The Wachau Cookbook E-Book

Christine Saahs

• Herausgeber: Brandstätter Verlag
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015

Seitenzahl: 118

Beschreibung

LOVE is always one of the ingredients when Christine Saahs cooks - a love for the Wachau, for her guests, and for the region's outstanding natural products. When she quickly darts out to her herb garden to pluck ripe saffron from her crocuses, gives her applesauce the finishing touch with a sprinkle of rose petals or grates horseradish over carp, she always knows why she is doing it: not only to turn her food into something special but also because she wants to give her dishes a vital, invigorating power. For Christine Saahs, who runs the venerable Nikolaihof, in the Wachau Valley, biodynamic agriculture and foodstuffs have been a way of life for over 40 years. Food is good for the soul, but only when it is truly delicious. And this is precisely what the recipes of Christine Saahs guarantee. She reveals her long-held secrets for interpreting the classics of Wachau cuisine, and these tips promise perfect results and delighted guests in your own home. Christine Saahs shares something else as well: memories of life in the Wachau and the culinary traditions of this unique region along the River Danube, preserved in her stories about the days of her parents and grandparents and about her own childhood.

Leseprobe

Best of Wachau!

Love is always one of the ingredients when christine Saahs cooks – a love for the Wachau, for her guests, and for the region’s outstanding natural products.

In this book, the top-flight chef presents classic dishes from the Wachau and reveals tips for ensuring that they turn out well every time. Christine Saahs also writes of her childhood and vividly describes life in this unique World Cultural Landscape in the Danube Valley.

CHRISTINE SAAHS

The Wachau Cookbook

CHRISTINE SAAHS

TheWachauCookbook

CULINARY WORLDCULTURAL HERITAGEFROM THE HEARTOF AUSTRIA

CONTENTS

Preface

Starters

Barefoot under Apricot Trees in Flower

Soups

A Museum in the Henhouse and a Love of Water

Main Courses

Barrels of Sauerkraut and Wine

Desserts

Stripping Feathers, Hunting and the Aromas Wafting from a Kitchen Stove

Bread and Wine

A Little Wine Primer for Great Taste

Hospitality at Nikolaihof

Conversions

Index of Recipes

PREFACE

ONE OF THE GREAT GIFTS given to me is the privilege to live and work in the Wachau. To me it is a landscape of broad views: from the vineyards to the Danube, from the ruins towering above to the ancient, red-roofed villages below, from steep, dry grasslands to the valleys of the Danube tributaries. But the Wachau is far more than that. This 36-kilometre-long stretch of the Danube from Emmersdorf and Melk in the west to Mautern and Krems in the east is one of the oldest cultivated landscapes in Europe in general and Austria in particular. On the northern banks of the river at Willendorf, small tool fragments were recently found that somehow survived the millennia in a layer of earth deposited 43,500 years ago. I believe that the true heartbeat of a land can be heard only in a place with such ancient evidence of human civilization. And it can be found only along the “lifeline” of the greatest river flowing through that land.

Sometimes I try to imagine how the Wachau might have looked 40,000 years ago: the forest would have been wild and overgrown and would have extended to the banks of a free-flowing river. In any case, the landscape would probably not have worked the same magic it does on me and on the many visitors today. It is certain, however, that even at that time the Wachau was in a favoured climatic zone and offered an adequate supply of food. Around the time of the birth of Christ, the river was “shared” between the Romans on the southern banks and the Germanic peoples to the north of the Danube, which was at the same time both a protective boundary and a prized commercial artery.

Today the Wachau remains a symbol of the hospitality of feeding and sheltering visitors, a tradition that began with the establishment of the monasteries in the 11th century. They provided lodging for itinerant traders and clergy, feeding them with the yield from the monastery gardens, kitchens and cellars. But there is much earlier documentary evidence of the Wachau: the oldest surviving record, dated 6 October 830, mentions a “Locus Uahouua”. A century and a half later Bishop Pilgrim of Passau convened church leaders for a transregional synod at the early Christian basilica in Mautern. In the 11th century the chapel of our Nikolaihof was erected on its remains.

Here, at the oldest wine estate in Austria, I live and work together with my family, continuing an ancient Wachau tradition: in harmony with nature we produce first-class, biodynamic wine and food and serve them to our guests. My understanding of hospitality entails bringing the highest possible quality to the table.

We turn our agricultural products into outstanding and delicious good plain fare with a regional accent. Everything we do not grow ourselves is carefully selected from other growers in the immediate vicinity.

