Even pigs and cows were promptly driven into the water and drowned there. The reason: What is taken out of the water is fish and therefore not meat. In earlier times, people were extremely inventive when it came to circumventing the Catholic fasting rules, especially in monasteries. Beavers, ducks and geese were also declared water animals and feasted on them. 40 days of strict fasting from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday has long been the requirement of the church. The six Sundays before Easter were excluded.
Today, the dietary laws are often replaced by intentions such as abstaining from alcohol or sweets. Since the Second Vatican Council they have also been officially relaxed – only on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are adult Catholics up to the age of 60 required to eat only one meatless meal.
day of lamentation
Eating spinach or other green-colored foods on Maundy Thursday is a tradition that continues in many families today. The name of this day actually derives from the word “grin” or “whining”, i.e. lamentation. In earlier times Maundy Thursday was the day on which people begged God for forgiveness for their sins and were subsequently accepted back into the church community. The last supper of Jesus with his twelve apostles is commemorated. On Good Friday, the day Jesus was nailed to the cross, fish is traditionally on the menu.
On the one hand, the meat renunciation law is followed, on the other hand, the fish is a sign of Christianity. Already in early Christian times the fish was used as a sign of identification. The Greek word for fish was said to be a creed: the initials stood for Jesus Christ, God’s Son and Redeemer.
“Agnus Dei”, the Lamb of God, is also a designation for Christ. As the Easter lamb, marked with a flag of victory, it is considered a symbol of the resurrection of Jesus. No wonder that lamb is also the dish that is on the table on Easter Sunday in our part of the world.
Maundy Thursday: Oatmeal slices with beetroot pesto and wild garlic spinach
Can it be anything other than spinach with potatoes on Maundy Thursday? Hermann Grabner, head chef at the “Gelben Krokodil” in Linz, has created an exciting vegetarian dish for four people.
Oatmeal Cuts: 100g colored peppers, 100g carrots, 100g yellow turnips, 100g zucchini, 1 onion, 500g oat flakes, salt / pepper / marjoram / parsley, 1 l vegetable stock, olive oil
Beetroot pesto: 250g cooked beets, 75g roasted pine nuts, 75g grated parmesan, 100ml olive oil, salt / pepper / thyme / horseradish
Wild garlic spinach: 1 kg fresh leaf spinach, 250g wild garlic small onion, 40g whipped cream, 1 tbsp parmesan, 2 tbsp butter
2 pieces of king oyster mushrooms
Preparation: Finely dice the vegetables and onion and sauté in olive oil. Mix in the oatmeal and vegetables, pour in the vegetable stock and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour the mixture into a mold and refrigerate. Turn out of the mold, cut into slices and then fry in olive oil. For the beetroot pesto, put all the ingredients in a tall, narrow container and puree with a hand blender. Wild garlic spinach: Cut the onion, sauté in butter, add the spinach and wild garlic, let stand briefly, mix in the cream and Parmesan. Cut the king oyster mushrooms, sauté in olive oil with thyme and parsley. Salt and pepper before serving
Good Friday: Dorade * Asparagus * Tarragon * Shiso
Eddi Dimant from Viennese “Mochi” showed how exciting Asian cuisine can be at the weekend in Traunkirchen at the “Felix” inn festival on Lake Traunsee and delighted the guests. If you want to try one of the “mochi” fish delicacies, you can do so with this recipe for four people.
Ingredients: 400 g sea bream fielet (skinless), 8 spears of white asparagus (alternatively green asparagus), 3 teaspoons of grape seed oil, 1 pinch of fleur de sel (crunchy salt flakes), 1 small. bunch of chives, ½ cup pea cress
Dressing: 30 yuzu juice, 30 lime juice, 60 soy sauce, 30 grape seed oil, 60 sesame oil, 1 shallot, 2 sprigs tarragon, ½ lemon grass
Preparation: The white asparagus must be completely peeled. With green asparagus it is sufficient to peel off the lower third with a vegetable peeler. Cut off the ends of both types of asparagus.
