Berlin Recipes

Kohlrouladen

Cabbage leaves stuffed with seasoned ground meat. Adapted from www.in-berlin-brandenburg.com/Rezepte.

Ingredients:

1 white cabbage
1 stale bread roll
1 onion
1/2 pound ground beef
Salt and pepper
1 egg
2 tablespoons butter
1 pint chicken or beef stock
2 tablespoons sour cream

Directions:

Remove and discard the exterior leaves and the heart of the cabbage. Briefly cook the remaining cabbage in boiling water. When the leaves come apart, immediately plunge cabbage into icy water. Separate the leaves and remove the central stem. Place leaves on a moist towel.

Soak the bread roll until soft and squeeze out liquid. Chop onion finely. Add salt and pepper as desired to the ground beef and mix with egg, chopped onion, and soaked roll. Place a small heap of the meat mixture onto a cabbage leaf, fold in the sides, and roll to create the rouladen (sausage-shaped roll-up). Secure each rouladen with cooking yarn or skewers to retain the shape while cooking.

Melt butter in a large pot and sauté the rouladen on high heat. Add the stock, bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for about one hour. Remove the rouladen and keep warm. Slightly thicken the stock and add sour cream and, if desired, salt and pepper to taste. Serve with boiled potatoes.

Servings: Serves four

Königsberger Klopse

Meatballs in caper sauce. Recipe adapted from Culinaria, published by Könemann, Germany; edited by Christine Metzger.

Ingredients:

1 stale bread roll
1/2 cup hot milk
1 pound ground meat, preferably half pork, half beef
1 small, finely chopped onion
4 finely chopped anchovy filets
1 egg
Salt and pepper
4 cups meat stock
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons capers
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Pinch of sugar
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup cream
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Directions:

Cut bread into pieces, soak in hot milk for 15 minutes, and then squeeze out the liquid. Mix bread with meat, onion, anchovy filets, egg, and salt and pepper, and shape into small meatballs.

Bring the stock to a boil, add the meatballs, turn down heat to a simmer, and let cook for about 15 minutes. Remove the meatballs and sieve the stock.

Melt butter and sweat the flour briefly, then gradually pour in three cups of stock, whisking constantly. Mix in the capers. Reduce heat and simmer for about ten minutes. Add meatballs and reheat slowly, careful not to bring the sauce to a boil. Season as desired with lemon, salt, pepper, and sugar. Whisk together egg yolks and cream. Slowly stir into sauce. Sprinkle parsley on top and serve with boiled potatoes.

Servings: Serves four

Berliner Milchreis

A classic dessert made with milk and rice. Adapted from www.kochrezepte.de.

Ingredients:

3 cups milk
5 ounces white rice
Pinch of salt
4 ounces butter
3 eggs (separated)
1-1/2 ounces sugar
1 teaspoon lemon rind
1 pound apples
1-1/2 ounces jam
1ounce sliced almonds
1-1/2 ounces sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C). Salt milk to taste. Slowly boil rice in salted milk until tender. Let cool. Slice apples and bake at 350°F (176°C) for 45 minutes. Beat butter until creamy, then mix in three egg yolks , sugar, lemon rind, and cooled rice. Beat egg whites and fold into rice mix. Spread atop apples, cover with jam and sliced almonds. Briefly return to oven to toast almonds, then sprinkle with sugar and serve.

Servings: Serves four