Labskaus is a German dish made with mashed potatoes, salted meat, and onions, often served with pickled beets, fried eggs, and pickled herring. Its popularity among sailors spread it throughout Europe, and it can be prepared in various ways. It was a popular dish among the poor but also gained popularity among the wealthy.
Labskaus is a popular dish in German cuisine, with variations throughout Scandinavia, that consists of potatoes, corned beef or salted meat, and onions. There are several ways this dish can be prepared, although most preparations typically combine mashed potatoes with salted meat and other flavors. Some recipes call for this concoction to be served with different sides, including pickled beets, fried eggs, and pickled herring. Labskaus can also be made with some of these sides mixed with potatoes and meat, often including sliced beets and beetroot juice which give the dish a red or pink hue.
Known by similar names in several languages, labskaus spread throughout Europe due to its popularity among sailors. His continued popularity in parts of northern Germany is probably due to the influence of such sailors in the area, as is his enduring popularity in areas such as Denmark and Norway. Labskaus can be prepared in a number of ways and served with a range of side dishes. The use of salted meat and pickled sides made this a popular dish among the poor, although it also gained popularity among wealthy individuals.
Labskaus is typically made from potatoes, onions, and salted meat such as corned beef. The potatoes are diced or chopped and cooked in boiling water until soft, usually with a little salt. They are then removed from the water, drained and mashed with a potato masher.
The salted beef is diced and sautéed together with the diced onions, until soft and golden brown. This mixture is then combined with mashed potatoes to create labskaus, and this is somewhat similar to the corned beef and hash popular in England and other areas. While this process makes for a very simple labskaus, there are a number of changes and additions that can be made to this dish as well.
Labskaus is commonly served with side dishes such as pickles, fried eggs, pickled beets, and pickled herring. Pickled beets are sometimes added to the potato, meat, and onion mixture, along with a small amount of beet juice, to enhance the flavor of the dish and give the hash a red or pink color. Some recipes also call for the pickles to be diced and added to the hash, though this is a little less common than simply serving the pickles on the side. Pickled herring is also often served alongside this dish, typically in the form of rollmops which consist of slices of herring wrapped around onions or pickles.
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