meet in your kitchen | The Deyerling's Venison Burger with Bavarian Potato Salad
When I met Anna and Clemens Deyerling for the first time, I noticed the blind understanding and wordless communication between them that only close siblings can have. They know and respect each others roles, in their private life but also in business as they decided to start a company together with their partner Julius, an old friend of Clemens'. In 2010, Sitzfeldt was born, the beginning of an exciting journey and the start of a young online business for affordable design furniture. The Deyerlings come from a family background of furniture and design and they wanted to continue this family tradition, but in their own way. They sat together with designers who already were or became friends over the years and developed various sofa collections. One of them, the Set sofa system, already won the Interior Innovation Award and the renowned Red Dot Design Award.
A few months ago, the young entrepreneurs presented a selection of their collections in one of Berlin's old manorial flats. One spacious room followed the other, separated with large double wing doors, high ceilings decorated with opulent stucco and beautiful timbering on the walls. The siblings chose an amazing location for the presentation but they also managed to create a beautiful evening with great people and food. One of the (not insignificant) reasons why I still remember that day so clearly are Clemens' skills in the kitchen, this man can cook! He treated us to a buffet of various soups and dips, fresh bread and wine and everybody loved it! On that day, Anna was the perfect host, she's not only responsible for the creative presentation of the design which led to a very comfortable atmosphere, but her soft and warm way makes you feel welcome right away. So while her brother was busy in the kitchen on his own (if you read the interview, you'll know why) we got lost in chatting. When I met the two siblings in Anna's gorgeous flat this week for our meet in your kitchen feature, the roles were more or less the same, us chatting while Clemens was cooking.
Clemens made a fantastic venison burger - called Fleischpflanzerl where he comes from - with the most amazing meat from a butcher in the Brandenburg area outside Berlin, accompanied by a light warm Bavarian potato salad inspired by the region where they grew up, the south of Germany.
Venison Burger with warm Bavarian Potato Salad
For 4 people you need
For the burgers
minced venison 500g / 1 pound
white bread, rind cut off, 3 slices
milk 80ml / 3 ounces
medium onion, finely chopped, 1
eggs 2
orange zest 1/2 teaspoon
lemon zest 1/2 teaspoon
mustard 2 teaspoons
fresh parsley, chopped, a small bunch
dried or fresh marjoram, chopped, 1 teaspoon
freshly grated nutmeg
salt 1 - 1 1/2 teaspoons
pepper
olive oil
Soak the bread in the milk for a few minutes. Tear the bread into pieces and mix with your fingers.
Cook the onion in a little olive oil until soft. Whisk the eggs, mustard, orange and lemon zest and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Mix the minced meat with the bread/ milk mixture, the onions, the egg mixture, marjoram and parsley and form the burgers.
In a large, heavy pan, heat a splash of oil and cook the burgers on medium heat until golden brown on both sides and cooked through.
For the potato salad
warm, waxy potatoes, cooked, peeled and sliced, 1kg / 2 1/4 pounds
medium onion, chopped, 1
garden radish, thinly sliced, 4
cucumber, peeled, cut in half and sliced, 1/2
chives, snipped, 1-2 tablespoons
olive oil
For the salad dressing
broth, hot, 400ml / 13.5 ounces
red wine vinegar 3-5 tablespoons
mustard 1 tablespoon
salt and sugar
Cook the onions in a little olive oil until soft.
Mix the hot broth with the vinegar and mustard and season with salt and sugar to taste.
Slowly mix the potatoes with the dressing (not all at once). Stir in the onions, cucumber, radish and chives.
Serve warm with the venison burgers.
Anna and Clemens, you grew up in the south of Germany, in Bavaria. Both of you studied in Germany and in London, when and why did you decide to move to Berlin?
Clemens: I fell in love with Berlin during my studies and tried to find my first job here. I was lucky. In the meantime our entire family - our sister and our parents - also moved to Berlin.
Anna: We grew up in quite a small town in Bavaria. I always dreamt of living in a big city. Berlin has always been on my list and after having spent a few months during my master's program here, I always wanted to come back. I just love the openness and the variety of Berlin. I finally moved here 10 years ago and since then Berlin became home more and more.
