Ingredients
Sausages
- 8Frankfurter Würstchen, bought
- 2 litreswater
To serve
- crusty bread rolls or dark rye
- medium-hot German mustard
- potato salad, if making a meal of it
- grated horseradish
Directions
- Bring the water to a boil in a wide pan, then take it off the heat and let it drop to about 75°C (167°F) — steaming, with no bubbles at all.
- Lower the sausages in and leave them for 8 to 10 minutes to heat through.
- Do not let the water boil at any point. Frankfurters are already fully cooked and lightly smoked; boiling splits the delicate sheep casing, the fat runs out, and what is left is a dry sausage in a cloudy pan. This single rule is the whole recipe.
- Lift them out with tongs and serve immediately, while the casing still snaps.
- Put them on a plate with a roll, a spoonful of mustard and grated horseradish, or alongside potato salad.
- They are eaten from the hand, dipped in the mustard — not sliced up with a knife and fork.
Technique
- Never boil. If you take one thing from this page, that is it.
- The snap of the casing is the point of a Frankfurter. Overheated, it goes slack and the sausage is ruined.
- German law reserves the name for sausages made in the Frankfurt area, so what you buy elsewhere is usually a Wiener or a hot dog — good, but a different thing.
Substitutions
- Wiener Würstchen, which are essentially the same sausage under the Viennese name.
- Bockwurst, which is thicker and needs a couple of minutes longer.
Variations
- Split lengthwise and griddled, which is common at a stand but hard on the casing.
- Sliced into a Wurstsalat with onion, vinegar and oil, eaten cold.
History
Frankfurt butchers held sausage privileges from the fifteenth century; German law now reserves the name for sausages made in the Frankfurt area.
Frequently asked questions
What is Frankfurter Würstchen?
Frankfurter Würstchen is a charcuterie & cured from Germany: slender smoked pork sausage warmed in water, eaten with mustard and bread. Frankfurt butchers held sausage privileges from the fifteenth century; German law now reserves the name for sausages made in the Frankfurt area.
How long does Frankfurter Würstchen take to make?
Frankfurter Würstchen takes 5 min of preparation and 10 min of cooking. The recipe makes serves 4. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Frankfurter Würstchen?
Yes, within limits. Wiener Würstchen, which are essentially the same sausage under the Viennese name. Bockwurst, which is thicker and needs a couple of minutes longer.
What is the most important thing to get right in Frankfurter Würstchen?
Do not let the water boil at any point. Frankfurters are already fully cooked and lightly smoked; boiling splits the delicate sheep casing, the fat runs out, and what is left is a dry sausage in a cloudy pan. This single rule is the whole recipe.
