash the brains in several waters, blanch them, and when cold divide each one into 4 or more pieces. Heat the butter in a sauté-pan or frying-pan, fry the brains lightly, then place them on the prepared croûtes, which should nearly correspond in size. Season them with salt and pepper, sprinkle thickly with mixed cheese and breadcrumbs, and pour over a few drops of oiled butter. Place them on a baking sheet in a hot oven for about 10 minutes, then serve garnished with parsley and slices of lemon.
Time.—1½ hours. Average Cost, 1s. 6d. to 2s. Sufficient for 7 or 8 persons. Seasonable at any time.
3685.—HACHIS UND REIS RULLETTEN. (Meat and Rice Rissoles.)
Ingredients.—½ a lb. of rice, ½ a lb. of finely-chopped cold meat, 1½ ozs. of butter, the yolks of 2 eggs, 2 finely-chopped shallots, ½ a gill of gravy, 1 dessertspoonful of flour, nutmeg, salt and pepper, egg and breadcrumbs, frying-fat, stock.
Method.—Wash and drain the rice, put it into a stewpan with sufficient stock to cover it, and cook until tender, adding more stock when necessary, but not more than the rice will completely absorb. When ready season to taste with nutmeg, salt and pepper, and spread in a thin layer on a large dish. Fry the shallots lightly in the hot butter, sprinkle in the flour, add the stock, and boil well. Put in the meat and 2 yolks of eggs, season to taste, stir over the fire for a few minutes, then turn the mixture on to a plate to cool. Cut the rice into round or oval shapes, spread the centre of half of them thickly with the meat mixture, and cover with the other portions of rice. Seal the edges carefully, coat them completely with egg and breadcrumbs, and fry in hot fat. Dish up and serve hot.
Time.—2 hours. Average Cost, 1s. 3d. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable at any time.
3686.—HERING SALAT (Fr.—Salade de Harengs.)
Ingredients.—2 good smoked or salted herrings, 2 hard-boiled eggs, 1 cold boiled potato, 1 teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, ½ a teaspoonful of finely-chopped onion, 2 tablespoonfuls of salad-oil, 1½ tablespoonfuls of vinegar, salt and pepper, slices of beetroot and capers for garnishing.
Method.—Put the herrings in a moderate oven for 2 or 3 minutes, so as to enable the skins to be easily removed. Cut off the heads, split the fish in halves, and divide into small pieces, carefully removing the bones. Place the onion, parsley, and a seasoning of salt and pepper in a salad bowl, stir in the oil and vinegar, and mix well. Cut the eggs and potato into small dice, mix them and the flaked fish lightly but thoroughly with the salad dressing, and decorate with the sliced beetroot and capers.
Time.—15 minutes. Average Cost, 10d. to 1s. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons. Seasonable at any time.
3687.—KARTOFFELN MIT KÄSE. (Potatoes with Cheese.) (Fr.—Pommes de terre au Fromage.)
Ingredients.—Cold potatoes, 1 or 2 tablespoonfuls of grated cheese, 2 eggs, ¾ of a pint of milk, salt and pepper.
Method.—Beat the eggs well, stir in the milk, and season the custard to taste with salt and pepper. Butter a deep fireproof dish, put in a layer of slices of cooked potato, season with salt and pepper, sprinkle over some grated cheese, and add 2 tablespoonfuls of the prepared custard. Repeat until the dish is full, and making the last layer of cheese. Bake in a moderate oven for about ½ an hour, and serve in the dish.
Time.—¾ of an hour. Average Cost, 8d. to 10d. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons. Seasonable at any time.
3688.—KARTOFFELSALAT. (Potato Salad.) (Fr.—Salade de Pommes de terre.)
Ingredients.—8 or 9 potatoes, 1 teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, ½ a teaspoonful of finely-chopped chives, ½ a teaspoonful of finely-chopped onion, ½ a gill of hot stock, 2 tablespoonfuls of salad-oil, 1 tablespoonful of wine vinegar, salt and pepper, slices of pickled beetroot or cucumber.
Method.—Boil the potatoes in their skins, peel and slice them thinly, and place them in layers in a salad bowl, sprinkling each layer with parsley, onion, chives, salt and pepper. Mix the oil and vinegar together, add the hot stock, and pour it over the salad. Mix lightly, garnish with beetroot and cucumber, and serve before the potatoes are quite cold. Variety may be introduced by adding a finely-shredded marinaded herring, or a few sardines or anchovies.
