Here's a curiosity: info on the Christmas menu at the German Ambassador's residence in Washington.
The German Residence Christmas Menu 2004
Menu
Wild Alaskan King Salmon Tartar with Potato Pancakes
Seared Venison Loin "Sauerländer Art"with Celery Puree,
Pear Confit and Braised Red Cabbage
Gratin of Quark with Peaches
Guten Appetit!
Created for the readers of "The Week in Germany" by world-class German Embassy chef de cuisine Benoit Teisseire, this menu expands on the best of German, American, and French cuisine with festive ingredients perfect for the holidays!
1. Smoked Salmon Tartar
This recipe creates two different spoon-sized lumps of salmon tartar. Serve with potato pancakes.
For first lump:
Ingredients:8 oz. fresh smoked salmon
1 T. lemon juice
4 T. olive oil
2 T. chopped chives
1 T. vodka
salt and pepper
Preparation: Finely-chop the salmon with a sharp knife. Add the lemon juice, oil, chives, and vodka. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well, cover, and chill.
For second lump:
Ingredients: 4 oz. smoked salmon, finely chopped
4 oz. fresh poached salmon
1 hard boiled egg, finely chopped
1 T. finely chopped shallots
1 T. finely minced capers
1 T. chopped dill
1 T. sour cream
salt and pepper
Preparation: Mash the poached salmon with a fork; add the smoked salmon, chopped egg, dill, capers and cream. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well, cover, and chill.
Potato Pancakes
This variation on the German staple creates a delicate, subtle pancake.
Ingredients:
6 oz. Cooked potatoes
¾ C. whole milk
1 T. flour
1 egg
2 egg whites
salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste
Preparation:
Mash the potatoes; add milk, flour, spices and 1 egg. Mix until smooth. Beat egg whites and fold into the potato mix. Melt butter in a frying pan, pour mixture into pan, forming small pancakes and sauté until golden.
Seared Venison Loin "Sauerländer Art"
This recipe for Venison "Sauerländer Art" comes from the Ambassador's wife's mother
Ingredients: For 2 ½ lb. Venison loin, cleaned
Marinade:1 bottle red wine
1 onion, peeled and cut into 4 pieces
2 celery stalks, chopped
4 garlic clovers
1 large carrot, diced
20 black peppercorns
15 juniper berries
1 sprig of thyme
Sauce:6 oz. bacon
10 juniper berries
6 oz. red currant jelly
½ C. crème fraiche
2 T.
Preparation:
To make marinade: Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl and add the venison (should be completely covered with the liquid) Refrigerate for 24 hours. Remove the venison, strain the marinade and reserve the vegetables.
To sear venison: Heat 1 T. of butter in a large saucepan, add the marinated venison and diced bacon, fry until the meat is browned. Add the juniper berries and the reserved vegetables, then the strained marinade liquid. Bring to boil and reduce to 1 C. Set meat aside and transfer the marinade to a smaller pot and add the jelly and crème fraiche. Bring the sauce to boil and simmer for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add the mustard to sauce just before serving.
Celery Puree
This side dish is an interesting, flavorful alternative to mashed potatoes.
Ingredients:
1 ¼ lb. pounds celery root, cut into large pieces
1 clove of garlic, peeled
1 sprig of thyme
3 C. milk
1 stick butter
1 C. heavy cream
Preparation:
Place the celery root, garlic, thyme, milk and 3 C. water in a large sauce pan, bring to a boil and simmer until celery is very soft. Drain the celery well and heat the butter until light brown. Place the celery, cream, and brown butter into a blender and mix until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper.
Pear Confit
A touch of sweetness from fruit pairs nicely with a venison main dish.
Ingredients:
3 Anjou Pears
1 T. butter
6 cinnamon sticks
6 whole star-anises
5 crushed black peppercorns
3 T. Acacia honey
Preparation:
Peel, core and cut the pears into eighths lengthwise. Melt butter in a sauce pan and add the pears. Cook slowly until they are golden brown, add the spices and honey and simmer. Add 1 ½ C. water and continue to cook until pears are soft and coated.
Braised Red Cabbage
This traditional German side dish goes well with many types of meat and game.
Ingredients:
1 small red cabbage (1 lb.)
1 apple (Granny Smith)
1 medium onion
3 T. duck fat
1 bay leaf
½ cup red wine vinegar
5 juniper berries
2 cloves
Preparation:
Quarter the red cabbage, remove the white core and slice into thin pieces. Wash in a sieve and let dry. Peel and core the apple and then cut into small, thin pieces. Peel the onion, cut lengthwise, then fry in the duck fat until translucent. Add the red cabage and apple pieces and season with salt, pepper and the rest of the spices. Add the red wine and some water, cover and cook for about 30 min.
Gratin of Quark with Peaches
This dessert, which can be adapted to use other seasonal fruits, is served best warm with ice cream.
Ingredients:
Peaches:4 medium-sized ripe peaches, peeled and thinly sliced
2 t. fresh lemon juice
¼ C. Grand Marnier
Crumb mixture:4 T. unsalted butter
3 cups brioche or white bread crumbs
¼ cup sugar
Quark mixture:¾ C. Quark*
2 extra large eggs
¼ cup sugar
2 T. cornstarch
2 T. finely grated lemon zest
Garnish with:1 ½ t. confectioner's sugar6 scoops vanilla ice cream (optional)
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400°, butter shallow 2-quart casserole or gratin dish. Place peaches in a large mixing bowl, sprinkle with lemon juice and Grand Marnier, toss well, cover and set aside. Melt butter at moderate heat; add crumbs and sugar and sauté for 2 to 3 min., tossing the crumbs constantly until richly amber. Set off the heat and reserve. Blend all ingredients of the quark mixture in a food process fitted with metal chopping blade or electric blender at high speed until smooth and creamy. Layer the brioche crumbs in the bottom of prepared casserole. Drain peaches, reserving the liquid, and drizzle the liquid over the crumbs. Cover with quark mixture, then arrange peaches in rows on top, overlapping the slices. Bake uncovered, 35 to 40 min., just until quark mixture is softly set. Dust the casserole with confectioner's sugar. Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream.
*Quark is a yogurt-like milk product often used in German cuisine. If your grocer doesn't carry it, you can either make it yourself, or substitute it with ¾ lb. finely-cured whole-milk ricotta puréed with 2 T crème fraiche.