Do you miss the kitchen of the south?
Clemens: Oh, yes. I miss it badly. Especially the Schweinebraten (pork roast) our grandmother used to make every single Sunday. I still need it at least once a month, but do it myself now. And what else? Pretzels, Pretzels, Pretzels… I will never understand why no one outside of Bavaria can bake Pretzels as they should be.
Anna: I used to miss it, but fortunately the southern kitchen became quite popular in Berlin over the last few years. So there are good places all over Berlin. When it gets really bad again, I go to Meierei in Kollwitzstraße or I hope for a lunch invitation for Sunday by my brother.
What was the first dish you cooked on your own, what is your first cooking memory?
Clemens: I am not quite sure. I guess, I used to cook with our Mum when we were children. But the first real remembrances to consciously cook was my grandma making the Schweinebraten every Sunday.
Anna: I guess, it was only Clemens who cooked with our Mum... At least, I did not. Because I remember always calling my Mum to ask for help once I lived on my own. And this was for the very basic things, like cooking pasta…
What are your favourite places to buy and enjoy food in Berlin?
Anna: Soluna in Gneisenaustraße, Market at Südstern, Markthalle 9, Meierei, Nansen, Restaurant Obermaier, Massaniello, Txokoa Gastro Bar, Hoastaria del Monte Croce.
Clemens: Markthalle 9, Fräulein Dickes in Stargarder Straße
You started Sitzfeldt, an online company specialised in affordable designer sofas in 2010 together with Julius, an old school friend of Clemens'. What moved you to work in the field of designer furniture?
Due to our father’s business, we have always had a great affinity to furniture and design. At the end, it was this affinity combined with the business potential of selling furniture directly to the end customer via the internet. And of course the wish of building up our own company.
Your father established a successful furniture business and you continue this family tradition with your own company. How does this affect your work? Do you feel responsibility, is the family tradition a gift or a burden?
Anna: Once, someone called Sitzfeldt the 'Unternehmensnachfolge 2.0' (Business successors 2.0). That is pretty much how I feel. Without my father and his experience, we would not have been able to build up Sitzfeldt so quickly. But it makes me proud, that we have always done it our way. And: It makes me happy to see my father proud. Of course, he is happy that something he built up is continued somehow. So, it is a gift – for sure.
Clemens: It is easier to be an entrepreneur, if there are other entrepreneurs in the family. I feel supported and challenged by my family at the same time. And it helps that worries and doubts are understood and shared. The family tradition is a gift – no burden – because it really helps to build upon failures and successes.
Two of your collections have been nominated for the German Design Award 2015. Who are the designers you're working with at the moment and how do these collaborations start?
Anna: The designer we work with the most, is Steffen Kehrle. He actually is an old friend of Julius' who we all met in Milan in 2010. That was the year when the volcano in Iceland was active, so our flights were all cancelled. Steffen had a car and three free seats, so we drove together from Milan to Munich. During that ride we talked a lot about our plans, visions and ideas. When we arrived, it was clear that we would have to work together. That is when we first started to develop our sofa system Set which won the Interior Innovation Award 2013 and the Red Dot Design Award. Since then, we work together with Steffen a lot. We developed the new table GAME with him and are planning many more projects. Sebastian Herkner is a good friend of Steffen, that is how we met. HEIM is the first project we launched with Sebastian.
Clemens: In the end, we decide if a designer fits to Sitzfeldt. Our philosophy and their philosophy need to match. So it definitely helps that we are good friends with Steffen. It is fun to work on both of our ideas and plans and it is even more fun to see that people actually like what we do.
What are your plans and visions for Sitzfeldt?
Clemens: We want to work hard in order to strengthen our market position and our brand. Of course, the long term vision is that everyone who is looking for a sofa takes Sitzfeldt into account (laughs). No seriously, there are three basic elements Sitzfeldt is built upon: design, sustainability and fair prices. We work on all areas and think in small, realistic steps. In the end, we want to continue our journey of the last four years.
