Maybe you’ve never been to a Christmas market. Maybe you have, and you’re trying to recapture that sense of childlike holiday wonder after nearly two years in survival mode (see previous newsletter). Maybe you just like potatoes and wine. It’s all welcome here. Today I’m teaching you how to bring home the flavors of a Christkindlmarkt through two recipes: Potato pancakes and glühwein, or mulled wine. I must confess, I had never made either of these recipes before. All that follows was inspired by a desire to explore new things. Let’s try it together, shall we?
Potato Pancakes
You may also know these as latkes (Happy Hanukkah!). There are many variations of this dish, which is basically fried potatoes, so it’s hard to make them taste bad. I chose to make mine with onions and use just the starch of the potatoes instead of adding flour, to make them gluten-free. The most important thing in any potato pancake recipe is getting the liquid out of the potatoes so they can get crispy, and making sure the frying pan is hot & oily.
You will need:
1.5-2 lbs. Russet potatoes (about 4 potatoes)
2 eggs
1 tsp salt, plus more to season at the end
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp nutmeg
Canola oil
If you don’t want to use canola oil, I suggest something else with a neutral taste and a high smoking point, meaning olive oil not recommended
1c diced yellow onion
Sour cream and/or applesauce, to serve
You will also need:
A heavy-bottomed frying pan or skillet
I used cast iron, which was awesome
Start by washing, peeling, and shredding the potatoes. Dice the onions. Line a mixing bowl with either a large cheesecloth or a clean dishtowel. Pour in the potatoes and onions, lift up the cloth and squeeze as much liquid out of them as you possibly can. Set the mixing bowl aside so the potato starch can settle at the bottom of the bowl. Then, pour the potato mixture into a colander to drain off more liquid while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
In a separate mixing bowl, beat eggs with salt, pepper, and nutmeg until just combined. Heat your pan over medium high heat on the stove. Again, you want something with a heavy bottom. Your pan should also be able to handle a decent puddle of oil and a lot of heat.
Look at the mixing bowl with your potato liquid in it. See how there’s starch settling at the bottom? Now, pour out the water. The starch will stick to the bottom of the bowl. Add the potatoes back in and pour the egg mixture over everything. Mix it all together with your hands (It’s the best way for this recipe. Sorry, spatulas).
Next, pour enough canola oil into your pan that it not only covers the bottom, but makes a nice shallow pool for your pancakes. Using a large spoon or 1/4 measuring cup, scoop the potato mixture and form a ball or a disc in your hands, then gently drop it into the pan. I do mean gently—please don’t burn yourself by splashing hot oil. Use a metal spatula to flatten out the pancake to your liking. The thinner they are, the crispier of course. Repeat until the pan is full, but leave a little space in between potato pancakes. Fry each side until golden brown, which should take 2-4 minutes. It depends on how hot your pan is, how much oil is in it, and how large and flat your pancakes are. Trust your judgement. Here’s a color reference from my own experience:
When the potato pancakes are done, place them on a paper towel-lined dish or a wire rack to drain off excess oil. Immediately sprinkle a bit more salt on top. Repeat until all of the potato mixture is gone. Serve with applesauce, sour cream, or both.
Are you loving these reicpes? Do you know someone who would? Share it with them!
Glühwein
The traditional hot, alcoholic drink can be made with a variety of spices, add-ins and garnishes. I spent hours researching traditional and not-so-traditional recipes to create one I thought I would like. Hopefully you like it too, because this is the best mulled wine I’ve ever had. Seriously. Much love to the stunning Christmas markets I’ve visited, but I made the most delicious Christmas-in-a-cup in my own kitchen. This recipe only uses 1 bottle of wine, so if you’re making it for a crowd, you’ll probably want to double or triple the recipe.
You will need:
1 standard (750 ml) bottle of dry red wine
Don’t use a delicate or light-bodied wine, like pinot noir or grenache. The wine needs to be able to stand up to the mulling spices and heat, so use something darker. I used cabernet sauvignon. Merlot, Syrah, or a similar varietal should also work.
My personal rules of buying wine at the liquor store don’t apply here. Just pick something cheap off the shelf, because you’re adding so many heavenly things to it.
1c apple cider
3 TB maple syrup
3-4 cinnamon sticks
3-4 star anise
6-10 whole cloves
4-5 cardamom pods (these can be trickier to find at a grocery store than the other whole spices. Try World Market if you’re struggling)
6-8 whole allspice
3-4 orange slices (cut them like discs with the peel on)
3-4 slices of fresh ginger
Grab a large stock pot and heat it up over medium-high heat on the stove. Turn a chef’s knife on its side and lightly smash open the cardamom pods. Toss the cardamom in the pot, along with the cinnamon sticks, star anise, allspice, and cloves. Toast them for a minute or two, until the aroma just starts to hit you.
Turn the heat down to medium low, then pour in the wine and apple cider. Stir, then drop the orange and ginger slices on top. Simmer for an hour, making sure the wine doesn’t boil. Some of the wine will cook off, but you don’t want to lose it all. Some recipes will call for simmering for 30 minutes, but I chose to leave it longer on a low heat to give the flavors time to develop.
After an hour, pour in the maple syrup and stir.
There are a few options for serving. If you’re making this for a party, I recommend straining the glühwein into a slow cooker on the “keep warm” setting. (You can also just make this whole recipe in a slow cooker. Toss everything in but the syrup, stir, and leave it on low for 2-3 hours. Stir in the syrup before serving.) You can also ladle the wine out of the pot, avoiding the whole spices or not. More fresh orange slices, star anise, or cinnamon sticks make great garnishes. Enjoy your intimate Christkindlmarkt experience at home!
But wait, there’s more!
Some previous Makans of a Chef recipes are also found at Christmas markets. I have a video on Instagram that shows you how to make spätzle, a dumpling used in many recipes. You can serve with melted butter on top, or make a cheese sauce to have käsespätzle. Apple strudel is also a staple at Christmas markets and is my personal favorite with a mug of glühwein. You can find instructions for my nana’s famous strudel right here. Frohe Weinachten!
How did these recipes go for you? Did they remind you of a Christmas market you have visited? Was this a totally new experience for you? I want to hear about it!