Dining Deutsch part 1

The first game of the World Cup kicks of in Munich on 9 June. PubChef headed to Bavaria to explore the region's culinary scene and look at produce that might kick-start your menu during the tournament. Jo Bruce reports.

With the World Cup fast approaching, it is an ideal time for chefs to take inspiration from German food to serve some different dishes during the championship.

Germany may not be internationally renowned for its cuisine in the way France and Italy are, but it has more Michelin stars than any country except France - 243 in Germany and Austria in total.

Two German restaurants were also recently listed in Restaurant magazine's prestigious 50 Best Restaurants in the World, the Die Schwarzwaldstube, in the heart of the Black Forest, and Restaurant Dieter Müller, near Cologne.

The UK is Germany's fifth biggest export partner for food and drink, spending £1.47bn on its produce in 2004 - 10% up on the previous year, according to CMA, the organisation responsible for the generic promotion of German food and drink in the UK.

Modern German cooking fits ideally with pub food - simple, homely dishes with robust flavours - and the use of some German ingredients or concepts can help excite customers' taste buds.

PubChef and four pub chefs travelled to Bavaria to explore the region's cuisine and study both traditional food and the dishes of younger chefs who belong to a group called the Junge Wildes and pride themselves on giving German produce a more modern twist.

Chefs attending the trip, run by the CMA, were Ben Bartlett, catering development manager for Union Pub Company; Peter Wright, senior head chef of Geronimo Inns; Kim Champion, head chef/licensee of the Portland Arms in St Albans; and awardwinning pub chef Paul Morgan.

One of the main things that strikes visitors to Germany is the incredible variety of regional dishes on offer. Many regions have preserved their specialities, many of which are centuries old.

Bavaria is famous for its knuckles of pork eaten with sauerkraut, its weisswurt sausages and also for being the biggest cultivation area for cucumbers in Europe.

Our study tour focused on both traditional fare and modern dishes such as Bavarian smoked trout wrapped in potato, cress salad, cucumber-buttermilk sorbet and Quark ice cream, and demonstrated to chefs the versatility and range of produce available.

Whether you want to use quality German Frankfurters or bockwurst to make hotdogs during the World Cup, or offer a dish in tribute to the host nation, a wealth of German produce is available in the UK.

Weisswurst breakfast​

We enjoyed a traditional weisswurst breakfast at Dürnbräu restaurant in Munich, where pretzels are followed by Bavarian speciality of scalded white sausage.

Ground ice is added as the meat for the weisswurst is chopped to give a characteristic smooth consistency.

Traditionally, weisswurst are only served until midday as they are made according to German purity laws and contain nothing but meat, herbs and spices, so they must be served fresh. They are presented in bowls of hot water and served with mustard and for those who want to stick with tradition - even at 8:30am - a wheat beer such as Franziskaner.

Among dozens of other dishes served at this restaurant are pickled knuckle of pork, served hot on sauerkraut with fried potatoes; calves' sweetbreads, crumbed and fried, with potato cucumber salad; Bavarian bread soup with fried onions; roast pork with crackling, large potato dumpling and a salad of shredded white cabbage; and fresh duck or goose from the oven with red cabbage cooked with apples and a large dumpling made from hand-grated potatoes.

Among those dishes that can lose their appeal in translation are marinated lung in sweet and sour sauce with a large dumpling; and calf's head with the bone and gristle removed, fried with remoulade sauce and potato and cucumber salad.

About 95% of total white asparagus comes from Germany, with the season running late April until early June.

Many restaurants boast a dedicated menu and Dürnbräu offers some 20 asparagus dishes. Among those on offer are: asparagus salad sweet and sour in herb vinaigrette with finely-chopped egg; asparagus in cocktail sauce with shrimps and smoked salmon; green and white asparagus with steamed poulard breast, little onions and morels in a light white wine sauce and new potatoes; and asparagus with grilled zander filet, Hollandaise sauce and rice.

World Cup class​

Two chefs impressed the judges when they won a World Cup inspired competition in the Salon Culinaire at the recent Hotelympia.

Holger Jackish and Scott Stokes, from the Jumeirah Culinary Team in Dubai, beat 10 rivals when they produced a menu of scallops wrapped in Black Forest ham, cured pork fillet steamed in hay, and Quark soufflé with plum ragout.

Hit the 'G' Spot​

If you go to Munich, it is well worth taking the time and effort to find the fantastic G restaurant.

Head chef there is Andreas Schweiger, whose CV includes working at the Dorchester in London. He is part of the Junge Wildes, whose 25 or so chefs meet to exchange ideas.

We enjoyed a menu of Bavarian smoked trout wrapped in potato, cress salad, cucumber-buttermilk sorbet, prime boiled veal with bean mélange and elderflower jus and black bread soufflé with elderberries and Quark ice cream.

At G, a selection of breads is served warm, with different varieties offered in different paper bags, which diners pass around.

A selection of flavoured oils are served in glass dishes with pipettes to accompany the breads.

Three types of rock salt are also offered.

For more information visit www.g-munich.de

Hofbräuhaus​

Bavaria boasts the largest number of breweries in Germany and the famous Oktober Bierfest is held just outside Munich.

The famous Hofbräuhaus, which dates back to 1595, is a traditional beer hall serving ales in litre steins - not for the faint-hearted.

Food includes shoulder-cut pork roast with crackling; succulent brewer's goulash with pork, sautéed cabbage and a bread dumpling; and boiled filet of beef cooked in root-vegetable stock with horseradish sauce and seasonal vegetables.

The traditional Bavarian entertainment includes bench dancing, plenty of thigh slapping and cowbell ringing to songs including Edelweiss. A visit here is a must for any tourist in Munich.

After his recent performance at the Hofbräuhaus, rumour has it that Union Pub Company's Ben Bartlett has been signed up for the next series of Strictly Come Dancing. Prost!

For more information visit www.hofbraeuhaus.de