Just so you know, dear readers. On my gourmet trip through Salzburg, I have finally reached my central highlight after a pleasant “amuse gueule” – a culinary city walk of Salzburg – as well as that perfect entrée – learning how to harvest our own caviar! We have been invited to experience yet another cooking class, this time with an awarded chef who owns a “Haube” (chef’s hat) for his great cooking skills. I am a little bit nervous. What are we to expect? As we finally arrive at the Brunnauer im Magazin restaurant, one of Salzburg’s top restaurants for luxury gourmet travellers, we are met by a pleasant surprise. Richard Brunnauer and his wife Sybille are very charming and easy-going hosts: “Dear Ms Paschinger, it was a pleasure to have you here for our cooking class and we sincerely hope to see you back again soon! Best wishes, Sybille & Richard Brunnauer”.
This sweet message was sent to me only a couple of hours after my visit, followed by the line: “PS: We already ‘liked’ you on Facebook …” sweet! There goes a happy creative travel blogger! So now, let us start from the beginning. Which main course really was my thing?
The awarded restaurant “Brunnauer im Magazin” is built right into the Mönchsberg mountain. Just upon entering, you cannot help but be captured by its spell.
Austrians like to have some “gemütlich” atmosphere (a way of life involving cosiness and comfort): We start off our gourmet cooking experience with a glass of wine and an overview of the current cooking classes on offer.
Further on, Sybille Brunnauer leads us into the gourmet restaurant which at this time of the day (afternoon) is still empty. Here, we are already right inside Salzburg’s Mönchsberg hill.
What a sweet welcome: The kitchen today is only open for us!
Richard Brunnauer is a calm person who loves sharing his cooking philosophy with us. His kitchen, too, is “neat and calm” – before we start with some action!
And so, off we go.
“My husband is the top chef here, and I am … well, the top boss!”
We all burst out into laughter: The Brunnauer family like to mark their territories each! We watch them as they look at each other with a wink. Monika and I really look forward to the menu that we are about to cook, as beef rolls are among her favourite! As for me, I am really curious about what is left to learn about Kaiserschmarren (perhaps the most well-known dish of Austrian cuisine) – a lot, as it turns out. And isn’t it often that the simplest meals can receive their twist by adding new flavours, new techniques or new ways of preparation? We definitely find there is a lot we can learn from our personal chef Richard …
First step during our cooking class with Richard: Learning how to do the twist, preparing beef rolls …
… filled with spicy mustard, soft carrots and small gherkins: Let’s roll them eh!
Having had their “touch-base” with the hot pot, this is what our beef rolls look like only minutes later. Now, what they need is about one and a half hours time of slow-cooking to develop their flavours and tenderness.
We continue over meat: In front of us are all the ingredients needed to prepare “Austrian ravioli”, filled with spicy meat and onions … YUM!
We borrow tools from baking to obtain the right form of dough for our so-called “Krapfen” …
… who are filled, fried and then served with a warm cabbage salad. So so good! By now, we are really hungry and I must hurry to take this shot!
Gudrun, our dear reisebloggerin.at, is still all photographer: Here she is, taking shots of where exactly our Spätzle go. Right into the boiling water, that is!
Et voilà! Check out our perfect beef rolls served with little herb gnocchi, called “Spätzle” in Austria! (On a personal note: Do not write food posts when you are hungry. Or do. And go for some really good food afterwards!).
Cooking class, creative travel & mastering the art of real Kaiserschmarren. May I present: Our one and only Kaiserschmarren – most beautiful in the world!
Slowly baked in the oven. The yolk with its share of extra cream. Then add a little lemon juice. And finally … serve wrapped in caramelized sugar. Oh heavens. I might have never had SUCH a good Kaiserschmarren in my whole life, though I basically grew up on Kaiserschmarren (sorry mum!). I talk to Richard Brunnauer about how I always used to prepare Kaiserschmarren as a kind of “export dish” from Austria on my round the world trips, saying thank you to the people I met from Chile to New Zealand. Please excuse my openness in sharing your kitchen secrets with the world, dear Richard, but then I do remember you say that ” … I do not have anything to hide. What I want people to take with them, is pleasure in food and good cooking!”
Well then: “Mahlzeit” – enjoy your meal in Brunnauer’s Magazin!
Light and fluffy Kaiserschmarren, straight out of the oven … I can still smell it here. You?
And this is what the most beautiful Kaiserschmarren in the whole world looks like, served with a perfect amount of fruit compote and icing sugar. All prepared by us – we take the glory. 😀
Later on, we continue being spoilt at the restaurant …
… and are finally being served our home-made beef rolls with Spätzle herb gnocchi: What a delight! You must visit Salzburg at the times of the “eat & meet” festival – meet, and eat, is what you gotta do!
Disclaimer: We have been invited by Tourismus Salzburg in order to experience the city’s culinary highlights as part of the “eat & meet” festival. All opinions are my own.