To grill the asparagus spears, they are placed on the grill without pre-cooking (alternatively on a grill pan). Brush the asparagus with grape seed oil. The asparagus must be grilled on all sides for about 3 to 4 minutes, turning every now and then. Then add fleur de sel and season.
For the dressing, place the yuzu juice, lime juice, and soy sauce in a bowl. Stir in the grape seed oil and sesame oil. Peel the shallot, cut into fine cubes and add to the bowl. Finely chop the lemongrass, pluck the tarragon, chop finely and add to the dressing.
Cut the sea bream fillet into slices about 7mm thick and arrange evenly on a plate. Marinate sea bream sashimi generously with tarragon lime dressing. Cut the asparagus spears into bite-sized diamonds. Garnish with asparagus, freshly cut chives and red shiso cress.
Easter Sunday: Lammschlögl with semolina, nettle and bitter salad
Johanna and Clemens Grabmer from the “Waldschänke” in Grieskirchen know how to conjure up an excellent lamb dish for four people.
Milk lamb shank: 1 Schlögl (550 g), 80 g celery, 80 g fennel, 100 g yellow turnips, 100 g carrots, 400 g onions,
2 garlic cloves, vegetable oil for frying, 50 g tomato paste, 1 bay leaf, 5 juniper berries, 10 peppercorns, 1 clove, 1/8 l white wine, 400 ml chicken stock, salt, pepper, 1 sprig of thyme, 1 sprig of rosemary, 2 sage leaves, 20 g cold butter, 2 tbsp chopped parsley.
Cut the vegetables and onions into equal cubes, chop the garlic, sauté everything in the oil in an ovenproof pan. Add tomato paste and spices, cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat. Deglaze with wine and fill up with a third of the poultry stock. Salt and pepper the legs, fry in a pan and place on top of the vegetables. Braise the meat in the preheated oven (155 degrees) for approx. 2 hours, gradually pouring over the remaining chicken stock. Turn the leg over after about 1 hour. Remove when the meat easily separates from the bone. Remove the bones, roll the meat up tightly in cling film or baking paper and leave to rest. Pour the gravy into a saucepan, add the fresh herbs and simmer for 5 minutes. Strain the gravy through a fine sieve, season to taste and finally stir in the cold butter and chopped parsley.
Semolina: 180ml water, 40g semolina, 3 heaped tbsp nettle leaves (dried, nettle tea), 10 small fresh nettles, salt, pepper, nutmeg 20g cold butter zest from ½ a lemon
Boil the water and pour over the dried nettle leaves, let stand for about 5 minutes, strain. Roast the semolina dry in a saucepan for 2 minutes. Cook with the nettle tea to a pulp. Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg and lemon zest. Finally, stir in the cold butter and the fresh, finely chopped nettle.
bitter salads: 1 piece red chicory (alternatively radicchio), 1 piece white chicory salt, pepper, 2 tbsp granulated sugar, 1/16l red port wine, 1/16l white wine, 2 tbsp orange juice, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
Separate the red & white chicory into individual leaves. Soak in lukewarm water for 10 minutes. Dry in the salad spinner. Lightly caramelize 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar in a pan. Deglaze with the white wine and orange juice. Insert the white chicory leaves and toss through. Simmer gently for a minute, season to taste and add the white wine vinegar – set aside. Prepare the red chicory with red port wine and red wine vinegar in the same way.
serving: Cut the Schlögl into equal slices and place on the semolina cooker. Arrange the chicory leaves alternately white and red.
Info: Semolina cook or semolina porridge is known as sweet. With stinging nettle it is not only a spring-like but also a wholesome alternative to creamy polenta. The tart taste of the nettle goes well with the lamb and the sweet and sour bitter salads make the dish light.
Source: Nachrichten
