Ah, this is the unique and unforgettable cuisine of Alsace. In the last article we told you about the sights of the city of Strasbourg, in this article we will plunge and feel the aroma of the exquisite cuisine of Alsace. We will tell you about the peculiarities of Alsatian cuisine, its intricacies and differences from other regions of France, and of course we will share the recipe for making the most delicious dessert of the Alsace region.
It so happened that the cuisine of Alsace has its own peculiarity and differs from the cuisines of other equally famous regions of France. Having certainly visited Alsace and not having tasted the most famous dish - Chukrut, it means not to know all the beauty and aroma of Alsatian cuisine. And so, we went to a small and picturesque restaurant in the center of Strasbourg, where, as the locals assured us, they cook amazing Shukrut. I must say they were right.
So what is Shukrut and what is it eaten with?
Choucrout is a traditional and classic Alsatian dish. Namely, this is sauerkraut prepared in a special way. At first glance, this dish looks like our bigus, but having tasted it, you realize that you were wrong. It's much better! The secret of cooking lies in the fact that at the time of pickling the cabbage, juniper berries, goose fat or lard are added to the dish. And this dish is served with various smoked meats, German sausages. Our advice is to order a dish for two, because in Alsace there are very large portions, and if they see that you have not finished the dish, then the restaurant chef will definitely come to you to find out why you didn’t like it. These are the French they are!
The next traditional Alsatian dish is onion pie with béchamel sauce. In addition to the main ingredient, olives and, of course, smoked sausages are added to the pie. Externally, the pie looks like a pizza.
The most famous cheese in Alsace is Munster. But we warn you right away, if you have not tried French cheeses before, then do not rush to taste this type of cheese. The smell and taste speaks for itself. In our opinion, this is the most “aromatic” cheese in France. Better start with any light cream cheese and gradually work your way up to Munster. Münster in Alsace is served hot with boiled potatoes, pickled gherkins and bacon.
As in all regions of France, Alsatian cuisine is very fond of sweet pastries and delicious. The most delicious and unforgettable dessert for us was a sweet fruit pie - tarte tatin.
One chef of the restaurant shared with us the recipe for this dish, and of course we are in a hurry to share this recipe with you.
And so, to make a pie you will need:
- Apricots (or other fruits)
- Sugar - 220 gr.
- Butter - 100 gr.
- Puff pastry - 1 sheet
- Vanilla - 1 bunch
- Ground cinnamon - 1 pinch
We clean the apricots from the seeds, wash, dry, the mode in half.
Then we prepare the caramel. Pour sugar into a small saucepan and put it on low heat, not forgetting to stir constantly. As soon as the sugar begins to thicken, add the vanilla. Let the caramel cool slightly, pour it into a baking dish, put apricot slices on the caramel. Lightly sprinkle the apricots with sugar and cinnamon. Cut the butter into slices and spread between the slices.
We take puff pastry, roll it out (so that it would turn out to be a circle), pierce it with a fork.
Cover the baking dish with the resulting circle and seal the cake well. We put the pie in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for 40 minutes.
After the time has elapsed, take out the cake, let it cool. To get the apricots out of shape, gently press down on the cake and twist it sharply. Heat the pie over low heat, drain off the excess caramel.
Put the caramel on the fire again and let it thicken.
Gently turn the cake over and "glaze" with hot caramel.
And now the fruit pie is ready! Bon Appetit!
And of course, all these dishes go well with the wines of Alsace, which we told you about in the article about the delicious wines of France, be sure to read. You can also immerse yourself in the world of Alsatian cuisine by reading other fascinating articles about France. Travel with travel-picture.ru and the whole world will become much closer to you.