The Tirol on a Plate: Three of the best alpine recipes
Sponsored post: Three stunning alpine recipes so you can recreate the Austrian mountains in your sitting room
Speckknödel
Dumplings, or Knödel in German, are a huge part of Austrian cuisine. In Tirol, speck (cured bacon) dumplings take centre stage, usually served in a steaming bowl of broth for a warming mountain lunch.
Ingredients
- ¼ litre of milk, warmed
- 250g chopped bread rolls
- 80g of bacon, finely diced
- 30g of butter
- 2 eggs
- Salt
- 3 tablespoons of breadcrumbs
- 1½ litres of vegetable or beef broth to serve
- Chives
Serves: four
Method
1. Pour some of the milk over the chopped bread rolls, and let them soak for a few minutes. Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a little butter.
2. Add the remaining milk, the eggs and bacon to the bread, along with some salt and mix by hand. Add the breadcrumbs to the mixture and continue to mix by hand. If the dough is too wet, add some more breadcrumbs.
3. With wet hands, shape out 8-12 large dumplings and place them in a pot of simmering salted water. Leave to simmer for 10-15 minutes.
4. Serve the bacon dumplings in a large bowl with the broth poured over the top. Sprinkle chives on top to garnish and serve with a side of coleslaw.
Kasspatzln
Think macaroni cheese, but with an alpine twist. Homemade Spätzle (egg noodles) are combined with melted cheese and fried onions for a filling, classic mountain meal.
Ingredients
- 250g of flour
- 3 eggs
- 5g of salt
- 50ml of lukewarm water
- 1 onion, diced
- Butter or ghee
- 100g grated or crumbled cheese (Emmenthaler is a good choice)
- Salt and pepper
- Roasted onions
- Parsley
Serves: four
Method
1. Add the flour, eggs, salt and water to a bowl and mix to form a stiff dough. Press the dough through a Spatzlhobel (a type of upright cheese grater used for making noodles — a large-holed colander will also work) and into a pan of boiling salted water. Bring the pan back to boil, then strain and rinse cold.
2. In a frying pan, fry the onion with a knob of butter (or ghee). Add the noodles and fry until piping hot. Fold in the cheese and allow it to melt.
3. Season the dish, stir together and top with roasted onions and parsley.
Tiroler Gröstl
After a hard morning of skiing, Tiroler Gröstl, Austria’s take on bubble and squeak, is the kind of hearty fare that will set you right. It’s made with onions, bacon and sliced pieces of meat, all sautéed in a pan and served with a fried egg. Veggies can swap out the meat for mushrooms and peppers.
Ingredients
- 1 onion
- Butter to fry
- 300g of cooked beef and bacon, chopped
- 500g of peeled, boiled and cooled potatoes
- Salt
- Caraway seeds
- 4 eggs
- Chives
Serves: four
Method
1. Dice the onion and fry in a large pan with butter. Add the bacon and beef.
2. Cut the potatoes into slices and add to the pan. Season with salt and caraway seeds. Stir regularly.
3. In a second pan, fry the eggs in a little butter. By the time they’re finished, the Gröstl should be ready. Arrange the eggs on top and garnish with some finely chopped chives.
