I thought I would give the Thanksgiving 2 fans a look into the possible German foods they will be seeing, and my thought processes in choosing these dishes.
As of today (April 26) I have 17 dishes to test out.
2 types of Sauerbraten: A German Pot roast, where the meat is marinated for a couple days ahead of time, served with several vegetables.
Spaetzle: A German dumpling or noodle
Hessian Pan-Fried Meatloaf: This is exactly what it sounds like.
Bierocks: Meat turnovers with cabbage and spices.
Frikadellen: A traditional German hamburger.
Hasenpfeffer: A rabbit/hare stew with onions and wine.
Spargel: White asparagus.
Maultaschensuppe: Meat filled dumplings in broth.
Sweet & Sour Potatoes: This is a variation on German potato salad.
Zwiebelkuchen: An onion pie from Swabia, served in the fall.
Karotten in bier gedunstet: Carrots cooked in a dark beer with butter.
Brotchen Rolls: Chewy and firm dinner rolls.
Gugelhupf: This is a Bundt cake with raisins and almonds.
Stollen: A moist heavy bread filled with fruit which is popular in Dresden.
Strawberry Bavarian Cream: A dessert similar to a pastry cream flavored with strawberries
Christmas Gingerbread loaf: A bread-like Gingerbread cake
I had a couple reasons for selecting these recipes. They do not duplicate anything that I'll be making from the traditional dishes. You'll notice that there are no turkey dishes. Also, I tried to find dishes that are somewhat different from one another. The only real issue I have is that the German Christmas baked goods tend to have several flavors in common.
I am going to split the individual dish descriptions into two entries. If I describe the different foods in the blog enough times I will have them all memorized by the time TH2 comes around.
The sauerbraten recipe is a dish I knew I wanted to include from the beginning. I learned that it is one of the national dishes of Germany. I am mildly concerned that because of its simple nature that it won't entirely be consumed. The second milder issue I have is that it may taste similar to the Ox-Tail Stew that I am bringing back from last year. They are both a braised meat dish with a meaty sauce and veggies. Perhaps, if I set them far apart from one another on the serving table no one will notice the similarities.
Spaetzle is the other staple German food I knew I needed to include. Something as simple as an egg noodle/dumpling will be a nice side. I can push it as palette cleanser. As of right now I am light on authentic side dishes. I may have to make a couple batches of these. On a different hand,it will be good practice to learn how to make another type of noodle. It seems every other time I try and make chicken and dumplings I wreck the dumplings. (which is why no one has ever had them at my house)
The pan fried meatloaf will probably be the final stop on the main dish train. The pan frying is what originally caught my eye. I have made a few varieties of meatloaf before, but nothing that will have this crispy (I hope) texture. The only worry I have over the meatloaf is how similar will it be to the frikadellen.
The bierocks may be the recipe I'm most afraid to make. Bierocks are a meat turnover. A flaky dough filled with beef or other red-style meat. I am not very familiar with combining dough and meat in anything. I don't think hamburgers and buns count. The recipe appears to be fairly simple, but I'm still nervous. I am debating on making smallish turnovers and placing them on the appetizer table for some variety. Assuming these taste good, I could make some veggie versions with soy crumbles. I'm sure my wife would appreciate that.
Frikadellen is the German hamburger, also known as the original. For as many times as I have grilled during the summer months I have never gone back to the original recipe. It seems that these will be a softer texture than an American burger. I thought it would be boring to just make these in the regular size 3-5 ounces), so I've decided to make frikadellen sliders. The little buns that I'll buy for these can do double duty for the turkey sandwiches that have become popular over the last 2 years.
Hasenpfeffer is a rabbit stew. I can count on one hand how many people I know who have had rabbit, let alone rabbit stew. The recipe will have me marinating the rabbit in wine overnight. I'm hoping that when I make this the first time that the gaminess will be at a minimum. Other then using rabbit as the meat this seems like a very basic stew. Assuming I like the flavor of this then I'll be making a single batch of it. I am too afraid of making a ton of it and then having no one eat it.
Spargel is simply white asparagus. I happen to like asparagus cooked on the grill, but the recipes I have found are more traditional with sauces and such. If I find myself short of vegetables I may just throw some over the fire for fun.
Finally, for this entry the maultaschensuppe reminds me of the many other filled dough foods that I have never made before. Frozen pierogies do not count. This is a recipe I am going to have to try a couple times. The recipe I'll be trying is almost a soup. The maultasche cook in the broth. I'm hoping that this will make it a little more forgiving and allow me to make it a few days ahead of time.It seems like I'll need an additional Crock Pot.
I know I have plenty of time to make all of these new recipes and I'll get to make them at least once before the big day (Dec. 7th btw). The hardest part is getting each one tested/tasted by several different people. I know what good food tastes like, but I always feel a little better if a few other people enjoy what I'm making. It was brought up in a comment last week that if anyone wants a recipe of something that's listed please ask.
Tune in next time for the second half of the list, and catch the desserts.
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