When asked abroad, what the typical German food is, if not Sauerkraut und Würstchen, I never have an answer.
But now that I am at home and eating this typical seasonal food, I can name it: Mieschmuscheln, Grünkohl (not in combination, this is two different dishes).
Steamed mussels are said to be good in all months with an „r“, so from September to – hey, is ist all months with an „r“ or all months ending with an „r“? Depending on this, the saying means FebruaR or ApRil. But you can actually eat them all year around nowadays. That old rule was due to no cooling options in the warmer months of the year. Now that we have fridges and ice, that is history.
Miesmuscheln, from the North Sea (Nordsee)
You do not eat them with fork/knife, but start with one empty shell. With that you pick out the next mussels and pull it out of its shell.
Recipe: Huge pot, boil carrot and onion in butter. Add laurel leaves and Cayenne Pepper, plus white wine. When boiling, place mussels in the pot ant cook for 15 minutes. Serve with „soup“ and baguette bread.
Note: the mussels are alive when you buy them! They are closed and kept cold at the fish store. If you see an open one, knock on it, or pour water over it, so it closes. If you do not trust this or it does not give any life sign, throw it away. Same with mussels which are closed after boiling, those are definetely not good to eat!
The empty shells
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Another dish for the winter time, from about November through January is Grünkohl mit Pinkel – mit Kassler, Speckschwarte, Kochwurst.
Kale and smoked sausage, typical in Northern Germany. I love it!
Best is fresh Grünkohl, or frozen, the one from the glass is not tasty. Have sweet (sugared) small potatoes and mustard with itThose dishes are so large, that I take a doggy bag home and have the rest warmed up another 3 times throughout the following week…
Grünkohl arriving, „full program“
Grühnkohl, mit Speck, Kochwust und süssen Kartoffeln
