Ingredients
Sausage
- 4St. Galler Bratwurst (OLMA Bratwurst), about 160 g each
To serve
- 4Bürli rolls, or good crusty bread
Not on the table
- no mustard
Directions
- Take the sausages out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking so they are not fridge-cold in the middle.
- Set a grill over medium embers, or a dry heavy pan over medium heat. High heat splits the pale veal casing before the inside is hot.
- Grill for 12 to 15 minutes, turning every couple of minutes, until the skin is golden with light brown patches. It should stay pale — a blackened St. Galler is a spoiled one, and the pale colour is written into its PGI specification.
- Never prick it. This sausage is bound with milk and veal and its whole character is the juice, which runs out the moment the skin is broken.
- It is done when it is firm and springy to the touch and just beginning to weep clear fat.
- Serve in the hand with a Bürli roll, sausage in one hand and bread in the other.
- Do not offer mustard. In St Gallen this is not a preference but a rule of the table — asking for it says the sausage needs help, and it is the one thing every visitor is warned about.
Technique
- Medium heat, pale skin, never pricked.
- In the hand, with bread. Not on a plate with a knife.
- No mustard. The Swiss mean it.
Substitutions
- Any fine white veal bratwurst, though the genuine article is PGI-protected and made with veal, pork, milk and no colouring.
- Pan-fried in a little butter indoors.
- With Zwiebelsauce and rösti, which is the sit-down version — and there mustard is still not offered.
Variations
- The Bernese and Zurich bratwurst are pork rather than veal.
- German Nürnberger and Thüringer are seasoned quite differently and are grilled hotter.
History
An eastern Swiss speciality with PGI protection; St Gallen tradition holds that asking for mustard insults the sausage.
Frequently asked questions
What is St. Galler Bratwurst?
St. Galler Bratwurst is a charcuterie & cured from Switzerland: pale veal sausage grilled and eaten in the hand with bread, never mustard. An eastern Swiss speciality with PGI protection; St Gallen tradition holds that asking for mustard insults the sausage.
How long does St. Galler Bratwurst take to make?
St. Galler Bratwurst takes 5 min of preparation and 15 min of cooking. The recipe makes serves 4. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in St. Galler Bratwurst?
Yes, within limits. Any fine white veal bratwurst, though the genuine article is PGI-protected and made with veal, pork, milk and no colouring. Pan-fried in a little butter indoors. With Zwiebelsauce and rösti, which is the sit-down version — and there mustard is still not offered.
What is the most important thing to get right in St. Galler Bratwurst?
Never prick it. This sausage is bound with milk and veal and its whole character is the juice, which runs out the moment the skin is broken.
