A DIY GERMAN FEAST

While I had my mum visiting I wanted to make the most of her being here so one Saturday night cooked up a little dinner inspired by my German culinary upbringing which was super easy to do and something a little different so I hope I can inspire you to give the recipes a go! Comfort food that is perfect for a chilly January evening with a bit of green thrown in for good measure and delicious when enjoyed with some white wine or water if you are on that Dry January drive! 

SPÄTZLE WITH EMMENTHAL & SLOW ROASTED ONIONS

This is technically a Swiss dish but as Spätzle (basically really condensed egg noodles) are also typically German I am totally claiming this dish as part of my German feast. My mum brought a packet over but you can also get them online. Failing that I reckon you can get away with a short pasta like farfalle. Invest in some proper Swiss Emmental from a cheese monger or deli as this the key (and in fact only) ingredient when it comes to the sauce. Take your time with the onions, we chatted over a glass of wine while I had my watchful eye on them, they need get caramelised slowly and add an amazing sweetness and texture to the dish that is hard to beat.

Serves 2-3

INGREDIENTS

• 400g Spätzle cooked according to instruction (or another type of short pasta like fusilli or farfalle)
• 300g Swiss Emmental, grated
• 3-4 large onions, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons of butter 

METHOD

• Melt the butter in a pan. 
• Add your sliced onions and cook on a medium / low heat for 12-15 minutes or until the onions get to a dark golden colour with some crispy slightly burnt edges.
• Meanwhile cook the spätzle or pasta according to the package instruction and drain.
• Grease an ovenproof baking dish with butter and add the first layer of the spätzle. 
• Top this layer generously with the grated Emmental and repeat this process until the last layer of the spätzle is topped with cheese.
• Bake in the oven at 185 degress Celsius for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melting through all the layers.
• Remove the dish from the oven and top with the caramelised onions. Return to the oven and bake for a further 5 minutes or until the onions have heated through.

CUCUMBER, RED ONION & RADISH SALAD WITH SOUR CREAM & DILLL

This is my twist on a very traditional German cucumber salad which is eaten as a refreshing side dish all year round over there. I added finely chopped red onion and thinly sliced radishes to the classic mix of sliced cucumber, sour cream, white wine vinegar and dill and thought it worked a real treat, adding another flavour dimension to the dish overall! A fabulous side salad to cut through the richness of a heavy main dish and one I am sure to make more often going forward.

Serves 2-3 as side

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cucumbers, thinly sliced (I used the slicer side of a cheese grater)
• 1 red onion, chopped finely
• 100g radishes, thinly sliced
• a bunch of fresh dill, finely chopped + stems removed
• 200ml sour cream
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

METHOD

• Slice your cucumbers and radishes and finely chop your red onion.
• Once you’ve sliced your cucumbers, spread the thin slices on a layer of kitchen towels and top them with more kitchen towels, pressing down gently, to remove any excess moisture.
• Stir sour cream, sugar, vinegar and dilll together in a bowl and mix well.
• Add the cucumber and radishes slices as well as the diced-up onion.
• Mix everything together and pop in the fridge for an hour or two so that the flavours can probably infuse, then it’s time to enjoy