Labskaus is a traditional sailors' dish. Usually this means
that surplus or waste fish is used in it. Not so in this
Northern European classic. Salted meat is the main
ingredient. Logical, because that kept very well on the
ships.
‘Lobscouse' was already known in Britain at the
beginning of the 18th century and more specifically in the
area around Liverpool. The Scandinavian countries each
have their own version of it, ranging from a soup to a
stew.
This regional dish from Hamburg in Germany is very
typical because it uses corned beef. This is an American
import product from after the 2nd World War. In the
meantime, it has evolved from an emergency ration dish
to a well-established regional dish, with class!
labskous from Hamburg
white balsamic vinegar
sweet and sour gherkins
eggs
sour herrings
butter
chervil
tomatoes
salt, pepper
Preparing the ingredients. Boil the crumbly potatoes until
tender, leave to evaporate and mash with a potato masher.
Chop the beetroots. Do the same with the red onions. Dice a
few sweet and sour gherkins. Dice the corned beef.
The proportions: by weight, calculate 1/3 potatoes, 1/3 corned
beef and 1/3 onions and beetroot together. You can decide on
the quantity of garlic and gherkins and add them later to your
own taste.
Preparation. Sauté the onions with the garlic in a deep pan
with butter. When the onions turn glassy, add the chopped
beetroot and the diced gherkins. Leave to stew for a few
minutes and then let evaporate. Add the mashed potatoes and
mix well. The preparation should have an uniform pink-red
colour.
Season with pepper, salt, a dash of tomato puree from a tube
and white balsamic vinegar.
Garnishment. Cut one large thick sweet-and-sour gherkin per
plate in fan shapes. Remove the skin from a few tomatoes by
immersing them briefly in boiling water. Empty them and cut
the flesh into dice. Wash a handful of lettuce or, as in the
photo, chervil. Cut a few mini beetroots into slices. Prepare
one fried egg per plate. Drain one rolmops per plate.
On the plate. A generous spoonful of labskous topped with a
fried egg. Finish off with a fan of gherkin, beetroot slices,
chervil or lettuce, diced tomatoes and a rolmops.
floury potatoes
cooked beetroot
red onions
garlic
corned beef
tomato puree
Labskaus is a traditional sailors' dish.
Usually this means that surplus or waste
fish is used in it. Not so in this Northern
European classic. Salted meat is the main
ingredient. Logical, because that kept very
well on the ships.
‘Lobscouse' was already known in Britain
at the beginning of the 18th century and
more specifically in the area around
Liverpool. The Scandinavian countries
each have their own version of it, ranging
from a soup to a stew.
This regional dish from Hamburg in
Germany is very typical because it uses
corned beef. This is an American import
product from after the 2nd World War. In
the meantime, it has evolved from an
emergency ration dish to a well-
established regional dish, with class!
labskous
from Hamburg
Preparing the ingredients. Boil the crumbly
potatoes until tender, leave to evaporate and
mash with a potato masher. Chop the beetroots.
Do the same with the red onions. Dice a few
sweet and sour gherkins. Dice the corned beef.
The proportions: by weight, calculate 1/3
potatoes, 1/3 corned beef and 1/3 onions and
beetroot together. You can decide on the
quantity of garlic and gherkins and add them
later to your own taste.
Preparation. Sauté the onions with the garlic in
a deep pan with butter. When the onions turn
glassy, add the chopped beetroot and the diced
gherkins. Leave to stew for a few minutes and
then let evaporate. Add the mashed potatoes
and mix well. The preparation should have an
uniform pink-red colour.
Season with pepper, salt, a dash of tomato
puree from a tube and white balsamic vinegar.
Garnishment. Cut one large thick sweet-and-
sour gherkin per plate in fan shapes. Remove
the skin from a few tomatoes by immersing
them briefly in boiling water. Empty them and
cut the flesh into dice. Wash a handful of
lettuce or, as in the photo, chervil. Cut a few
mini beetroots into slices. Prepare one fried
egg per plate. Drain one rolmops per plate.
On the plate. A generous spoonful of labskous
topped with a fried egg. Finish off with a fan of
gherkin, beetroot slices, chervil or lettuce,
diced tomatoes and a rolmops.
white balsamic
vinegar
sweet and sour
gherkins
eggs
sour herrings
butter
chervil
tomatoes
salt, pepper
floury potatoes
cooked beetroot
red onions
garlic
corned beef
tomato puree
Ingredient
quantities
are
only
listed
when
absolutely
necessary.
Making
the
right
choices
when
following
a
recipe,
with
your
fiery
passion
for
cooking,
that's
creative cooking
!
