A family dish and a story of transmission
Baeckeoffe is much more than just a stew. It's an institution, a dish prepared with care and handed down from generation to generation, just like its famous clay dish. Indeed, the famous richly decorated baeckeoffe dish often follows the family history. Sometimes, the inheritance of this dish even provokes some lively discussions within families!
But why such elaborate decorations? Originally, each family prepared its baeckeoffe the day before and took it to the village baker for baking. To avoid any confusion between the dishes, they were adorned with distinctive motifs, making them easy to recognize.
A baeckeoffe dish / Photo selected by monsieurdefrance.com By Original uploaded by Romary on French Wikipedia. - Transferred from fr.wikipedia to Commons by Bloody-libu using CommonsHelper, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20442661
Slow cooking for an inimitable taste.
Traditionally,the baeckeoffe was marinated the day before, in white wine and spices. The next morning, before going to church or mass, each family would place its dish in the baker's oven. The long, gentle cooking then revealed all the richness of the flavors. Baeckeoffe is much more than a recipe: it's a concentrate of tradition, sharing and generosity. A dish simmered with love that warms both the stomach and the heart. A true Alsatian culinary legend!
Kaysersberg in Alsace / Photo chosen by monsieurdefrance.com: Image by Janusz Nowak de Pixabay
The recipe for baeckeoffe
The ingredients
To make a Baeckeoffe worthy of the name, here's what you need:
- Meat: lamb shoulder, pork loin, beef chuck (approx. 1.5 kg total)
- Vegetables: 2 kg potatoes, 1 kg onions, 1 leek white, 1 carrot, 1 garlic clove, 1 shallot, a little celery stick
- Herbs and spices: thyme, bay leaf, salt, pepper
- Others: a little flour to thicken the sauce
- Liquid: Alsace white wine for the marinade
A baeckeoffe / Photo selected by monsieurdefrance.com By Arnaud 25 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48772463
The preparation of baeckeoffe
- The day before, marinate the meats with the onions, garlic, shallot, herbs and Alsace white wine.
- The next day, in a terrine, arrange a layer of potatoes, a layer of meat and so on. Add the marinade.
- Close the terrine and luttez it (i.e. apply a bead of pastry around the lid to seal in the flavors).
- Place in the oven at low temperature for several hours of stewing.
Page illustration: By Arnaud 25 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48772463