Anna: I cannot add anything to that, besides one thing: I hope that we will always enjoy what we are doing.
Anna and Clemens, what did you choose to share on eat in my kitchen and why?
Warm Bavarian Karfoffelsalat (potato salad) with cucumber. Why? This tastes like home and is so delicious with the right potatoes. Coming with a Boulette made of Dammwild (venison burger) from Brandenburg. There is no way of enjoying meat more sustainably and the Boulette is also well known in Berlin. This all comes with Preiselbeeren Salsa (lingonberry salsa).
If you could choose one person to cook a meal for you, who and what would it be?
Anna: Our grandmother is getting older and she is the only one who knows how to make Wuchter (Bohemian dumplings) as they should be. Clemens, we need to learn this! So, it is my grandmother.
Clemens: Angela Merkel, no matter what...
You're going to have ten friends over for a spontaneous dinner, what will be on the table?
Anna: Pasta. And to be honest, it is also pasta for not-so-spontaneous dinners.
Clemens: Pasta. The entire year, there is always something good to have with pasta. And if they really surprise me, I always have homemade pesto in the fridge.
What was your childhood's culinary favourite and what is it now?
Anna: Childhood: Wuchter – a special kind of the Bavarian Knödel (Bavarian dumplings). Today, I still die for Wuchter.
Clemens: Bayrischer Schweinebraten (Bavarian pork roast).
Do you prefer to cook on your own or together with others?
Anna: I prefer to cook on my own, but love being entertained by friends and wine while cooking.
Clemens: I love to cook for others, but I can’t stand any 'assistant' in my kitchen. You can ask my wife …
Which meals do you prefer, improvised or planned?
Anna: Planned.
Clemens: Planned and it really bothers me when I forget something at the grocery store.
Which meal would you never cook again?
Anna: Bayrischer Schweinebraten (Bavarian pork roast) – my brother’s is just better …
Clemens: Gluten-free pasta.
Thank you Anna and Clemens!
La Ratte Potatoes with Roast Lemon Peel, Olives and Parsley
A few weeks ago my boyfriend came up with a great chicken and red cabbage sandwich idea with an orange infused olive oil. He brushed the inside of the bread with this flavoured oil that we created by heating up a dish of olive oil and orange peel in the oven. The aromatic oil was wonderfully flavoured but the crisp citrus peel impressed me just as much! Since then I've used roast lemon and orange peel for my pasta, salads, couscous and risottos. The thin strips just need a few minutes to become golden crisps packed with flavour so it's important to take them out at the right moment. If you leave them in the oven for too long, they become bitter, and this can happen within seconds!
I have many ideas in my mind that feature both the wonderful oil and the crunchy strips, today's recipe combines roast lemon peel with potatoes, parsley and black olives to make a warm salad, great for lunch or as a side dish. I use the lemon flavoured olive oil as a dressing and the peel as a crunchy topping. It just needed some flaky sea salt for seasoning and it was done! I often use the French La Ratte potatoes for for these kind of potato salads, their taste is nutty and buttery and the skin is very thin. I don't even peel them, I just clean them with a vegetable brush and cut them in half when they are cooked.
La Ratte Potatoes with Roast Lemon Peel, Olives and Parsley
For 2-4 people you need
olive oil 3 tablespoons
lemon peel, cut into pieces, 6 long strips
La Ratte potatoes, cooked, (unpeeled) and cut in half, 14
fresh parsley leaves, a handful
black olives 12
sea salt
Set the oven to 200°C / 390°F (fan-asssited oven).
Put the olive oil and lemon peel in a baking dish and cook for 6 minutes or until the peel is golden and crisp.
Spread the potatoes on plates and mix them with the lemon infused olive oil. Sprinkle them with parsley, olives, roast lemon peel and salt and serve either warm or cold.
