Liechtensteiner Cuisine - Ethnic Foods R Us

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Prepared meals of Liechtenstein are referred to as Liechtensteiner cuisine. Liechtensteiner cuisine is very diverse, having been strongly influenced by nearby countries, especially Austria and Switzerland.

Liechtensteiner cuisine also reveals Central European cuisine influences, with lots of milk and dairy products, cheeses and soups being integral components of Liechtensteiner cuisine. Fruits with cereal and milk are enjoyed often, as well.

The people of Liechtenstein eat well, typically three times a day, and are known to usually serve their meals in a formal manner.

Commonplace recipe ingredients include beef, pork and chicken meats, also some wild game – especially venison. And you will often see vegetables like cabbage, greens, and potatoes on the dinner tables.

Our first offering of Liechtensteiner cuisine is the country’s national dish. There will be more recipes to follow, but for now, enjoy you first ethnic adventure into the little country known as Liechtenstein, and enjoy some traditional and authentic …

Liechtensteiner Cuisine!

Pepper Venison with Käsknöpfle

Ingredients:

For the Pepper Venison-

1-1/2 to 2 lb. venison meat
7 oz. mirepoix (vegetable mixture comprising onions, carrots and celery)
2 garlic cloves
2 quarts red wine
1 cup cognac
1 cup brandy
1 cup fruit vinegar
2 bay leaves
6 whole cloves
8 allspice corns
1 tsp. coriander seeds
10 juniper berries
1 sprig of fresh thyme (or 1 tsp. dried thyme)
1 tbsp. smoked paprika
Some fresh sprigs of thyme, rosemary, or basil, for garnish (optional)

For the Käsknöpfle-

11 oz. all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp. salt
3 large eggs
1/3 cup water (maybe a little more, for thick batter consistency)
1 large onion
2-1/2 oz. Emmentaler cheese, shredded
2-1/2 oz. Gruyère cheese, shredded

Directions:

For the Pepper Venison-

If your venison has not been butchered, use a sharp knife and skin it.
Wash the meat well, dry it, and chop it into large bite-sized cubes, then place the cubes in a large bowl and set aside.
Rinse and wash the vegetables and chop them into small pieces also.
Peel the garlic cloves and mince them.
In a large cooking pot, bring the fruit vinegar, 1 cup of red wine, half of the vegetables and all of the spices to the vigorous boil, then cut the heat and leave to cool—later, when it has set up and is about room temperature you will pour this mixture over the meat.
Place the meat in another large pot and pour the mixture over it, then store the pot in the refrigerator or a rather cool place. Allow the meat to marinate for at least a few days, even a full week.
When the meat is well marinated, drain the marinade off into a bowl, and keep it in reserve.
Place a colander over the bowl, and put the meat in it, so all the marinade still on the meat will drain off into the bowl. Leave the meat there for at least two hours.
Heat the oil in a large, heavy duty skillet over medium high heat, and sear the meat on all sides, adding a little salt.
Place the marinade in a cooking pot and heat it up to warm, and then filter it through a tea towel or cheesecloth. Discard all the solids.
In a casserole dish, heat some oil and fry the other half of the vegetables. When cooked well, add the meat in, and stir the mixture until the meat starts turning darker.
Add in a cup of red wine, a cup of the marinade, the other spices and the smoked paprika. Leave this mixture to stew for about 70 minutes, or until the meat well tenderized.
As soon as the meat is fork tender, remove it with a slotted spoon and place on a platter that you have pre-heated.
Make a sauce with a cup of fruit vinegar, a cup of cognac, a cup of brandy, mixed together in a saucepan over medium heat. Thicken the sauce with flour to achieve desired consistency, stirring constantly, until the sauce is shiny, smooth, and quite thick.
While you are making the sauce, be heating the meat in the remaining red wine, then add your sauce.
Stir the sauce into the red wine well, and stir and blend the meat and wine sauce together thoroughly.
Serve the Pepper Venison, drizzled with some of the sauce and (optional) garnished with a fresh sprig of herb while still very warm.

For the Käsknöpfle-

In a small mixing bowl, combine the shredded cheeses together, then set aside for now.
In another, larger sized mixing bowl, sift and blend together the salt and flour.
In a separate, medium sized mixing bowl, combine the water and eggs, and then add into the flour mixture.
Mix together well and, if need be, add enough more water to achieve the consistency of a thick batter, but not so thick you cannot force the mixture through the holes of a colander.
Now cover the batter with a cloth and allow to rest for about half an hour.
While the batter sets up, cut the onion in half and then cut each half into thin half-rings. Fry the onion half rings until they are slightly browned.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
Put the batter in a colander and force it through the holes, into boiling water, with a wooden spoon.
Curdled looking dumplings will rise to the surface—fish them out with a slotted spoon, and drain them with a sieve.
Put the dumplings in a large bowl and toss and coat them with the combined shredded cheeses.
Serve while still nice and warm, with each serving topped with a little mound of the browned onion slices.

For more Liechtensteiner Cuisine recipes, click on the dish names below:

Fischkloesschen zur Fischsuppe (Fish Dumplings Soup)

Leber Knödelsuppe (Liver Dumpling Soup)

Liechtensteiner Fish Stew

Three Cheese Pasta with Sweet Onion Käsknöpfle

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