Winterfest!

Bratwurst, German potato salad, cucumber dill salad, and a tall cold Warsteiner. That was our little Winterfest for last night's dinner. After a few very looong days, it was nice to have some warm comfort food.

I'll admit, I'm new to the German food scene. I realize that much of the country considers this sort of stuff usual fare, but living in South Florida, it's new to us. We've eaten at some awesome German restuarants and even cook bratwurst at home, but that's about it. I had a good amount of time to prepare dinner, so I decided to experiment. I looked online through many different German recipes and decided to merge the best elements into one for my first try.

Bratwurst

6 bratwurst (found at the meat counter of any supermarket)
2 12 oz bottles of beer (I used Blue Moon Winter Ale)
2 Tbsp butter
1 small onion, chopped

I cooked the onion in the butter for a few minutes, then added the beer. I allowed the mixture to cook for 5 minutes, then added the bratwurst. I allowed the bratwurst to simmer until I was ready to grill them. Since the brats are cooked in the beer, grilling only takes a few minutes. Joe likes his in a bun, but I could just as easily eat mine plain.

Apparently, there is a discussion about weather or not to pierce the brats before putting them in the beer solution. I usually pierce mine before grilling them, but I decided to leave them alone this time. The flavor of the bratwurst was excellent. I'm sure that this was more to do with the beer than anything else. But, it may make a difference.

German Potato Salad

I hate, HATE potato salad. I like mayo. I like potatos. I HATE potato salad. Don't know why, but I do. Which usually sucks during picnics. So, I thought I'd try German potato salad to see if I could find something I like. I LOVED it! I will definately be bringing these to the next picnic! I served it warm, but it was equally good at room temperature.

4 Potatos, peeled and diced
4 slices of thick cut bacon
1 small onion, diced
3 Tbsp. Fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp. white vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. water
salt and pepper to taste

Put potatoes in a pot and cover with water. Cook for 8-10 minutes, or until potatos are done. Drain and set potatos aside.

In a large pan, cook bacon until crispy. Remove bacon and set aside. Cook onions in bacon grease until translucent. Add potatoes and parsley and mix well. Add vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper to the pan and bring to a boil. Cook for a few minutes, or until potatos are warm. Top with crumbled bacon and serve.



Cucumber Dill Salad

1 Long seedless cucumber, peeled
2 Tbsp. Fresh Dill, chopped
1 Shallot, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp. Sugar
1 1/2 tsp. White vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Thinly slice cucumber. I used the slicer side of my boxed grater to ensure that I would have even slices. Add shallots and dill to the cucumbers and allow them to rest for at least 5 mintues. In a bowl, mix together sugar vinegar, salt and pepper. Pour dressing over cucumbers when ready to serve.