Time.—About ½ an hour. Average Cost, 4d. to 6d. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons. Seasonable at any time.
3689.—KIRSCHEN SAUCE. (Black Cherry Sauce.) (Fr.—Sauce aux Cerises.)
Ingredients.—Dried black cherries (about ⅓ of a pint), ½ a pint of red wine, a thin strip of lemon-rind, 2 cloves, a small piece of cinnamon, a ½ gill of gravy, 1 dessertspoonful of cornflour, salt.
Method.—Soak the cherries in lukewarm water for 1 hour, then drain and dry them well, and pound them with the stones. Place the pounded preparation in a stewpan, add the wine, lemon-rind, cloves, cinnamon, with a little salt, and boil for 2 or 3 minutes. Mix the cornflour and gravy smoothly together, add it to the sauce, boil gently for 3 or 4 minutes, stirring meanwhile, then strain and serve.
Time.—About 1½ hours. Average Cost, 1s. Sufficient for ¾ pint. Seasonable at any time.
3690.—LEBERKLOESSE. (Liver Dumplings.) (Fr.—Quenelles de Foie de Veau.)
Ingredients.—½ a lb. of liver, preferably calf's, 2 ozs. of butter, 1 tablespoonful of flour, 2 eggs, 1 small onion finely-chopped, the finely-grated rind of ½ a lemon, 1 good teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, 1 dinner roll, or other bread, soaked in milk, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Method.—Wash and dry the liver thoroughly, chop it finely, and mix with it the bread, previously squeezed as dry as possible, lemon-rind, onion, parsley and flour. Season to taste with nutmeg, salt and pepper, and moisten thoroughly with beaten egg. Add the egg by degrees, testing the mixture by dropping a little of it into boiling water. When the proper consistency is obtained, form into balls of moderate size, drop them into boiling stock or salted water, and cook gently from 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with the butter melted and poured over them.
Time.—From 30 to 40 minutes. Average Cost, 10d. to 1s. Sufficient for 2 or 3 persons. Seasonable at any time.
3691.—LINZERTORTE. (German Gâteau.)
Ingredients.—7 ozs. of fine flour, 6 ozs. of pounded or ground almonds, 6 ozs. of castor sugar, 6 ozs. of butter, ¼ of an oz. of powdered cinnamon, 2 eggs, fruit, jam or marmalade.
Method.—Rub the butter into the flour, add the almonds, sugar and cinnamon, and mix into a stiff paste with the well-beaten eggs. Roll out, cut into 2 rounds about the size of a dessert plate, place them on a greased baking-sheet, and spread the centres rather thickly with jam, marmalade or stewed fruit, leaving the edges free. Moisten the edges, and put on them a border made out of the paste-trimmings, place a few strips across to form a lattice work, brush lightly over with milk, and sprinkle liberally with sugar. Bake in a moderate oven from 20 to 25 minutes, and serve cold.
Time.—About 45 minutes. Average Cost, 1s. 8d. to 2s. Sufficient for 2 tarts. Seasonable at any time.
3692.—MILCHBROD SUPPE. (Milkbread Soup.) (Fr.—Soupe au Pain de Lait.)
Ingredients.—2 or 3 stale milk rolls, 2 quarts of stock, 2 eggs, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Method.—Grate the crusts of the rolls into a stewpan, pour in the boiling stock, and let it simmer for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Beat the eggs until light, stir them into the soup, add nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste, and whisk by the side of the fire until the soup thickens, but do not allow it to boil after adding the eggs, or they may curdle.
Time.—½ an hour. Average Cost, 4d., exclusive of the stock. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.
3693.—PFANKUCHEN. (Pancakes.)
Ingredients.—4 ozs. of flour, 2 eggs; 1½ gills of milk, a pinch of salt, lard or butter for frying.
Method.—Sieve the flour and salt into a basin, beat up the eggs and stir them gradually into the flour; add half the milk and beat until smooth, add the remainder of the milk, and allow the batter to stand. To fry the pancakes, place a small piece of butter or lard in an omelet pan; when hot, pour in sufficient batter to cover the bottom of the pan. Fry until one side is coloured, then toss and fry the other side a golden brown. Turn on to a sugared paper, sprinkle over with lemon juice, roll up and dish on hot dish on a lace paper.
