Bauernfrühstück: The Farmer’s Breakfast
In Germany, the main meal of the day is lunch. However, ample importance is also given to breakfast because it must be generous in amount and food value in order to sustain the energy for the day’s work. Hence the traditional farmer’s breakfast Bauernfrühstück has maintained its popularity.
Bauernfrühstück comes from the German words Bauer meaning ‘farmer’ and Frühstück which means breakfast. It is a hot platter native to Germany made from fried potatoes, eggs, leeks, chives, onions, ham or bacon. It is a hearty dish consisting of nutrients crucial for the body. It is good for relieving the body from intoxication. It can be had for any meal of the day. Despite its name, it is not only eaten for breakfast but also for lunch and supper. The ingredients are easily available and simple, and the recipe is tasty and filling. The origin of the dish is considered to be rural. Bavaria is often attributed to being the roots of Bauernfrühstück.
Composition:
Bauernfrühstück is simple, quick and easy to make. If there is nothing but leftovers in the fridge, Bauernfrühstück is the best dish to cook. The dish is versatile and can be made with any vegetables available. You can include or exclude any ingredient as you please. Some traditions consider gherkins to be a necessary ingredient in a ‘proper’ Bauernfrühstück.
Bauernfrühstück is traditionally prepared with roasted potatoes, eggs, milk, ham, bacon or smoked meat. It is cooked like an omelet or scrambled eggs mixed with spices. The vegetables and meat significantly enhance the protein and vitamins content. Tomato salads and spiced cucumbers may be added as toppings. The ingredients are mixed in a frying pan and fried like an omelet. The English bubble and squeak is a dish similar to Bauernfrühstück which is made from leftover vegetables. The German dish is a counterpart of the Swedish pyttipanna, the Spanish tortilla de patatas and the French omelet à la paysanne. The dish may be presented as a puffed up omelet with the filling of potato, meat and other vegetables inside. Alternatively, it can be scrambled up to look like a dish of scrambled eggs tossed with all the various ingredients.
Recipe:
The following recipe is adequate for serving four persons. It takes about 30 minutes to prepare while the cooking only takes 10 minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 kilograms of waxy potatoes
- Six eggs of large size
- Half a cup or about 125 milliliters of milk
- 250 grams boiled ham, bacon, sausage or other meat of your choice
- 100-gram lard
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 onion
- 4 cucumbers
- Half a cup of cheddar cheese (optional)
Preparation:
Begin with cleaning the potatoes. Use cold water in this process. Boil some water in a stockpot. Add the potatoes and heat the pot. Keep the potatoes unpeeled. 20 or 30 minutes may be taken for the potatoes to boil.
After the potatoes are boiled, pour the water out and let the boiled potatoes cool off. Take care that the potatoes have cooled down before carefully peeling them. Care is needed to peel the softened potatoes and then cutting them into slices.
Cut the meat that you are using into dices, chop the onion and slice the four cucumbers.
Heat some vegetable oil in a skillet of about 10 inches in diameter. Add the meat, the lard, and the sliced onion to the skillet. Fry the ingredients in the oil for about two minutes then add the potato slices. Fry till the potatoes turn a shade of golden brown.
Take a small bowl and beat six large eggs in it. You can use more eggs if they are of a small size. Add eight tablespoons of milk and some salt and pepper for taste. Whisk continuously to achieve a smooth liquid.
When the potatoes are fried brown, pour the egg mixture into the skillet. The egg needs to sink in the potato slices and form a close mixture. Move the small bowl in a circle while pouring the egg liquid in so that it sticks the potatoes together. Now let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
When the egg starts to stick, and the egg mixture is firm on the edges, lift it up with a wooden spoon. At first, raise a small part to check if the underside had fried enough and turned brownish in color. The sides fry quickly, but the middle part takes a bit of time.
Reduce the heat to a lower temperature and let it simmer for a little while. The lid can be put on for better and quicker result. Be careful so as not to scorch the egg.
When the entire egg has become firm, it is time to transfer the omelet to a plate. Shake the skillet and detach the egg completely from the bottom of the skillet. Take a serving plate or dish and lean the skillet over the plate. Shake the skillet carefully and slowly transfer the omelet to the dish. Use the spoon to bend the Bauernfrühstück over so that when it rests on the plate it is closed.
Top the dish with shredded cheese so that it melts slowly while eating. This is an optional method.
The dish should be served warm. For garnishing tomatoes, chopped parsley, chives, and spiced cucumbers may be strewn over it.
If desired mushrooms or green pepper can also be included with the onion and potato. If the egg is blended in carbonated water instead of milk, the omelet becomes fluffier. If you prefer to use bacon, then be sure to drain out the fat. This is necessary because otherwise, the dish becomes soggy and greasy. When this German food is served, it may be in the form of a loose frittata or as a scramble. If you prefer a scrambled Bauernfrühstück, then simply cut up the omelet before serving. The leftovers are also tasty the next day. The remaining Bauernfrühstück can be wrapped up in a flour tortilla for a breakfast burrito.
You can add this recipe on your menu card the next time you throw a family get together. Your guests will love it, we promise that!