Rheingau Game Aspic with Fried Potatoes (Wildsülze)

Description

Tender wild boar and venison set in a clear, slightly sour aspic with carrots and gherkins, served cold with hot fried potatoes and a herby green sauce – a fixture on the menus of Rheingau wine taverns.

1. 1

   Put the wild boar and venison in a large pot and cover with about 2 litres of cold water. Add the peeled carrots, celeriac, leek, the halved onion, bay leaves, juniper berries, peppercorns and 1 tsp sugar, bring to the boil, skim and simmer covered over low heat for about 2 hours until the meat is tender.

   ⏱️ approx. 130 min
2. 2

   Remove the meat and let it cool. Strain the stock through a fine sieve, measure 1 litre and season it boldly with vinegar, salt and sugar – aspic tastes much milder when cold. Slice two of the cooked carrots thinly.

   ⏱️ approx. 15 min
3. 3

   Soak the gelatine in cold water for 5 minutes, squeeze it out and dissolve it in the hot but no longer boiling stock. Trim the meat of sinews and pull or cut it into bite-sized pieces; slice the gherkins.

   ⏱️ approx. 15 min
4. 4

   Line a loaf tin with cling film. Layer the carrot and gherkin slices with the meat in the tin and pour over the stock until everything is covered. Cover and leave to set in the fridge for at least 5 hours, preferably overnight.

   ⏱️ approx. 10 min

   💡 Tip: For a rustic touch, set the aspic in preserving jars as many wine taverns do – it is then easy to prepare ahead and portion.

5. 5

   For the green sauce, wash the herbs, shake dry, remove coarse stalks and chop very finely or blend with a little yoghurt. Stir into the soured cream and yoghurt and season with salt, pepper and a dash of vinegar. Chill.

   ⏱️ approx. 15 min
6. 6

   Peel the potatoes boiled in their skins the day before and cut into slices or cubes. Fry in plenty of clarified butter without stirring until golden, then add the diced onion, turn and season with salt and pepper.

   ⏱️ approx. 25 min
7. 7

   Turn out the aspic, cut into thick slices and garnish with onion rings and parsley. Serve with the hot fried potatoes and the green sauce; a dry Rheingau Riesling goes well with it.

   ⏱️ approx. 5 min