PREPARATION TIME: 12 MINUTES
COOKING TIME: 20 MINUTES
SERVES: 4
MY GERMAN SAUSAGES
The Germans love sausages just as much as Australians do, maybe even more. Whether you’re walking down the street in Berlin, entering a train station or outside the local biergarten, you’re sure to find a fit-looking fella with a gas bottle strapped to his back and a barbecue grill on his front completely loaded with wurst. The man is a walking sausage sizzle, ready to serve you a piping-hot sausage straight from his mobile grill. What a genius invention.
4 pork bratwurst (sausages) (see note)
‘NOT-SAUERKRAUT’ COLESLAW
½ white cabbage, core removed, thinly sliced
3 granny smith apples, core removed, julienned
1 red Asian shallot, thinly sliced
60 g (2¼ oz/¼ cup) mayonnaise
1½ teaspoon dijon mustard
juice of ½ lemon
½ cup dill sprigs
40 g (1½ oz/¼ cup) pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
75 g (2½ oz/½ cup) semi-dried cranberries (see note)
sea salt
PAN-FRIED POTATOES
1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) desiree (all-purpose) potatoes
40 g (1½ oz) butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
sea salt
For the coleslaw, in a large bowl combine the cabbage, apple and shallot. In a smaller bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, mustard and lemon juice. Then combine the two, tossing gently with your hands. Add in the dill, pepitas and cranberries along with a pinch of sea salt. Place in the fridge until ready to serve.
Parboil the potatoes with the skin on for 8–10 minutes. Remove from the heat and place in cool water so the potatoes can be handled, remove and pat dry. Cut the potatoes into irregular chunks. In a large heavy-based frying pan, heat the butter and the olive oil over medium–high heat, place the potato chunks into the hot fat and cook on each side until golden and crispy (do this in batches if needed). Remove and drain on paper towel, place in a serving bowl and season well with salt.
Heat a barbecue, griddle pan or frying pan to medium–high heat, cook the wurst for 8–10 minutes, or until nicely coloured and cooked to your liking.
Serve the hot wurst with the ‘not-sauerkraut’ slaw, crispy fried potato, some dill pickle, a piece of sourdough and a spoonful of mustard.
NOTES
∎ Bratwurst are German-style sausages which can be purchased from speciality German delicatessens. If you can’t find the traditional bratwurst, it’s very easy to find quality sausages from butchers these days, so grab the best ones you can find and enjoy.
∎ The semi-dried cranberries are a lot more plump and have a better texture.
∎ The sourdough I like to use for this recipe is of the darker variety such as miche, seeded rye or rye spelt. I buy mine from Sonoma Bakery in Sydney, but you should be able to find them at other good artisan bakeries.
