Ach Du Lieber Gänseleberpasteteschnitte

French Chefs who sneer at German cooking are taken down a peg or two when they are reminded that some of France's most famous foods are really of German origin: frogs' legs, for instance, and even paté de foie gras, which turns up on German menus as Gänseleberpasteteschnitte. In our own country (without even mentioning the ubiquitous hamburger and frankfurter), it can be pointed out that the oldest and most individual of all regional cookery are the dishes brought to America from Germany several centuries ago and still served by the Pennsylvania Germans, who are often mistakenly called the Pennsylvania Dutch. A skillful German cook must have vinegar in his veins. The tart accent appears in everything from beer soup with lemon juice, to sauerbraten, to the wild mushrooms from the Black Forest served in a sour cream sauce. But sheer sourness is by no means the whole story. When you cook sauerkraut, for instance, you don't just dump the kraut in the pot and forget it. Neither do you press it in the pot, nor do you beat it, lest the individual shreds be broken. You cook it over a gentle slow fire, tossing it lightly with a long fork until it's soft but not mashed. Invariably, some cut of meat with a unique flavor like corned spareribs or smoked loin of pork (known in this country as Canadian bacon) is placed in the pot, the primary purpose being to groom the sauerkraut rather than to cook the meat. For flavor embellishment, a minced onion, grated apple, grated potato, a few caraway seeds or even a touch of ginger will be added to make the blend as cozy and mellow as possible. Sometimes a counterbalancing sweet ingredient is called for. For instance, when wine vinegar is added to red cabbage, a spoonful of currant jelly goes in at the same time.

The ready-to-eat imported and domestic German foods now sold in this country are magnificent collations for stag parties, beer busts, or any gathering where appetites are unbridled. For fish fanciers there are German blue trout in cans, smoked eel, as well as herring in lemon or wine sauce. If the German Westphalian ham isn't available in your neck of the woods, there are some extremely good Holland or domestic versions of Westphalian-style hams. Certainly one of the fastest and smartest ways to bedeck the groaning board is simply to visit a fine delicatessen, and make your own selection from the assortment of Braunschweiger liverwurst (the most luxurious of all liverwurst sausages), Cervelat (a non-garlic salami), Mettwurst (a soft smoked pork spread), or headcheese (a gelatin loaf made from corned pork), all of which bear an honorable German ancestry. As a relish for such platters, it would be hard to suggest anything more cordial than the imported Senfgurken, light pickles packed in vinegar with mustard seed.

In the fresh Wurst department, none can excel the Germans. If you live near a German neighborhood or if you have access to a German butcher who makes his own sausage, try to get the Bock-wurst during the bock beer season or the Bratwurst made of either pork or veal. Both sausages should be parboiled for a few minutes and then broiled or charcoal broiled until brown.

The German word gemütlich can't be translated easily into a single English word. It means hospitable, homey, genial, hearty, generous and easygoing all rolled into one. When you're planning a German meal, keep in mind that to be gemütlich, you must always offer generous portions.

Now for your own Bierfest, Playboy offers a quintet of doughty Deutschland recipes:

[recipe_title]Biersupe[/recipe_title]

(Serves two)

Native Germans claim that the taste for beer soup must be acquired, but once acquired is never lost. The soup is a magnificent prelude to a platter of fried oysters or cold sliced ham. The Playboy version is not quite as bitter as the native soup.

[recipe]2 tablespoons butter[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons flour[/recipe]

[recipe]1 pint boiling water[/recipe]

[recipe]2 envelopes instant chicken broth[/recipe]

[recipe]1-inch piece stick cinnamon[/recipe]

[recipe]2 whole allspice[/recipe]

[recipe]1 onion cut in half[/recipe]

[recipe]12-oz. bottle dark beer[/recipe]

[recipe]1 egg[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons lemon juice[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons sugar[/recipe]

[recipe]Nutmeg[/recipe]

[recipe]Cayenne pepper[/recipe]

Melt the butter in a deep saucepan. Stir in the flour until well blended. Gradually add the boiling water while stirring constantly. Add the instant chicken broth, stick cinnamon, allspice and onion. Bring to a boil. Reduce flame and simmer. Beat the egg well in a small bowl. Add about 1/4 cup cold beer to the egg, mixing well. Add the balance of the beer to the saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce flame. Simmer slowly 15 minutes. Add the lemon juice, sugar, dash of nutmeg and dash of cayenne pepper. Strain soup. Stir about 1/4 cup soup into the beaten egg. Pour the egg in a very small stream into the saucepan, stirring constantly. Return soup to a slow fire. Do not permit it to boil or it will curdle. Keep on the fire, stirring constantly, for a minute or two. Serve with toasted bread croutons.

