German Side

Potato Salad
Kartoffelsalat
(Serves 6-8)

Tangy and flavored with bacon, German potato salad is served warm. A classic.

3 lb. potatoes (peeled)
1/2 lb. bacon
1/2 C onion (chopped)
1/4 C flour
1 3/4 C beef broth
1/4 C white vinegar
3 T sugar
1 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
1/4 C fresh parsley or chives (chopped)

Potatoes: in a large pot, cook potatoes till easily pierced with a fork. Drain, cut into 1/2" or 3/4" cubes, and place in large bowl. Set aside. 

Dressing: in a skillet cook bacon till crisp. Remove, drain and crumble bacon. Save 2-3 T of the bacon fat. Add onion to fat, cooking till soft. Stir in flour to make a roux. Gradually add broth, then vinegar and sugar, stirring constantly till mixture thickens. Cook till boiling, reduce heat then add salt and pepper. Pour dressing over potatoes and mix thoroughly. Stir in fresh parsley and serve warm. This dish is perfect with German Sausages.

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Tips & Glossary

Beets: how to peel and cook beets is a matter of personal preference. You can cut off the tops, peel them with a vegetable peeler and boil them. Another method: leave on about 1" of the tops, wrap them in foil, and bake for 1 hour in a 350 oven. Cool and use rubber gloves, or handle with a paper towel, to prevent hands from turning...well, beet-red. The skins will slip right off. Most cooks say baking- then-peeling is the tastiest way to cook beets.

Ginger: dried ground ginger is far more potent than freshly-grated from the root. Sweet dessert recipes call for ground powder. If you wish to use freshly grated ginger, use 6 times the amount of ground called for in the recipe.

Nutmeg: use small whole nuts and store them, tightly covered, in a dry dark area. Grate what you need using the smallest grating edge or grind in a food processor. What a difference from store bought ground nutmeg!

Wurst: German sausages— more types than you can shake a stick at. Here are several:
• Bockwurst: smoked; with veal, chives & parsley.
• Bratwurst: pale; with veal, pork, ginger & nutmeg.
• Knockwurst: short & plump, smoked; with pork, beef & garlic.
• Weisswurst: "white"; with veal, pork, cream & eggs.
• Wienerwurst: with beef, pork, coriander & garlic.
• Frankfurter: smoked; with lean pork & bacon fat.