It was not easy having Christmas with a lockdown in effect.
There were not many chances to meet up with friends who lived nearby which, for foreigners and immigrants with already so few contacts, made the season even more isolated than it was already. There were almost no chances of any kind whatsoever to enjoy traditional fun of the Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas Market) to drink Glühwein or walk around for last-minute Christmas shopping. Even the traditional Christmas-time fun of carol-singing choirs was unavailable, making everything so much sadder.
So Christmas had to be adapted to. I had planned for a more Malaysian-style Christmas celebration this year, but had to put that plan away with all the physical limitations at play. Thus, it was a German-style Christmas food offering for Weihnachten 2020. Credit must be given to my Schwiegermutter (mother-in-law), Frau Regina Hinke, for the amazing job she did cooking all throughout the holidays.
Beginning on Heiligeabend or Christmas Eve, traditionally in the (very) Thuringian family I married into, it is boiled carp. There were only 4 of us at dinner, so we bought the smallest one available, which was already an impressive 3.5kg (only half shown in pictures).
This isn't my first Christmas in Germany, so this definitely wasn't my first time eating this. But it is here in Germany that I first eat carp cooked in this way.
The fish is sliced into pieces (much larger than is normally proportioned where I come from) and set aside while the broth is made. What is interesting was that the fish was not marinated prior to cooking, which is unconventional to me. Where I come from, all meats (fish or otherwise) is seasoned before cooking, regardless of how it will be cooked.
The broth that it is cooked in is the key to its flavour. It is made from carrots, celery, Kohlrabi (a kind of turnip), spices and a generous dose of vinegar. Seasoned to taste, the carp is then drowned in this broth once it is ready.
As is typical of fish meat, it doesn't take too long to cook. Depending on the sizes of the meat slices, it can take anything between 15 and 30 minutes. The broth, on the other hand, can take between 30 and 40 minutes to be perfect.
Serving portions are with boiled potatoes and horse radish, a spicy-ish vegetable (?) that is popularly served with boiled carp. It is the perfect match as it blends in well with the sourness of the carp (from the vinegar it was cooked in) and blandness of boiled potatoes.
[For those with a higher threshold of sourness, fresh lemon juice can be served on the side]
Another traditional offering as Christmas food is goose. I had never had goose before I came to this country, but it has become something I look forward to for Christmas. For one thing, it isn't as dry as turkey (breast meat included). For another, it is a much bigger creature, so drumsticks are serious business.
Like turkey, goose is also stuffed, albeit possibly a little differently. My goose was stuffed with some fruits of apples, oranges and chestnuts, then roasted at 180℃. The oven roast makes the skin crispy on its outside and juicy on its inside, and is absolutely delectable on Christmas Day. The goose is marinated with salt, quite significantly more on its skin to provide for that crunch.
It has to be noted here, though, that keeping an eye on the goose and oven temperatures is crucial. These are not in my skills set, so I gladly left that up to the German husband and mother-in-law 😀.
The goose is served with Kloß, a Thuringian potato dumpling specialty known for its unique inclusion of fried/toasted bread pieces which are cut into tiny cubes that are then stuffed into them. These make them a lot tastier than just plain ol' dumplings (which are commonly known as Knödel).
Between the Kloß and Knödel, I find the former a much more appetizing option for the non-potato-eating person. And would recommend this as an introduction to a shift in diet staple.
As a side, red cabbage is a traditional must. It is very simply prepared with a simple slice and boil process. I must confess that I am learning to appreciate this particular vegetable, which is an arduous process for me as there really isn't much choice for vegetables generally here. So, learn I must (and still am!).
There are other traditional Christmas dishes, like the Kartoffelsalat (potato salad) and Sauerkraut, which we have had in past Christmasses. Unfortunately, with a lockdown in effect and the ban on gatherings with non-family members, we limited our food to what a small family can actually consume.
I would be remiss, however, if I did not include the traditional Christmas cookies or Plätzchen, as they are normally referred to here. In fact, almost every household bakes these as a family activity - which is unfortunate for me as I do not bake (at all). My Schwiegermutter still does, and always bakes enough to feed both the German and Russian armies, and possibly with some more to spare.
This is our normal portion, weighing slightly over 1kg, which will be my TV snack for the first few weeks of 2021 on the couch. Bless her, indeed, for baking extra chocolate cookies (yes, anything chocolate-flavoured is high on my list).
On to 2021, and more of Eating Deutschland.
Frohes neues Jahr 2021 wünsche ich euch 🍷
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