Fascinating flavours from the Alps

Switzerland is famous for its cheese and chocolate, but the country’s diverse cuisine remains surprisingly unexplored. As the nation became a major tourist draw, chefs were forced to innovate to turn simple garden vegetables, fruits, dairy products and meats (fresh during the summer and preserved during the winter) into appetising meals.
“Swiss farmers take great pride in what they produce, the purity and passion is very evident,” says Stefan Borchardt, Executive Chef, Moevenpick Hotel. Jumeirah Beach. The German has been associated with the Swiss hotel since 1990. “The products are carefully selected and delicately handled in the kitchens.” The results are mouthwatering artisan casseroles, stews and freshly baked breads often accompanied by milk, cheese and butter.

Varied influences
Swiss cuisine is also influenced by Italian, German and French cuisine, communities who have made Switzerland home for decades. In addition to the regional influence, the country has two schools of cooking — true cooking (the local practice) and haute cuisine (introduced by French chefs).
True cooking revolves around local fare, seasonal and festive food recipes and reflects the locals’ love of gardening. They grow their own vegetables and fruits in small plots called schrebergarten even in the big cities like Zurich, Basel and Geneva. Haute cuisine (usually found in hotels and restaurants) involves specialised techniques, rich sauces, elaborate garnishes, expensive ingredients and take hours of preparation.Apart from dining staples like bread and cheese, the most popular dish is the Veal Émincé. “Its best served with the potato rösti and a cheese fondue using Gruyere and Vacherin cheese,” says Borchardt.
Other firm favourites include, Zurcher Geschnetzeltes — thin strips of veal with mushrooms in a cream sauce and Raclette — hot cheese dribbled over potatoes and served with pickled onions and gherkins.

A typical Swiss meal
The Swiss eat two main meals (breakfast and mid-day — the Swiss equivalent of dinner) followed by two light meals (sweet afternoon break and supper). “The Swiss take their time with each meal. They enjoy food that’s in season sourced from different regions,” says Borchardt.
Breakfast options range from the traditional — rösti, cholermues (Swiss breakfast omelette with dried fruit filling), or fried apples and bread to a more modern and health conscious spread of fresh cheese, preserves, homemade breads, milk, beverages or a serving of muesli.
Lunch is considered the favourite meal. “[They] have an expression when they go to lunch from work — En Guete!, which means have a happy meal time,” says Borchardt. The meal could be a simple sandwich or a full meal of vegetable or cheese soup, a dish of poultry, beef or fish served with rösti. Beundner air dried meat with gherkins and crusty bread is big in the French or German regions, while the Italian areas serve pasta. Sweet and savoury tarts and quiches are also traditional and popular.
The indulgent sweet afternoon break consists of puddings, cookies, or a decadent chocolate fondue, which is perfect after a brisk walk through the crisp Swiss mountain air.
Dinner usually features warm dishes like the German-influenced cabbage soup, roasts with stuffing and hearty oven casseroles. The lighter dishes, come from the French and include poached fish, stuffed and baked vegetables. Spaghetti or a garden salad Italian style rounds off a typical dinner menu.

SWISS RECIPES

Veal Émince Zurich Style

Serves 4 | By Stefan Borchardt, Executive Chef, Moevenpick Hotel, Jumeirah Beach

Ingredients
For the veal
640g Finely sliced veal topside
60g shallots finely chopped
120g white mushrooms
200ml veal/beef stock to
deglaze
400ml cooking cream
100g chive finely chopped
100g clarified butter
Salt and pepper to taste
For the potato rösti
700g potatoes
pinch of caraway seeds
quantum satis salt
pepper
nutmeg
60g clarified butter

Preparation

Veal
1. Heat the clarified butter in a shallow pan and sauté the shallots, mushrooms and veal strips until golden brown. Remove the mixture on a separate plate. Save the juice.
2. Deglaze the pan with a good amount of veal stock. Reduce this liquid, and add the cooking cream and reduce further to a creamy consistency.
3. Add the meat and the juices and bring it quickly to a boil. Season with salt and pepper
4. Garnish with plenty of finely chopped chives.

Potato rösti
1. Peel and cook the potatoes in salted water with some caraway seeds for 28 minutes so that they are still hard inside and keep them overnight in the refrigerator.
2. Grate the potatoes coarsely with a grater and season the mixture. Do not mash the potatoes.
3. In a hot pan, add the clarified butter and slowly fry the potatoes using a spatula to form the round traditional rösti shape.
4. When the edge of the rösti is turning brown, carefully flip it over and pan fry it again adding a little clarified butter.
5. Serve the warm rösti on a single plate and the veal separately.

Beetroot salmon with cepe mushrooms and Raspberry crème fraiche

Serves 6-8 | By Stefan Borchardt, Executive Chef, Moevenpick Hotel, Jumeirah Beach

Ingredients
1.5kg fresh side
of salmon
deboned and cleaned
(not defrosted)
200g salt
250g sugar
400g beetroot
200ml crème fraîche
50g raspberries
300g mushrooms
180g shallots

Preparation
1. Take a thick slice of fresh salmon and check that it has no bones.
2. Cook and cool the beetroot and then grate it.
3. Place a piece of large cling film under the salmon, skin side down.
4. Mix the salt and sugar well and put this on top of the salmon. Assemble the grated beetroot on top, ensuring that the entire salmon is completely covered.
5. Wrap the cling film around the salmon twice and refrigerate in a separate tray. The tray should be deep so that the salmon does not lose a lot of liquid in the curing process.
6. Place a thin tray on top of the wrapped salmon and weigh down with two to three bottles or heavy tins. Keep the salmon in the fridge for three days.
7. Unwrap the salmon now completely cooked due to the curing process with salt and sugar.
8. Remove the excess beetroot and also salt and sugar mix with a spatula. Excess salt and pepper should be carefully washed off, but do not leave too much water on it as the fish will lose its flavour. You will see that the salmon is completely purple now.
8. Remove the skin carefully and slice the salmon into thin strips.

The mushrooms
1. Clean the mushrooms and quickly wash and dry them.
2. Finely chop up one shallot and sauté the mushrooms; season them with salt and pepper.

The crème fraiche
1. Add the raspberries to the crème fraiche and serve a large portion with the salmon. The fresh raspberries and beetroot work together perfectly and will enhance the overall taste.
2. Serve salmon with fresh multi-grain bread.