[recipe_title]Königsberger Klops[/recipe_title]

(Serves six)

[recipe]1 lb. ground beef[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 lb. ground pork[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 lb. ground veal[/recipe]

[recipe]8-oz. can tomatoes[/recipe]

[recipe]8 anchovies[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon onion salt[/recipe]

[recipe]1 cup bread crumbs[/recipe]

[recipe]1/8 teaspoon garlic powder[/recipe]

[recipe]Salt, pepper[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons minced parsley[/recipe]

[recipe]4 envelopes instant chicken broth[/recipe]

[recipe]3 tablespoons capers[/recipe]

[recipe]3 tablespoons flour[/recipe]

[recipe]3 tablespoons butter at room temperature[/recipe]

[recipe]1 hard-boiled egg[/recipe]

Mince the tomatoes, saving the juice. Mince the anchovies. In a mixing bowl combine the ground beef, ground pork, ground veal, tomatoes, anchovies, onion salt, bread crumbs, garlic powder and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Mix well. Shape into balls no more than one inch in diameter. Dip hands into cold water to handle meat easily. In a large wide saucepan bring 4 cups water to a boil. Add the instant chicken broth. Drop the meat balls into the broth, using only sufficient meat balls to cover the bottom of the saucepan. When they rise to the surface, cover the pan with a tight lid, and simmer 15-20 minutes. Remove the meat balls from the broth. Continue to cook the balance of the meat balls in the same manner. When all of them have been cooked and removed from the pan, combine the flour and butter, mixing until a smooth paste is formed. Add the butter mixture to the simmering broth, stirring constantly until gravy is thick. Chop the hard-boiled egg fine. Add the chopped egg, parsley and capers to the broth. Simmer five minutes. Return the meat balls to the gravy and simmer several minutes longer. Add salt and pepper to taste.

[recipe_title]Sauerbraten[/recipe_title]

(Serves four-five)

[recipe]3 lbs. chuck roast, boneless[/recipe]

[recipe]1 large onion sliced[/recipe]

[recipe]1 carrot sliced[/recipe]

[recipe]1 piece celery sliced[/recipe]

[recipe]6 large sprigs parsley[/recipe]

[recipe]1 cup vinegar[/recipe]

[recipe]1 cup dry red wine[/recipe]

[recipe]1 large bay leaf[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 teaspoon thyme[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 teaspoon ground ginger[/recipe]

[recipe]3 tablespoons flour[/recipe]

[recipe]2 beef bouillon cubes[/recipe]

[recipe]Salt, pepper[/recipe]

In a saucepan, combine the onion, carrot, celery, parsley, vinegar, red wine, bay leaf, thyme and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil. Simmer five minutes. Let the liquid cool to room temperature. Place the meat in a large crock or enamel-lined pan. Pour the liquid and vegetables over the meat. Let the meat marinate two or three days. Turn the meat occasionally to marinate on all sides. Remove the meat from the liquid. Save the liquid. Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper. Place the meat in a baking pan in a hot oven, 450°, until the meat is browned on all sides. Transfer the meat from the baking pan to a Dutch oven or heavy saucepan fitted with tight lid. Add the marinating liquid and vegetables to the pot. Simmer slowly until the meat is tender, about two hours. Remove meat from gravy. Add the bouillon cubes to the gravy. Mix the flour and ginger with 1/4 cup cold water, stirring well until no lumps are left. Bring the gravy (concluded on page 79)Gänseleberpasteteschnitte(continued from page 34) to a boil, and slowly add the flour mixture, stirring with a wire whisk. Simmer the gravy 10 minutes. Skim off any excess fat. Remove meat and slice with a very sharp knife. Pour the hot gravy over the meat on serving plates or platter. Serve with potato pancakes.

[recipe_title]Potato Pancakes[/recipe_title]

(Makes about 12)

[recipe]2 cups grated raw potatoes[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons grated onion[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon salt[/recipe]

[recipe]1/8 teaspoon pepper[/recipe]

[recipe]1 tablespoon flour[/recipe]

[recipe]1 tablespoon cracker crumbs[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 teaspoon baking powder[/recipe]

[recipe]2 eggs[/recipe]

[recipe]Vegetable fat[/recipe]

Place the grated potatoes in a large wire sieve, and press gently to remove excess liquid. Separate the egg yolks from whites. In a deep mixing bowl beat the whites until stiff. Fold into the potato mixture; that is, add the egg whites all at once and, using the mixing spoon with a down-over-up motion, blend the whites gradually into the potato mixture. Melt fat to a depth of 1/4 inch in a large frying pan or in an electric skillet set at 390°. When fat is hot but not smoking, drop the potato mixture by large spoonfuls into the pan. Brown on both sides. Drain on absorbent paper.

[recipe_title]Paprika Pork Schnitzel[/recipe_title]

(Serves two)

[recipe]4 thick center-cut pork chops[/recipe]

[recipe]Flour, salt, pepper[/recipe]

[recipe]Vegetable fat[/recipe]

[recipe]1 tablespoon butter[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 teaspoon paprika[/recipe]

[recipe]1 medium-size onion minced[/recipe]

[recipe]8-oz. can tomato sauce[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 teaspoon marjoram[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup sour cream[/recipe]

Have the butcher cut the bone away from the pork chops and pound the meat thin with a cleaver. Sprinkle chops with salt and pepper. Dip in flour. Melt vegetable fat to a depth of 1/4 inch in a. large frying pan. Sauté the chops until medium brown on both sides. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the onion. Sauté the onion until it is yellow but not browned. Add the paprika, stirring well. Add the tomato sauce and marjoram. Transfer the meat to the saucepan. Cover the pan with a tight lid, and simmer the meat slowly until it is very tender, about 20-25 minutes. Remove the pan from the fire. Place the meat on serving plates or platter. Stir the sour cream into the sauce. Pour the sauce over the meat. And then pore over the meat yourself.