Blunzngröstl

Ingredients

Main

• 500 gblood sausage, blunzn or blutwurst
• 800 gwaxy potatoes, boiled and cooled
• 2onions, sliced
• 3 tablespoonslard or oil
• 1 teaspooncaraway seeds
• salt and black pepper
• 1 sprigmarjoram, optional

To top

• 300 gsauerkraut, drained
• 1 tablespoonbutter
• 1 teaspooncaraway seeds

Sometimes added

• a fried egg per person
• chopped parsley
• a spoonful of apple sauce

To serve

• strong mustard
• dark bread
• beer

Directions

1. Use waxy potatoes rather than floury ones. Preparing the potatoes takes a moment. Boil them in their skins the day before. Cook them until just tender and no further. Drain them and let them cool completely. Refrigerate them overnight if you can. Peel them all the following day. The skins slip off cold potatoes easily.
2. Cut them into thick slices or rough chunks. It is soft and crumbles easily when heated. Peel the skin off the sausage. Cut it into thick even slices. Others keep all the slices whole. Drain the sauerkraut thoroughly. Squeeze out all the excess brine. Taste it and rinse it if it is very sour.
3. Melt the butter in a small pan. Add the sauerkraut and the caraway. Warm it through for about ten minutes. Keep it warm while you make the grostl. Heat the lard in a large heavy frying pan. Add the sliced onions to the pan.
4. Fry them over a medium heat for ten minutes. They should soften and turn deep golden. Add the caraway seeds near the end. Add the cold potato pieces to the pan.
5. Spread them out in a single layer. Now leave them alone for four minutes. Turn them and let them crust again. Repeat until they are golden and crisp. That takes about fifteen minutes in total. Season them well with salt and pepper. Add the blood sausage slices to the space. Fry them for two minutes on each side. Do not stir hard or it turns to paste.
6. Cook it for three or four more minutes. The whole pan should be dark and crisped in places. Strip the leaves and scatter them in. Serving it is done straight from the pan. Bring the pan to the table if you can. Spoon the warm sauerkraut over the top.
7. Add a fried egg per person if you like. Scatter chopped parsley over it. Serve strong mustard on the side. It does not keep well and is eaten fresh.

Technique

• Grostl describes a whole family of Austrian pan-fried dishes, of which the Tyrolean beef and potato version is the best known.
• Blood sausage was traditionally made at the pig slaughter and had to be used quickly, which is where the dish comes from.

Substitutions

• British black pudding replaces Austrian blunzn and holds its shape better.
• Bacon or leftover roast meat can be used for a version without blood sausage.

Variations

• Tiroler Grostl uses beef instead of blood sausage.
• Some households serve it with apple sauce alongside the sauerkraut.
• A version topped with two fried eggs is common in ski huts.

History

An alpine and Viennese pan dish using blood sausage from the pig slaughter with leftover potatoes, eaten in taverns and ski huts.

Frequently asked questions

What is Blunzngröstl?

Blunzngröstl is a main from Austria: blood sausage fried with potato and onion, topped with sauerkraut. An alpine and Viennese pan dish using blood sausage from the pig slaughter with leftover potatoes, eaten in taverns and ski huts.

How long does Blunzngröstl take to make?

Blunzngröstl takes 20 minutes of preparation and 30 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 4. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Blunzngröstl?

Yes, within limits. British black pudding replaces Austrian blunzn and holds its shape better. Bacon or leftover roast meat can be used for a version without blood sausage.

What is the most important thing to get right in Blunzngröstl?

Use waxy potatoes rather than floury ones. Preparing the potatoes takes a moment. Boil them in their skins the day before. Cook them until just tender and no further. Drain them and let them cool completely. Refrigerate them overnight if you can. Peel them all the following day. The skins slip off cold potatoes easily.