Subcribe
Recipe
See Ingredients

The Emperor’s Schmarrn

When it came to his choice of meals, Emperor Franz Joseph proved very loyal to his native country and region. Alongside cooked beef, he loved simple pastry dishes made from eggs, flour, milk and a little sugar, such as the light and creamy Kaiserschmarren. Also known as ‘Emporer’s Trifle’, this dish is a true staple in Viennese cuisine and can not only be served as dessert but also as a main course. And: It is really easy to make.

Instructions
  • Place the raisins in a bowl, mix with the rum and leave to stand for approx. 15 minutes. Separate the eggs and place the yolks in a mixing bowl. Pour in the milk, flavor with some grated lemon rind and vanilla sugar, and add the flour. Mix to form a smooth dough.
  • Beat the egg whites with the crystal sugar and a small pinch of salt until it forms a firm peak, and fold into the dough mix. Pre-heat the oven to 180 °C.
  • Let the butter melt and bubble up in one large, or two small (coated) heatproof dishes. Pour in the mixture and after 1–2 minutes scatter the soaked raisins over the top. Cook the underside until light brown, turn over using a spatula and bake for 6–8 minutes in the pre-heated oven until golden brown.
  • Tear the Kaiserschmarren into small pieces, using two forks. Scatter the butter shavings over the top, sprinkle with some crystal sugar, and caramelize in the grill oven under a high top heat.
  • Remove from the oven and arrange on pre-heated plates. Dust with icing sugar and cinnamon.

Serve with baked plums, a berry ragout or fruit compote. Kaiserschmarren can also be cooked on the top of the oven and caramelized at the end with the lid covered.

Cooking time: 8–10 minutes

Source: Austrian National Tourist Office

Recipe

Ghent Waterzooi

Waterzooi is a classic stew of Flanders. Its name is Dutch, ‘zooien’ meaning ‘to boil’. It is sometimes called Gentse Waterzooi (in Dutch) which refers to the city of Ghent. The original recipe is made of fish, either freshwater or sea, though today chicken waterzooi is more common. The most accepted theory is that rivers of Ghent became too polluted and the fish disappeared. The stew is made of the fish or chicken, vegetables including carrots, leeks and potatoes, herbs, eggs, cream and butter and usually serbed as a soup with a baquette to sop up the liquid.

Recipe

Soup with Semolina Dumplings

Something which is not yet entirely proven for serious students of linguistics, but is readily apparent to Italophile Austrian gastronomes: the similarity, which is not just a linguistic one, between Austrian dumplings (“Nockerln”) and Italian gnocchi (pronounced: gnoki). In both countries, these small doughy treats are readily given a spicy twist. You would look for these semolina dumplings, the “Grieß-Gnocchi”, in the soup-bowls on the far side of the Brenner Pass, whereas in the world of Austrian soups you will come across them fairly frequently.

Ingredients

  • 6 eggs
  • 350–400 ml milk
  • 180–200 g finely ground flour
  • 3 tbsp crystal sugar, for the topping
  • 2 tbsp raisins
  • 1 packet (8g) vanilla sugar
  • A dash of rum
  • Some grated lemon rind
  • A pinch of salt
  • Approx. 50 g butter for frying
  • 1 tablespoon of butter shavings and crystal sugar, for caramelizing
  • Icing sugar and cinnamon for dusting

Cooking time

  • 8–10 minutes

Want to know more about Europe?

Sign up to our newsletter here: