Passport & Plate - Rainy Day Geschnetzeltes mit Rösti
Switzerland | Friday, March 6, 2015 | 5 photos
Ingredients
Note: While this recipe is based on one night of cooking in Switzerland in 2013, it has evolved since; mirrored by my own personal evolution in the last two years.
Ingredients:
-4 Veal Cutlets, pounded lightly and sliced into 1/2 inch strips
-3 Tablespoons of flour, divided
-2 Cloves Garlic
-1 Shallot, chopped fine
-1 Cup Mushrooms (crimini or button), stemmed and sliced
-1/2 Cup White Wine
-1 Cup Chicken Stock
-1/3 Cup Cream
-4 Large Potatoes (of a starchy variety, like russet), grated
-8 Tablespoons of Butter, divided
-Salt and Pepper
-1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder (Originally 'Aromat' - a seasoning that exists on almost every restaurant table in Switzerland)
-1/2 Teaspoon of Liquid Smoke (Originally 'Knorr 10 Liquid Seasoning')
-1/4 Teaspoon Paprika
-1/2 Teaspoon of Fresh Thyme
Helpful Tools:
-Roasting pot or pan
-Non-stick pan for Rösti
Recipe serves 4
How to prepare this recipe-Place 2 Tbsp of butter & 2 cloves of garlic in roasting pot without heat. Turn the stove on medium-low, so the butter will extract the garlic flavor as it melts
-Once the butter has melted, remove the garlic. Raise to medium heat
-Sprinkle a Tbsp of flour on the veal & toss. Shake off excess flour, add the veal to the pan
-Sauté until the veal is light brown on all sides for a minute or two. You want light color, not added texture. Remove and set aside
-Add 2 Tbsp of butter to melt, then the chopped shallot & sliced mushrooms. Sauté until the shallots have become soft & the mushrooms have darkened
-Sprinkle with salt and pepper, about a 1/2 tsp of each
-Once the mushrooms have color & the shallot have softened, add 2 Tbsp of butter to the pan, with two Tbsp of flour. Stir & cook until they've formed a paste
-Add wine to to deglaze, stirring & scraping the bottom of the pan
-Add chicken stock & bring to boil. Once boiling, add the veal back in
-Lower to simmer, add the cream & liquid smoke. Let simmer for 10 minutes
-In a non-stick pan over medium heat, add 2 Tbsp of butter
-Once the butter has melted, take a cup of grated potatoes & spread in an even layer in the pan. Sprinkle with half the garlic powder (or Aromat!)
-Once the edges are crisp, take a plate (roughly the same size as your pan) & lay it over the pan like a lid. With one hand on the skillet & one on the plate, flip them upside down so the rösti is now on the plate. Slide it back into the pan to cook the other side with the rest of the garlic powder (you may need to add more butter first if the pan is dry)
-Once the rösti is crispy on both sides, slide it onto your plate (I leave the rösti whole under the gerschnetzltles to absorb the sauce, but you can slice it into pieces on the side if you want to keep it crisp)
-Spoon the geshnetzeltes over the rösti
-Garnish with fresh thyme & sprinkled paprika
-Eat alongside loved ones, with wine, at a small cozy table - or at the very least, in that spirit.
The story behind this recipeNo matter the country or culture, a rainy day almost always brings cravings of something hearty and homey to warm you from the inside out. During my first few rainy days in Zurich two years ago it seemed as if Geschnetzeltes mit Rösti was advertised on almost every café’s chalk board. I knew from my pre-trip research that "Zürcher Geschnetzeltes" (literally 'sliced meat of Zurich'), was the signature dish of the area. It seemed like a simple but winning combination - veal, mushrooms, cream sauce, usually served over "rösti", crispy potatoes. Veal has become a 'controversial' protein in the US, but growing up it was one of the dishes my Dad cooked often- pounded, lightly dredged with flour, and sautéed with a butter and lemon sauce.
Trying to decide which of the dozens of restaurants would have ‘The Real Deal’ version of Geshnetzeltes was tough, I couldn't commit to ordering it anywhere. It wasn't until that weekend, when the persistent rain outside made it too tempting to stay indoors, that my host - an Irish ex-pat named Eoin - insisted that 3 days in Zurich was too long to go without trying Geschnetzeltes.
Armed with wine, but no written recipe, we began to cook. Eoin admitted that it might not be the most classic, refined, or authentic version of the dish. But his recipe was based the smells, flavors, and textures that he'd come to love. I instantly loved them too - the rich, aromatic sauce, the crispy salty potatoes that absorbed all of the savory goodness, even the salty Aromat won over my palate. (I still have a bottle in my pantry today.) But it was the warmth and comfort that emanated from that meal that I'll always remember. The dinner was a long one - drawn out with wine and stories and much lingering at the table after cleaning our plates.
