Tour of Europe: Liechtenstein's meal

Located in Central Europe, Liechtenstein is a doubly land locked Alpine country that borders Switzerland and Austria and is the only Alpine country to be located totally in the Alps.

 

Cuisine in Liechtenstein is heavily influenced by its Swiss and Austrian neighbors, as well by French traditions.  Dumplings, cheese, pork, bacon, schnitzel, tomatoes, apples and pears are commonly eaten. Cinnamon, vanilla, fruit filled pancakes and pastries make up an impressive array of desserts. 

Although Liechtenstein is too small to have developed an extensive national cuisine, it does have some distinctive regional dishes. Käseknöpfle consists of dumplings made by squeezing a mixture of flour, water, and eggs through a perforated board. The dumplings are then layered with grated cheese and a layer of fried onions and are often served with applesauce or a salad.

 

Menu:  Käseknöpfle (Dumpling topped with cheese and onions), Asparagus, Applesauce, Salad, Apfel Ring Krapfen (Apple Ring Fritters)

Outcome:  Who would have thought that simple flour/egg dumplings would be so GOOD?  As I removed each batch of the dumplings from the boiling water and added them to the serving bowl, I sprinkled a good handful of shredded cheese over the top.  I didn’t want to crowd the pot, so we ended up making 7 or 8 batches -- our bowl was full of yummy, cheesy dumplings.  Then the fried onions were added and heaven was made!  This was comfort food all the way and was perfect on a rainy and blustery Sunday afternoon.  The information I’d read about the dumplings stated that applesauce is usually served on the side.  We tried it.  Oh my...  Warm, cheesy, gooey dumplings with a sweet/tangy applesauce?  This was over the top wonderful.  NOT A BIT was left over!  This was like "fancy schmancy" mac and cheese. 

 

Bill sautéed the asparagus and mushrooms for us – I don’t even know what he added besides a little white wine and butter, but they sure did come out tasty!

 

The apple ring fritters were quite good as well – we just dusted the top of the slices with a little powdered sugar, but I think that it would be glorious with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!  (I want to try this with pears, too.)  I chose Golden Delicious apples and we cooked them slowly in just a tablespoon of butter.  The recipe called for Cognac, but I happened to have some apple brandy on hand from a previous recipe so we used that.  I LOVE having a gas range – all I have to do is tip the skillet a little and the alcohol catches immediately and burns off within seconds but it sure does leave a great taste! 

PS:  No, Kirstin, no one "licked" any "steins"!!  LOL 

Käseknöpfle with fried onions, applesauce, asparagus

Next up:  Ben chose Malta! 

 

Käseknöpfle

 

Ingredients

 

• 2 ½ cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 5 eggs
• ½ cup water
• 1 ½ cups mixed grated cheeses (Gruyere, Emmenthal, or Swiss)

Directions

 

1. Place flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix eggs and water in a separate bowl and then add to the dry ingredients.
2. Mix until bubbles rise in the batter. The batter will be thick. Cover the batter with a cloth and let stand for 30 minutes.
3. Bring salted water to a boil in a large pot. Working in batches, drop small bits of the batter into the simmering water from the edge of a spoon (or put through a sliding cutter or colander). Stir the pot occasionally so the dumplings don’t stick to the bottom. 
4. When the dumplings come to the surface, remove and drain them with a sieve. Place them on a plate and mix with the grated cheese. Garnish the cheese dumplings with toasted onions.

Fried Onions  

• 1 large onion
• Flour 
• Salt 
• Vegetable oil for frying

 Directions

1. Slice the onions into rounds and separate the layers. Place some flour in a bowl and generously salt it.
2. Dredge the onion rounds in the flour. Heat the oil to 350°F.
3. Fry the onion in batches until onions are lightly browned. Drain on paper towels and serve hot.

Apfel Ring Krapfen (Apple Ring Fritter)

Ingredients

 

• 1 cup flour
• pinch of salt
• ½ cup white wine
• 1 egg, separated
• 1 tsp. butter, melted and cooled
• 2 apples, peeled, cored and cut into thick rings
• butter for frying
• 1/8 cup Cognac or Calvados (apple brandy)

Directions

1. Sift together the flour and salt into a bowl. Add the white wine and combine to form a thick batter then stir in the egg yolk and melted butter. Beat the egg white until stiff, then fold into the batter.
2. Melt the butter in a frying pan, dip the apple rings in the batter, then add to the pan and fry on both sides until golden.
3. Pour over the alcohol and set alight. Serve the fritters as soon as the flames have died down.

   

   Apfel Ring Krapfen