When it comes to viticulture, we follow the biodynamic guidelines of Demeter International: only vegetable and mineral substances are used to promote the growth of the vines. I observe the same principles in selecting food for my kitchen. In this regard, I strongly recommend that the readers of this cookbook pay close attention to organic quality. These wonderful recipes from the Wachau simply taste better when they are made with organic ingredients. In addition, the use of organic foodstuffs signals respect for Mother Nature and her gifts to us. This I consider to be an indispensable principle in preparing fine cuisine. And if the dishes are then prepared with love as well, there is nothing to stand in the way of an excellent meal.

I hope you enjoy browsing through the Wachau stories and anecdotes in this book and find pleasure in trying out the recipes.

Christine Saahs

Smoked Fish Tartare

INGREDIENTS

FOR 4 SERVINGS

1 large onion, thinly sliced2 tablespoons tarragon mustard3 tablespoons English mustard3 tablespoons olive oil2 tablespoons dill, finely chopped3 drops Tabasco5 drops chilli sauceNatural salt*Freshly ground black pepper500g smoked fish, finely choppedNasturtium blossoms for garnish

Stir together the onion, mustard, olive oil, dill, Tabasco, chilli sauce, salt and pepper, mix with the smoked fish, and season to taste. Let rest in the refrigerator for approx. 12 hours. Use a spoon to make small dumplings or set a ring mould on a plate, fill with the tartare, press down lightly, and lift the mould from plate.

Garnish with lamb’s lettuce or small lettuce leaves, blossoms and dill mustard.

Tip

Any fish may be used for the tartare (char, trout, carp, etc.).

* Natural salt is unrefined salt that comes directly from the mine and contains all the important minerals. It is available in health-food shops.

Mousse of Smoked Fish

INGREDIENTS

FOR 4 SERVINGS

5g gelatin or 3 gelatin leaves250g smoked fish (trout, char,eel, salmon, etc.)250ml whipping cream2 teaspoons lemon juiceNatural saltFreshly ground black pepperClover blossoms for garnish

Soak the gelatin leaves in cold water.

Cut the smoked fish into small pieces, purée with 5 tablespoons of cream and put the mixture into a bowl. Whip the remaining cream until stiff. Remove the gelatin from the water and press out the liquid. Heat in a bit of water until it dissolves, and whisk immediately into the fish mixture. Then fold in the beaten cream and season to taste with lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Immediately put the mixture into moulds, glasses or a bowl and refrigerate for several hours until it sets.

Tip

Remove the mousse from the mould by dipping it briefly in boiling water, or use a soup spoon to serve small dumpling shapes from the bowl.

Suitable garnishes/accompaniments are various small lettuce leaves, blossoms, dill mustard, butter and white bread.

Bread Dumplingsin Vinegar and Oil

INGREDIENTS

FOR 4 SERVINGS

2 small onions1 pepper6 radishes6–8 previously cooked, cold breaddumplings (see recipe p. 69)Parsley or chives for garnishHardboiled eggs for garnish (optional)

MARINADE:

60ml red or white wine vinegar60ml oil (sunflower, pumpkinseed,olive or canola)60ml beef or vegetable brothNatural salt, pepper

For the dressing stir together all the ingredients and season to taste.

Cut the onions into rings or small dice, the pepper into strips or small dice, and the radish into slices. Slice the dumplings, arrange them on a plate with the onions, peppers and radishes, and sprinkle with the dressing.

Garnish with parsley or chives (and with hardboiled eggs, if desired).

Chanterelle Aspic

INGREDIENTS

FOR 4 SERVINGS

5 gelatin leaves500g small chanterelles3 tablespoons olive oil50g onions, thinly sliced2 tablespoons parsley, finely choppedNatural saltFreshly ground black pepper125ml whipping cream1 teaspoon lemon frozen inone piece and finely gratedClover blossoms for garnish

Soak the gelatin in cold water. Clean the chanterelles.

Heat the olive oil, lightly brown the onions, then add the parsley and the chanterelles. Cook for approx. 5 minutes and season with salt and pepper. Strain the cooking liquid, stir the cream into the liquid, and reduce to approx. 250ml.

Remove the gelatin from the water, press out the liquid, dissolve in the hot cream sauce, add the mushrooms, and season with lemon to taste.

Put the mixture into serving-size moulds, a shallow bowl, a bread tin or an almond cake pan (lined with transparent film) and chill for approx. 12 hours. Remove from the mould or cut into slices, and garnish with lamb’s lettuce or leaf lettuce and vinaigrette.

Tip

In a “good mushroom year” you can freeze the sautéed chanterelles and use as needed for aspic, mushroom sauce or soup.

