The Anglophone world knows Rote Grütze as ‘red groats’ or something like a sweet tart, or simply a red berry pudding. It is a sweet frit dish quite popular in Denmark and Germany. It is well accepted and has become the national dessert of Germany.
Understanding the history of Rote Grütze:
Rote Grütze hails basically from Germany’s northern region, particularly from the Schleswig-Holstein region. Its variants can not only be found in different parts of Germany but also found all-over Europe. In Germany it used to be made using liquor and different varieties of seasonings.
The thing with traditions is that they keep on changing. Furthermore, so has Rote Grütz. Its earlier recipes used groat or grit which gave it a grainy texture and made it look heavy. Also, many households prepare this dessert using semolina and sago to achieve a good gelatinization, on the other hand people are also known to use potato starch for that purpose.
Essentially, Rote Grütz is made using summer berries viz., redcurrant, blackcurrant, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, bilberries and stoned black cherries. Though it is not necessary to use all the listed berries and as is the case it is generally made only using the red current. Furthermore, its preparation style is similar to that of a pudding. Here the fruits are required to be cooked on two stages. Firstly, they are briefly cooked along with sugar so that the starch can dissolve in the fruits juice and water; and the second cooking process starts gelatinization. At this point the starch clears up.
It can either be served hot or cold depending on the weather largely and along with verities of sauces or ice-creams. Moreover, there are several varieties to this as well dish which essentially use berries and fruits of different kinds. They are known as: grüne Grütze which use gooseberries and/or using kiwi and pineapples or any other desired combination; then there is the gelbe Grütze which requires yellow berries, and blaue Grütze which require black berries and plums.
More often than not it is consumed during summer time and involves a combination of berries. Rote Grütze was and is a very simple dish to make. But, interestingly, it was also cooked using cereal groats of wheat, barley oats or buckwheat in juices of berries and/or fruits. It was eaten during the evening time with the whole family together. It was essentially considered to be a frugal dish but its emphasis changed over time and did not remain to a particular class of households. Everybody enjoyed Rote Grütze. Today, some households fancy up their Rote Grütze by adding red wine, brandy, or rum.
In the olden days and even today Rote Grütze’s are garnished with milk, or heavy cream or vanilla sauce. Nowadays, the health conscious community uses light cream or simply vanilla ice-cream over their Rote Grütze.
Recipe:
Ingredients:
- Fresh or frozen berries: Raspberries, Strawberries, Red Currants
- Sugar: ½ cup
- Cornstarch: 2 tbsp.
- Cold Water: 1/4th cup
- Fresh lemon juice: 1 tbsp.
- Vanilla Extract: 1 tsp.
The method:
Before you begin it is important to wash the berries thoroughly and make sure that they are clean from the stem to the bottom. In case you are using frozen berries thawing them before use will be necessary. Next you will be required to take the berries off their stems.
Furthermore, either chop them first or directly dump them inside the blender until they are in a complete puree form. This form of consistency is highly necessary for a smooth pudding. Also, to maintain the consistency throughout, you can puree the berries by taking them a small portion one at a time. Also, depending upon the requirement, if you want berry chunks in your pudding then keep aside a portion of those, chop them and add them later on in the puree itself.
Next, you will be required to add corn-starch in cold water until the consistency becomes smooth. Make sure that no lumps remain.
Now, take a non-stick pan and place it on medium heat, put berries along with sugar, keep stirring rigorously and bring this mixture to a boil. Next, while stirring continuously add the corn-starch mixture and pour it gradually into the berry mixture in the pan.
Next, reduce the heat and let this mixture simmer for 3-5 minutes. Remember to stir continuously till you feel the mixture getting thicker. Now is the time when you can remove the pan off the heat and while stirring add the lemon juice and vanilla into it. Let it settle for a bit outside before refrigeration. The Rote Grütz is now ready to eat. Traditionally before serving, it is garnished with vanilla custard sauce. Moreover, whipped cream, or ice-creams can be used while serving.
To prepare the Vanilla custard sauce you can follow the following process:
Ingredients:
- Whole milk: 2 cups
- Egg yolks: 4 large
- Sugar: ½ cups
- Salt: 1/8
- Vanilla extract: 1 tsp.
Preparation:
Place the saucepan on medium heat and let the milk simmer. After that, keep it on the side for a bit.
Now, you can whisk the egg yolks while adding sugar and salt all at the same time. The mixture should appear thick and well blended. Next, you’ll be required to pour the milk from the saucepan into the bowl of whipped yolk while whisking constantly.
Place this mixture into the saucepan and place it over low heat. Let it cook while stirring at the same time for roughly 20 minutes or less. The mixture should be thick enough and appear to coat the spoon. Also, please keep in mind that the sauce should not come to a boil.
Now, immediately place this mixture into a bowl, preferably a glass bowl. You can pour in the vanilla at this point. Mix well.
The sauce is now ready to be refrigerated. Keep in mind that the bowl should be covered with cellophane wrap on the top to prevent a skin from appearing.
Conclusion:
Rote Grütz is almost like a staple dessert in Germany. You can find this almost everywhere and in most households. This desert does not require much efforts, it’s quite an easy make and can be prepared in bulk and stored. It is best served during a hot summer day and by using fresh fruits or berries.