Contents
Viennese cuisine
The national cuisine of Vienna, which is often called imperial, is famous all over the world for its delicious dishes. Today we will talk about the most famous and beloved Viennese dishes.
Veal tenderness
Viennese schnitzel was born four centuries ago in a small Viennese restaurant, which, by the way, still works today. Ideally, it is prepared from tender veal, but you can find schnitzel from pork or turkey. The meat is cut into several pieces (180-250 g each), which are carefully beaten off with a wooden hammer until they become as thick as a pencil. Breadcrumbs from buns are traditionally used for breading. First, the schnitzel is rolled in flour, then in a batter of eggs, olive oil and milk. And only then a piece of meat is sprinkled with bread crumbs and spread on a hot frying pan with butter. Fry it for 4 minutes on each side and move it to a napkin to drain excess fat. Serve schnitzel with slices of fresh lemon, vegetable or potato salad.
Goulash for the aristocrat
The invention of goulash is attributed to the Hungarians, although it is often found in the menu of other European nations, including in recipes of Viennese cuisine. It is believed that it was the Viennese chefs who turned this simple rustic dish into an aristocratic one and came up with the most refined variations of it. The meat for goulash should be soft and juicy, so beef is perfect. First, fry 4 large chopped onion heads in a large frying pan, and when it becomes golden, add pieces of beef (600 g). Season the meat with spices, put a couple of garlic cloves and lemon slices without the peel. Cover the goulash with a lid and simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then pour in a little broth to taste, add 1 tbsp. l. tomato paste and boil for 5-7 minutes. Most often, goulash is supplemented with dumplings or pasta.
His Majesty’s Soup
According to historians, the last emperor of Austria-Hungary, Franz Joseph, had a special passion for meat dishes of Viennese cuisine, especially beef soup. Its preparation begins with the fact that we put on the bottom of the pan brain beef bones (3 pcs.) and ribs with meat (1.5 kg). Fill them with 4 liters of water and boil on the lowest heat for 5 hours. Do not forget to periodically add a couple of spoons of cold water or ice cubes and remove the foam – so the broth will turn out more transparent and saturated. A couple of carrots, leeks and celery stalks are cut into thick circles and kept in a dry preheated frying pan for a couple of minutes. Cut two onions in half and fry until golden brown on the slice. We transfer all the vegetables to the broth, add pieces of beef meat (1.5 kg), tomato, herbs, bay leaf, spices and salt. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat and cook for 3-4 hours, then remove the celery, herbs and bay leaf. Before serving, the soup should be properly infused.
Apple Classics
The best Viennese cuisine is impossible to imagine without delicious desserts, in particular, without apple strudel. First, we prepare the dough: sift the flour (200 g.) with a slide, make a depression, break the egg into it, add salt and a little melted butter. Knead the dough of medium consistency, form a ball from it and leave it in a bowl for 30 minutes. Apples (1 kg) cut into slices, mix with lemon juice, raisins soaked in rum (100 g), crushed almonds (25 g) and cinnamon. We spread a large towel on the table and roll out the dough on it in a very thin layer. Then sprinkle it with breadcrumbs, pre-fried in butter. Spread the apple filling on top and roll the dough into a tight roll with a towel. We grease it with oil, put it on an oiled baking sheet and place it in a preheated 200°C oven for 45 minutes. Before serving, the strudel is cut into slices and sprinkled with powdered sugar.
Chocolate improvisation
Another” calling card “of Viennese desserts is the Sacher cake, which is popular all over the world. According to legend, it was accidentally invented by a 16-year-old boy named Franz Sacher, who was filling in for the Austrian Foreign Minister’s ill chef in the kitchen. The base of the cake is a chocolate sponge cake. To prepare it, beat the butter (125 g) with a mixer, alternately introducing 3 eggs into it. Gradually add the sifted flour, cocoa powder (25 g), melted bitter chocolate (100 g) and crushed almonds (60 g). The resulting mixture is poured into a baking dish with a sheet of parchment paper and put it in a preheated 180°C oven. While the base is being prepared, we make a sweet fudge. Melt 200 g of chocolate and mix it with cream (160 ml) in a water bath. The finished cooled cake is cut across into two parts, smear them with apricot jam and re-connect the halves. Now it remains to pour the cake with chocolate fudge and let it brew for a while.
We hope that these dishes will inspire you, and you will continue to explore the Viennese cuisine. Recipes with photos on this topic can be found on our website. Well, you can share your own successes in the comments.