SPRINGTIME IN THE WACHAU

Barefoot underApricot Trees in Flower

WHEN THE FIRST RAYS of spring sunshine tickled our noses in March, we children of the Wachau took off our shoes and ran barefoot over the paths and meadows. After a long winter of privation, it was wonderful to feel the earth under our feet and thus become reacquainted with Mother Nature. Of course we had to be careful not to let the adults catch us; they considered it far too early to be running around shoeless. “You’ll catch your death of cold”, they warned us. As a young child I soon discovered there was nothing to worry about. It was simply another bit of adult nonsense, and I can’t remember any child ever falling ill from running barefoot.

Early in the year we gathered the young shoots of stinging nettles, which were used in soups and salads as an important source of vitamins after a long winter. We also fed it to the young chicks.

Stinging nettles and other herbs were my grandmother’s responsibility. She knew where they were to be found and often took us children with her when she went looking for them. We wandered from Oberfucha, where I was born, through Thallern to the water meadows of the Danube to see the first cowslips and spring squill, and we knew that morels and lily of the valley were to be found in an especially mysterious place, a small forest clearing close to the river. Bluebells, ox-eye daisies, wild pinks and quaking grass bloomed around Mother’s Day, and we found a wide variety of marsh orchids, rampions and spring gentians in romantic hollows with natural stone slides. We walked the farthest from home to find lady’s slippers, a type of orchid that was already rare at the time and is hardly seen today. My grandmother – a great admirer of this unusual plant – taught us to appreciate them but never to pick them. In the evening we returned home from these daylong walks with grandmother, always rather exhausted but happy to have seen and enjoyed the beauties of nature. Today I still reflect happily on that time, my grandmother taking long strides while we children pattered along beside her, trying to keep up on our short legs.

Of course we also passed endless rows of apricot trees where the air was filled with humming vibrations, and we knew that thousands of bees and other insects were busily gathering the sweet nectar after a long winter. The extensive apricot orchards had been planted in the previous century, and it was probably the Romans who first brought such trees to the Wachau. In my childhood, apricots were not highly valued, but I remember that the orchards were heated with small oil-fired stoves when a late spring frost had coated their blossoms with a fine layer of ice. The smoke that shrouded the trees prevented the blossoms from thawing too quickly in the spring sunshine. Thus in their own way people at that time were very careful in their relations with Mother Nature.

It is a pleasure to see the boom this aromatic fruit is enjoying today. The “Wachau Apricot” enjoys protected designation of origin under the EU. As soon as the fruit has ripened, attention turns to putting them to the best possible use. They are preserved (which we also do at the Nikolaihof), distilled to make fine spirits, baked into fragrant cakes, or simply eaten from the tree while they are still warm from the sun. To me, that’s how they taste best. It is an unforgettable part of my childhood, and in quiet moments I gratefully reflect on it.

Carrot Salad with PoppyseedOil and Black Walnuts

INGREDIENTS

FOR 4 SERVINGS

2 tablespoons raisins1½ tablespoons walnut liqueur500g carrots1 teaspoon lemon juice or lemon,frozen in one piece and finely grated2 apples150g walnuts, coarsely chopped1 teaspoon honey3 tablespoons poppyseed oilNatural salt1 tablespoon raspberry vinegaror wine vinegar4 marinated black walnuts,nasturtium blossoms, herbsfor garnish

Marinate the raisins for several hours in walnut liqueur.

Wash and finely grate the carrots, and add the lemon. Peel and quarter the apples, removing the seeds, coarsely grate them, and thoroughly mix in with all the other ingredients. Chill the carrot salad in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Serve on a bed of lettuce with herbs, blossoms and thinly sliced black walnuts.

Tip

This salad tastes best when fresh; do not make ahead.

You can find the recipe for the marinated black walnuts in my book Ich koche für mein Leben gern, or you can make nut liqueur from your own recipe and use it to marinate nuts for the carrot salad.

Marinated Salmon Trout

INGREDIENTS

FOR 4 SERVINGS

50g granulated sugar60g fine natural salt2 teaspoons black peppercorns,coarsely ground2 teaspoons yellow mustard seedsApprox. 600g fillet of salmon trout,with skinApprox. 4 tablespoons finely choppedfresh dill (or dried)

TOTAL TIMEFOR MARINATING:

20–24 hours

Mix together the sugar, salt, peppercorns and mustard seed. Rub the inner side of the fish fillet with it, and sprinkle heavily with dill.

Place the fish fillet in a shallow bowl, weight it down lightly, and refrigerate. Turn after 10–12 hours, and allow to marinate for another 10–12 hours.

Brush off the dill, sprinkle with fresh dill, pressing it in lightly, and cut the fillet into paper-thin strips.

SUGGESTED ACCOMPANIMENT: dill mustard and white bread