Month: May 2016

Swiss Schlangenbrot (Grilled “Snakebread”)

On By cooking at hinterbergIn Starters1 Comment

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For the past 6 years, we have been spending a long bank holiday weekend in May in le Plateau des Mille Etangs (plateau of 1000 ponds) in the Southern Vosges in the region of Alsace, France. It has become one of the highlights of my year and has become an annual tradition of ours. 4-5 days are spent in a remote cabin in the middle of nature’s beauty with my family and the family of brother-in-law. It’s a paradise for children and adults and time is only spent on fishing, paddle boating, taking naps in hammocks, flower picking, reading, playing card games and of course cooking. This is a place where apéro starts as early as you want it to with a glass of Crémant or Cidre and almost every meal is cooked on the grill. This trip really marks the start of the warm weather and witnessing spring in bloom in this beautiful natural paradise is a privilege.

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Last year was the first time I was introduced to Schlangenbrot, which is a dough that is rolled out on a stick like a snake and is baked over an open fire. It is a very common dish to enjoy while camping because the dough is super easy to make and of course, you need an open fire to bake it. It’s as ubiquitous to the Swiss as s’mores are to Americans. This year, with the help of my lovely sister-in-law, we wrote out the recipe and added in fresh rosemary. Let the grill season begin!

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INGREDIENTS (approx. 6 bread sticks):

4 cups all-purpose flour (525 g)

1 1/2 cups warm water (300 g)

2.5 tsp dry yeast (7 g)

1 tsp salt (1 TL)

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (1 EL)

6 sticks for baking

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Place 4 cups of flour in a large mixing bowl.
  2. Make a well in the center of the flour and add in 2.5 tsp of the dry yeast in the center and add in 1/2 of warm water. Mix the yeast and warm water to make a sludge and let it sit for about 10 minutes.
  3. Sprinkle 1 tsp salt in the perimeter of the flour.
  4. After about 10 minutes, add in another 1/2 cup of warm water to your dough mixture and start to mix with your hands. Add in the last 1/2 cup of warm water and 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil. Mix the dough with your hands until the flour is well incorporated.
  5. Take the dough out of the mixing bowl and knead on a flat surface for approximately 15-20 minutes until air bubbles start to form in your dough and the dough is smooth.
  6. Form a ball with the dough and place it back in the mixing bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel on top and place in a warm spot for at least 1 hour to rest. I let mine rest for 90-12o minutes.
  7. Once the dough has rested, finely chop fresh rosemary and fold it into the dough.
  8. Break the dough into 6 equal pieces and roll them out into “snakes” with your hands.
  9. Wrap each “snake” onto a stick and grill them over an open fire. If you have a grill over the fire, you can place them directly down on the grill or you can roast them over the fire like marshmallows.
  10. Make sure you turn the sticks continually to bake the dough slowly and to achieve a nice brown crust around the bread. Cooking times will vary due to the temperature of the fire, but make sure the dough is completely cooked through.
  11. Serve with extra virgin olive seasoned with sea salt and herbs and enjoy!

Asparagus Ricotta Prosciutto Wild Garlic Pesto Baked Pastry Roll

On By cooking at hinterbergIn Main DishesLeave a comment

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One of the joys about cooking seasonally is that there are certain dishes that you look forward to because you can only truly enjoy them a few times a year and at a specific time of year. This is one those dishes. I know as soon as spring rolls around and asparagus is in the markets at it’s prime seasonal time, my husband will make this delicious puff pastry filled with Asparagus, Ricotta and Landrauchschinken (Swiss version of Prosciutto). Luckily, I still had some wild garlic pesto on reserve and it pairs perfectly with this “spring roll”.

This dish is incredibly easy to make (since I don’t make my own puff pastry) and it’s fantastic to serve at a brunch or for dinner with a beautiful salad on the side. My husband also often makes one roll with the cured ham and then one with smoked salmon, which is equally as delicious. There are so many variations to this dish you can make, but the asaparagus is what really makes it.

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INGREDIENTS (4-6 servings)

11 ounce puff pastry sheet in a rectangular shape (320 g Blätterteig in German)

2 bundles of thin asparagus (1.75 pounds or 800g)

1 cup whole-milk ricotta (250g)

8-10 slices of prosciutto (or Landrauchschinken, Swiss smoked cured ham)

1/4 cup of wild garlic pesto (optional)

1 egg yolk beated

1 tbsp vegetable stock (10 g; I prefer the Knorr brand)

2 cups water to cook asparagus (470 ml)

salt & pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat your oven the temperature indicated in the instructions of your puff pastry. I had my oven preheated to 390 F (200 C).
  2. Prepare your asparagus by breaking the bottom stems off or trimming them.
  3. In a large stock pot, add in 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add in the 1 tbsp vegetable stock to the boiling water and then add in the asparagus stems. Cover and cook for approx. 4 minutes or until tender.
  4. Season the ricotta with salt and freshly cracked pepper and mix well. Set aside.
  5. Drain the asaparagus stems and rinse with cold water to stop them from cooking longer.
  6. Take your puff pastry out of the refrigerator and roll it out on a baking pan lined with baking paper.
  7. Cut 3 strips length-wise and approx. 1/2 inch wide. Set these strips aside, which will be used for decoration (optional).
  8. Line the puff-pastry with the prosciutto slices, leaving room (about 1 inch) at the bottom of the pastry  and about 1 inch on the right and left sides.
  9. Place the asparagus stems evenly on top of the prosciutto slices (parallel to the longer side of the puff pastry).
  10. Top the asparagus with the ricotta and then add a layer of the wild garlic pesto if you would like.
  11. Fold the top half of the puff pastry over the filling and brush the egg wash on the bottom part of the puff pastry.
  12. Bring the bottom part of the puff pastry over the top half as to close the roll.
  13. With a fork, gently press the ends together to close the top part of the roll.
  14. Fold the ends in and gently press with a fork to close both ends.
  15. Brush the entire top of the pastry roll with the egg wash.
  16. Decorate the top of the pastry roll with the 3 pastry strips.
  17. Take a fork and poke the top of the pastry roll a few times on top to allow the steam to exit.
  18. Place in the oven for approx. 30-35 minutes or until beautifully brown and crispy.
  19. Allow the roll to rest for a few minutes before slicing and serving.