Time.—1 hour. Average Cost, 4½d. Sufficient for 4 persons. Seasonable at any time.
3694.—POLNISCHER BOCK. (Braised Veal.) (Fr.—Veau braisé.)
Ingredients.—3 lbs. of lean veal, 2 ozs. of butter, 6 ozs. of fat bacon cut into dice, the rind of ½ a lemon cut into dice, 6 boned anchovies divided into short pieces, ½ a pint of stock (about), meat glaze, salt and pepper.
Method.—The meat should be cut into one flat piece, and must be well beaten with a cutlet-bat. Make small incisions on the upper surface of the meat, and insert the dice of bacon, onion, lemon-rind and anchovies. Season liberally with salt and pepper, roll up tightly, and tie securely with twine. Heat the butter in a braising-pan, fry the prepared meat until lightly browned, then add any trimmings of bacon, lemon-rind and onion there may be, and the stock, and cover closely. Cook gently in the oven from 2 to 2½ hours, basting frequently, and when ready remove the twine and brush over with meat glaze. Serve with good brown gravy.
Time.—To cook, from 2 to 2½ hours. Average Cost, 4s. 6d. to 5s. Sufficient for 7 or 8 persons. Seasonable at any time.
3695.—SACHER TORTE. (German Chocolate Tart.)
Ingredients.—8 ozs. of butter, 6 ozs. of castor sugar, 4 ozs. of fine flour, 4 ozs. of vanilla chocolate, finely-grated, 8 eggs, the finely-grated rind of ½ a lemon, ½ a gill of whipped cream, apricot marmalade.
Method.—Beat the butter to a cream, stir in the yolks of eggs separately, add the sugar, grated chocolate, lemon-rind, and lastly the flour, and beat briskly for at least 20 minutes. Whisk the whites of eggs to a very stiff froth, stir them into the rest of the ingredients as lightly as possible, pour the mixture into round shallow tins, and bake in a moderate oven from 40 to 45 minutes. When quite cold spread the surface rather thickly with apricot jam, and decorate tastefully with whipped cream.
Time.—1½ to 2 hours. Average Cost, 2s. to 2s. 6d. Sufficient for 2 or 3 tarts. Seasonable at any time.
3696.—SANDTORTE. (Sandy Cake.) (Fr.—Tourte Sablée.)
Ingredients.—7 ozs. of potato flour or cornflour, 1 oz. of Vienna flour, 8 ozs. of butter, 6 ozs. of castor sugar, 1 oz. of ground almonds, the whites of 3 eggs, the yolks of 2 eggs, 1 teaspoonful of finely-grated lemon-rind, the juice of ½ a lemon.
Method.—Clarify the butter and put it aside until lightly set, then add the sugar and beat until creamy and white. When the proper consistency has been obtained, beat in the yolks of eggs, add the ground almonds, lemon-rind and lemon-juice, and lastly the flour and potato flour. Whip the whites of eggs to a very stiff froth, add them as lightly as possible to the rest of the ingredients, then pour the mixture into a flat cake tin, which must be previously well buttered and lightly covered with cake crumbs. Bake in a moderate oven from 35 to 40 minutes, and when cold, glaze with fondant or other icing (see No. 3461), and decorate to taste.
Time.—About 1½ hours. Average Cost, 1s. 3d. Sufficient for 1 cake. Seasonable at any time.
3697.—SCHLACHTBRATEN OR SAUERBRATEN. (A Sour Roast.) (Fr.—Rôti de Boeufaigre.)
Ingredients.—3 lbs. of beef, fillet or any lean tender meat, 2 ozs. of butter, larding bacon, 1 onion sliced, 1 lemon thinly sliced, the juice of ½ a lemon, 1 tablespoonful of flour, 1½ gills of vinegar, 1 gill of sour cream or milk, ½ a gill of stock or water, 1 oz. of loaf sugar, 2 bay-leaves, salt and pepper.
Method.—Trim the meat, skewer it into a good shape, and lard one side of it rather closely. Heat the butter in a large stewpan, add any trimmings of bacon there may be, and fry the meat until the entire surface is lightly browned. Now sprinkle the flour over the side that is not larded, and continue the process a little longer, frying the onion at the same time. Add the stock or water, vinegar, cloves and bay-leaf, bring to the boil, stirring well from the bottom of the pan meanwhile, then remove the stewpan to a moderate oven, and cook gently for about 1½ hours, or until the meat is quite tender. Place the sugar with a few drops of water in a small stewpan, and cook over a slow fire until it acquires a deep brown colour, then add the sour cream or milk, and stir until well mixed. Take up the meat, keep it hot, strain the liquor, and add it to the cream and sugar, season to taste, put in the lemon-juice, boil for a few minutes, then pour it over and round the meat. Garnish with slices of lemon, and serve with stewed macaroni or semolina.
Time.—2¼ to 2½ hours. Average Cost, 4s. 6d. Sufficient for 6 or 7 persons. Seasonable at any time.
3698.—SUPPE MIT SCHINKENKLOESCHEN. (Soup with small Ham Dumplings.)
Ingredients.—6 ozs. of finely-chopped lean ham, 3 ozs. of butter, 1 oz. of flour, 2 eggs, 2 quarts of clear stock, 1 heaped tablespoonful of breadcrumbs (about), ¼ of a teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Method.—Melt the butter in a small stewpan, add the flour, stir over the fire for 3 or 4 minutes, then put in the ham and the breadcrumbs. Beat the eggs in separately, add nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste, and as many breadcrumbs as will form the whole into a stiff mixture. Let the mixture cool, then shape it into very small dumplings, drop them into the stock when quite boiling, and cook gently for about 15 minutes. Place both soup and dumplings in a soup tureen, sprinkle on the parsley, and serve.
Time.—1¼ hours. Average Cost, 10d., exclusive of the stock. Sufficient for 6 or 8 persons. Seasonable at any time.
3699.—WASSERSUPPE. (Water Soup.) (Fr.—Soupe à l'eau.)
Ingredients.—3 pints of boiling water, 2 eggs, 2 dessertspoonfuls of flour, ½ a teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, ½ a teaspoonful of finely-chopped chives, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Method.—Beat the eggs well, stir them into the flour, add the butter, previously oiled, and beat until smooth. Have the water ready boiling in a stewpan, add the onion, pour in the batter, and whisk vigorously until boiling. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, then sprinkle in the parsley, season to taste, and serve.
Time.—25 minutes. Average Cost, 3d. to 4d. Sufficient for 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.
3700.—WEISS-KOHL MIT WURST. (Cabbage with Sausages.) (Fr.—Choux au Sausisse.)
Ingredients.—1 large white cabbage, 3 ozs. of butter, 1 small onion finely-chopped, salt and pepper, sausages either boiled or fried.
Method.—Trim, wash and boil the cabbage, drain and press it well to extract as much moisture as possible, then chop it finely on a board or in a chopping-bowl. Heat the butter in a stewpan, fry the onion lightly, then put in the cabbage with a seasoning of salt and pepper. Fry without browning until the butter is absorbed, then pile the cabbage in a pyramidal form on a hot dish, slice the sausages and arrange them round the base. If liked, a little gravy or brown sauce may be poured round the dish. Neatly-trimmed poached eggs are sometimes put in the centre of the cabbage.
Time.—1½ hours. Average Cost, 1s. 3d. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons. Seasonable at any time.
3701.—ZWETSCHEN SAUCE. (Prune Sauce.) (Fr.—Sauce aux Prunes.)
Ingredients.—½ a lb. of prunes, 1 glass of port or claret, the juice of 1 lemon, the thinly-pared rind of ½ a lemon, ½ a teaspoonful of powdered cinnamon.
Method.—Simmer the prunes in just sufficient cold water to cover them until quite soft, then remove and crack the stones and preserve the kernels. Replace the prunes and kernels in the stewpan, add the lemon-rind and lemon-juice, the wine and cinnamon, simmer gently for 10 minutes, and rub through a sieve. If necessary, dilute with a little more wine or water, and serve with any kind of plain pudding.
Time.—½ an hour. Average Cost, 7d. or 8d. Sufficient for ½ pint of sauce. Seasonable at any time.
Typical Austrian Dishes
3702.—BAUMWOLLENSUPPE.
Ingredients.—1 quart of good brown stock, 2 eggs, 1 tablespoonful of fine flour, 1 tablespoonful of oiled butter, a pinch of salt, a pinch of nutmeg.
Method.—Mix the flour, salt, nutmeg, butter and eggs into a smooth batter. Have the stock ready boiling, strained and free from fat; let the batter run through a pointed strainer or colander, into the soup, holding it high above the stewpan, meanwhile stirring the soup slowly with a whisk. Simmer gently for about 10 minutes, then season to taste and serve.
