Baeckeoffe is a traditional stew from Alsace, France, made with three types of meat, potatoes, vegetables, and spices marinated in white wine. It is cooked in a ceramic dish sealed with string dough and served hot with bread. The dish’s name means “oven oven” and it originated from the practice of taking the dish to a local baker to cook overnight.
Baeckeoffe is a traditional dish from the French region known as Alsace, which is truly a blend of both French and German cultures. The dish is a kind of stew with three types of meat, along with potatoes, which make up most of the ingredients. Spices and other vegetables are added to the meat and potatoes in a ceramic dish which is covered and sealed with a type of basic dough known as string dough. Baeckeoffe’s flavor comes from marinating the meat and vegetables overnight in a blend of spices and white wine. After several hours of cooking, the baeckeoffe is removed from the oven, the dough is opened and it is served hot, sometimes with crusty bread.
The word “baeckeoffe” means oven oven. The dish’s origins in the Alsatian region are rooted in practices on certain days of the week – religious observances or general work – which prevented people from having enough time to cook dinner for their families. Instead, baeckeoffe was made the night before and then taken to a local baker. At the end of the day the baker would place the dish in the oven oven and allow the residual heat from the cooling oven to cook the meal. The next day, after chores or church work, the fully cooked stew was collected and prepared for dinner.
The main ingredient in baeckeoffe is a combination of meats, traditionally chunks of beef, pork and lamb. They are prepared in a dry white wine marinade, usually a Riesling made from German grapes grown in Alsace. Vegetables can also be marinated, although potatoes usually aren’t. Spices such as bay leaves, thyme and fresh parsley are also included in the marinade and all are left to sit overnight.
The vegetables in the dish can vary from recipe to recipe, but generally include late-season greens. Leeks, carrots and onions are traditional, although items such as turnips, mushrooms and spinach may also be used. Once everything has been marinated, the potatoes are cut into discs and layered in the bottom of the roasting pan, followed by the meat, vegetables and a top layer of potato wedges. White wine is poured into the pot until it covers everything, and a lid with a steam vent is placed on top.
The lid is sealed in the pan with string slurry. This dough is just flour, water, and a little oil that’s been pressed around the seam where the lid meets the pan. The airtight seal that the paste creates as the baeckeoffe cooks for many hours prevents too much liquid from escaping, keeping the stew moist. Once the dish is complete, the dough is broken up with a knife and the stew is served hot with bread.
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