Guten Appetit!

You don't need to wait till Oktoberfest to indulge in some authentic German cuisine. Chef Paul Hoffman from Hyatt Regency Cologne, is here to whip up some hearty German meals at the ongoing food festival.

A steak preparation at the German Food Festival

From good ol' Sauerkraut to simple potato soup or Klöße, Chef Hoffman reveals the simplicity involved in preparing most of the delicacies of the region. "The spices we use are mostly herbs and bay leaves.

German food is flavourful because of the herbs and ingredients used, such as hand-picked seasonal vegetables, fresh herbs and fresh butter," says chef Hoffman.

Preparation of pork sausages

"Our food isn't very spicy. Sometimes some of the popular dishes from different regions tend to be a little spicy, but we generally go low on chilies," he reveals.

The festival brings together popular dishes from across Germany. "While India has a distinct North Indian and South Indian cuisine, even in Germany, the food culture differs from region to region," informs chef Hoffman, who adds generous dollops of butter and cream to authentic German recipes.
The food festival features a delicious range of options for vegetarians and to-die-for preparations for meat lovers as well.

Till May 20
At Hyatt Regency, Nagar Road.
Call 6645 1234

Sauerkraut
> 750 gm Sauerkraut (canned)
> 1 Bay Leaf
> 4 Juniper berries
> 1 Apple
> 1 Onion
> 100ml water
> 100 vinegar
> Salt
> Sugar
> 100g butter
Heat oil in a pan and add the diced onions and apples and cook till it caramelizes. Next add in the canned sauerkraut and all the remaining ingredients as mentioned in the recipe and cook for approximately 50 minutes till the whole mass forms an emulsion.

Crisp skin pike perch fillets with braised cucumber
> Pike Pearch with skin: 200 gms
> Dill: 4 gms
> Fish stock: 50 ml
> Crème fraiche: 40 ml
> Cucumber: 100 gms
> Shallot: 10 gms
> Potatoes: 60 gms
> Butter: 10 gms
> Lemon or lime
> Salt and pepper

For the fish
Marinate the fish using salt pepper, Olive oil and mustard. Heat oil and butter mixed in a pan and pan fry the fish with the skin side down first. Cook till the fish skin becomes crisp.

For the accompaniment
Peel the cucumber, deseed and slice thickly. Separately boil the potatoes and keep aside. In a pan heat oil and add in the chopped onions and cook till translucent. Next add in the cucumber sliced and the boiled diced potatoes. Next add in the fish stock and allow boiling. Add in the lemon juice, crème fraiche and the chopped dill. Boil till the right consistency is achieved and serve along with the fish.u00a0