Time.—About 10 minutes. Average Cost, 1s. 3d. to 1s. 6d. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.
3703.—GULLASH (GULIAS-HUS.) (An Austro-Hungarian Dish.)
Ingredients.—1 lb. of lean tender beef or veal, 2 potatoes peeled and cut into dice, 3 ozs. of butter, 4 ozs. of bacon cut into dice, ½ a small onion finely-chopped, 1 dessertspoonful of flour, ½ a teaspoonful of caraway seeds, 1 gill of brown stock, ½ a wineglassful of Madeira wine, Paprika pepper, pepper and salt.
Method.—Remove all fat and skin from the meat, cut it into dice, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Heat ½ the butter in a sauté-pan or frying-pan, fry the onion slightly, add the meat and cook gently on the stove or in the oven from 10 to 15 minutes. Now sprinkle on the flour, add the wine, stock and caraway seeds, and continue to cook slowly. Heat the remaining butter, fry the bacon lightly, then add the prepared potatoes, and fry them until they acquire a deep golden-brown colour. Drain well, add to the contents of the sauté-pan, and cook gently until both meat and potatoes are done. Stir occasionally, but gently so as not to break the potatoes, and when ready season to taste, and serve.
Time.—½ an hour. Average Cost, 1s. 10d. Sufficient for 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.
3704.—KAHAB. (Fr.—Sauté de Veau.)
Ingredients.—1 lb. of fillet or neck of veal, 2 ozs. of butter, 1 very small onion thinly-sliced, ½ a lemon thinly-sliced, ½ a pint of sour cream, ¼ of a teaspoonful of caraway seeds, salt and pepper. For garnishing: slices of lemon and tufts of parsley.
Method.—Cut the meat free from skin and bone into pieces about 2 inches square and about ½ an inch in thickness. Heat the butter in a fireproof earthenware cooking pot, put in the meat, season to taste with salt and pepper, add the caraway seeds, sliced onion and lemon, and fry gently for 10 minutes. Now add the cream, cover closely, and cook gently in the oven for about ¾ of an hour, or until tender. Serve garnished with thin slices of lemon and tufts of parsley.
Time.—1 hour. Average Cost, 1s. 9d. to 1s. 11d. Sufficient for 5 persons. Seasonable at any time.
3705.—KAISERSUPPE. (Emperor Soup.)
Ingredients.—2½ pints of white stock, 1½ ozs. of butter, 1 oz. of rice, 2 tablespoonfuls of grated cheese, ¼ of a cabbage, 1 leek, 1 carrot, ½ a turnip, ½ an onion, ½ a teaspoonful of sugar, salt and pepper.
Method.—Prepare the vegetables, shred the cabbage coarsely, and cut the rest into dice. Heat the butter in a stewpan, fry the vegetables slowly for 15 or 20 minutes, but do not let them brown. Wash and drain the rice, add it to the contents of the stewpan, also add the sugar, and shake the stewpan over the fire until nearly all the butter is absorbed. Now add the stock, cover closely, and simmer gently for ½ an hour. Season to taste, sprinkle in the cheese, and serve. If preferred, the grated cheese may be handed round separately.
Time.—About 1 hour. Average Cost, 1s. 9d. to 2s. Sufficient for 6 or 7 persons. Seasonable at any time.
3706.—KALBSVOEGEL. (A Variety of Veal Olives.) (Fr.—Olives de Veau.)
Ingredients.—1½ lbs. of lean veal, a few thin slices of streaky bacon, 1½ ozs. of butter, 1½ ozs. of flour, 1 teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, 1 teaspoonful of finely-grated lemon-rind, 1 gill of white stock, ½ a gill of white wine, meat glaze, mashed potato, salt and pepper.
Method.—Cut the meat across the grain into thin slices, flatten them with a cutlet-bat, and sprinkle liberally with salt, pepper and lemon-rind. Place a thin slice of bacon on each piece of meat, roll up tightly and secure with twine. Heat the butter in a sauté-pan, fry the rolls until their entire surface is lightly browned, then remove them from the pan. Stir in the flour, fry until lightly browned, add the wine, stock, parsley, and the remaining lemon-rind, and boil up. Replace the meat in the pan, cover, and simmer gently for 20 minutes. When ready remove the strings, arrange the rolls on a bed of mashed potato, add the meat glaze to the sauce, boil up, and then strain over and round the meat.
