VOM ALTER HEIMAT

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Steckrüben Stippeln/Suppe - Turnip Soup

This is a traditional dish from "Die alte Heimat" – northern German lowlands where the people are known as " die Plattdeutsche " or "Low Germans". History tells us that these friendly soft spoken people descended from part of the lost tribes of Israel, most likely from the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. A telltale sign of this is the name of their region or state, "Saxony" -derived from the expression "Isaac's Sons". This distinguishes them from the high Germans who are descended from ancient Assyria.

The Spannhake's, the True's and the Bischoff's were farmers for whom potatoes and yellow turnips – rutabagas – were staple crops. Lamb was also raised for meat. Add salt, pepper and water and you have Steckrüben Stippeln.

Method:

We've already indicated the ingredients, so all that is left is the method. As with my last batch of French Onion Soup, the broth can either be made simply by cooking all the ingredients together or, if you're in the habit of eating lamb, you may save the bones and make a broth from them. This will allow you to use less lamb or even boneless lamb with most of the fat trimmed off. If you prepare and freeze the broth ahead of time, then making the Steckrüben Stippeln can be done more quickly and with less fuss and muss, especially if you have a butcher who'll trim the lamb from the bones and the fat from the lamb.

However, one of the reasons for making this dish is to use any of the cheap cuts of the lamb from the shoulder, shanks, tail etc. and putting into pot bones and all. Normally, die Plattdeutsche would make a huge pot of this so that it would last the family for a few days. I do the same except to make a large pot that will last me for a few days along with a quart or so left over to freeze.

My current batch is made from bones to make a broth first. I used about 3 pounds of bones in about ¾ gallon of water and boiled for 2-3 hours. I set this aside to cool overnight . Then I removed the strainer section. This carried away the bones, debris, and fat which has solidified leaving a rich dark broth. I took half the broth and froze it and left the rest in the pot.

Next, I added carefully to avoid getting scalded about 4-5 pounds of various frozen fresh lamb pieces, shanks, shoulder, tails and miscellaneous pieces to the now boiling broth.

While the lamb was getting used to the pot, I blanched a mix of about 4 pounds of yellow and white turnips for about 5 minutes in boiling water. I poured off the hot water (with the wax) and rinsed a few times in first warm then cool water leaving the turnips still warm to the touch, I then was able to easily peel the outer thin skin leaving colored near skin turnip mostly intact.

I then cut the turnips using a cleaver type knife into about 1-¾" cubes. I slid these in the pot carefully to avoid splashing. I could have followed the same procedure using fresh potatoes, but under bachelor rules, I took two med-large cans of whole potatoes and poured them with water into the pot. Next, I added water to cover solids by an inch or two and a tablespoon of black pepper and about 2/3 tblsp Nordic sea salt.

I brought this to a boil and am now, as I write, allowing to simmer at low temperature with the pot covered. Total cooking time starting with the frozen lamb will be about 1 ½ to 2 hours. Taste and season along the way until it pleases you. Mahlzeit!

For anti-fat bigots, use a soup ladle to dip deep into the pot and quickly remove the filled ladle from the pot. This will leave the fat behind. Later, when it has cooled, the hardened fat can be skimmed of the top.

Posted by ECGY AT LARGE at 10:41 AM