Time.—1¼ hours. Average Cost, 2s. to 2s. 3d. Sufficient for 6 or 7 persons. Seasonable at any time.
3707.—KÄSEGEBÄCK. (Hot Cheese Fritters.) (Fr.—Beignets de Fromage.)
Ingredients.—¼ of a lb. of Gruyère cheese, ¼ of a lb. of choux paste (see p. 882), Nepaul pepper or cayenne, salt, egg and breadcrumbs, frying-fat.
Method.—Cut the cheese into slices about ¼ of an inch thick, and stamp them in round or oval shaped pieces. Coat one side of each piece of cheese rather thickly with choux paste, and smooth the surface with a knife. Season the breadcrumbs liberally with salt and Nepaul pepper or cayenne, coat each prepared slice of cheese carefully with egg and breadcrumbs, and as soon as the coating is dry repeat the process. Fry in hot fat, drain well, and serve as a savoury.
Time.—40 minutes. Average Cost, 1s. Sufficient for 6 or 7 persons. Seasonable at any time.
3708.—NUDELSUPPE. (Ribbon Macaroni Soup.)
Ingredients.—1 quart of good clear brown stock, 4 ozs. of flour, 2 yolks of eggs.
Method.—Add a pinch of salt to the flour, mix into a stiff paste with the yolks of eggs, and knead thoroughly for not less than 15 minutes. Put the paste aside for ½ an hour, then roll it out as thinly as possible, divide into oblong pieces, place these on the top of each other, and cut into strips like matches. Shake well to separate the strips, spread them on white paper, and let them remain until dry. Have ready the stock boiling, strained, and free from fat, drop in the nudels a few at a time, boil them rapidly for about 10 minutes, then season the soup to taste, and serve.
Time.—1¼ hours. Average Cost, 1s. 3d. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.
3709.—WIENER SCHNITZEL. (Fr.—Tranches Viennoise.)
Ingredients.—2 lbs. of lean veal, eggs for frying, 1 or 2 lemons, clarified butler, fillets of anchovies, gherkins, capers, egg and breadcrumbs, brown sauce, pepper and salt.
Method.—Cut the meat across the grain into thin slices, beat with a cutlet bat, trim them neatly, and season them with salt and pepper. Coat the slices carefully with egg and breadcrumbs, and fry in hot clarified butter until lightly browned on both sides. Fry the eggs in clarified butter, or, if liked, good salad-oil, then drain them well, and trim them neatly. Heat the sauce, season to taste, and add a little lemon-juice. Dish the meat either in a circle or lengthwise on a potato border, place the eggs on the meat, and on each egg arrange 2 or 3 small fillets of anchovies. Garnish the dish with slices of lemon, fancifully cut gherkin, and capers. Serve a little sauce on the dish, and the remainder in a sauce-boat.
Time.—¾ of an hour. Average Cost, 3s. Sufficient for 6 or 7 persons. Seasonable at any time.
3710.—WIENER STEAKS. (Fr.—Filets Viennoise.)
Ingredients.—2 lb. of lean beef, 3 ozs. of butter, 1 tablespoonful of flour, 2 eggs, 2 onions, 1 teaspoonful of chopped parsley, 1 teaspoonful of powdered savoury herbs, nutmeg, salt and pepper, brown sauce (see Sauces, No. 233).
Method.—Chop the meat finely or pass it twice through a mincing machine. Add the parsley, herbs, a little nutmeg, salt and pepper, mix well, and moisten with 1 whole egg and 1 yolk. Divide the preparations into equal portions, and shape them neatly, giving them the appearance or rather large fillets of beef, and roll them lightly in flour. Peel and slice the onions, divide the larger slices into rings, and if onions are liked, cut the smaller slices into large dice, fry them in a little hot butter, and when well drained add them to the brown sauce. Fry the prepared fillets in a little hot butter until nicely browned and sufficiently cooked, then drain and keep them hot. Coat the onion rings with flour, dip them into white of egg, then again into flour, and fry in a wire basket in hot fat until crisp and lightly browned. Serve the steaks garnished with the onion rings, pour a little sauce round, and send the remainder to table in a sauce-boat.
Time.—1 hour. Average Cost, 3s. 6d. Sufficient for 7 or 8 persons. Seasonable at any time.