Potatoes with Rucola Pesto and Peas
A couple vegetables thrown together and mixed with a thick and aromatic pesto, I love these dishes, easy and uncomplicated! You can eat them warm or cold, as a salad, side or main and they are just as perfect on a brunch table as they are for a light dinner with a glass of rosé wine and some crunchy bread. In a month we'll be in Malta and these are the kind of recipes I like to prepare for lunch when the temperature gets closer to 40°C (104°F) and I can feel it slow down the pace of my kitchen activities. You never know how many people will meet at the table, 2, 6 or 8, but a full bowl of potatoes, peas and rucola pesto will please even the biggest Mediterranean family!
This recipe is just as nice with pasta but this time I went for potatoes, the pesto gives them a Southern touch which suits them well. My first idea was to use basil but then I remembered the rucola (rocket) pesto I had made for my Easter lamb chops, so I changed my mind. The rucola adds a soft spiciness, a contrast to the sweet peas. I sprinkled some crushed black pepper on top and my coarse sea salt from Gozo and we ate most of it for lunch, still warm, but the cold leftovers were just as nice!
Potatoes with Rucola Pesto and Peas
For 3 as a main or 4-6 as a side dish you need
potatoes, peeled and cooked, 800g / 28 ounces
peas 100g / 3.5 ounces
coarse sea salt
crushed black peppercorns
For the pesto
rucola (arugula) 80g / 3 ounces
Parmesan 20g / 3/4 ounce
pine nuts 20g / 3/4 ounce
olive oil 75 ml
a pinch of salt
Mix the ingredients for the pesto in a blender.
Cut the potatoes into cubes. Blanch the peas in boiling sugared water for 1 minute and rinse with cold water for 1 second.
In a large bowl, spread out the potatoes and peas and dollop the pesto on top. Sprinkle with sea salt and crushed black pepper.
The secret to the perfect Schnitzel and a light Swabian Potato Salad
Thin, juicy and tender, with a golden crust, crisp and light, that's what a Schnitzel should be and it's easier to achieve than you may think! You just have to follow a few rules and you'll be rewarded with a delicious breaded cutlet on your plate.
First and foremost, you need good quality meat, fresh and thinly cut, about 4mm / 1/4" thin. Schnitzel have to fry in a mixture of oil and butter or lard which has to stay hot throughout, otherwise the breading will soak the oil. Try to avoid cutlets which are too thick as they will take too long to get done, they just turn dry and tough. If your cut of meat is too thick, you could also cut it in half yourself and open it like a butterfly. For a more tender texture you should pound the meat lightly with a meat tenderizer or the back of your fist. You can either use pork which is very popular or veal, which is used for traditional Wiener (Viennese) Schnitzel. It's a bit more expensive and I like both.
The breading is made in three steps, first you have to turn the meat in flour, then in lightly beaten egg followed by breadcrumbs. The fried crust should be crisp, thin and light, the breading shouldn't stick to the meat but form light waves around the Schnitzel when it has been fried.
To fully enjoy a Schnitzel and its great crust, I prefer to eat it without a sauce, just salt and pepper and some fresh lemon juice drizzled on top. It's a hearty meal, but not as heavy as the cliché of German food suggests, to keep it light I serve a traditional Swabian potato salad on the side. The sweet dressing is made of lots of finely chopped onions shortly cooked in white Balsamico vinegar and water. I just add some crunchy cucumber and a little olive oil, salt and pepper to the salad. My step father is from Swabia in the South of Germany and he added this salad to our family recipes which is loved so passionately by all of us that we regularly fight over the last bits left in the bowl!
Schnitzel with Swabian Potato Salad
For 4 people you need
For the Schnitzel
cutlets, pork or veal, 4mm / 1/4" thin, lightly pounded, 4 (around 600g / 21 ounces)
plain flour, for the breading
organic eggs, lightly beaten, 2, for the breading
dry breadcrumbs, for the breading
vegetable oil for frying
butter for frying 5 tablespoons plus more depending on the size of the pan
lemon wedges 4, for serving
In a large heavy pan, heat a generous splash of oil and 2 tablespoons of butter over a high temperature. The bottom of the pan should be covered in fat and allow the meat to swim. I fry 2-3 Schnitzel in my pan at the same time but depending on your pan you may have to fry less.
Prepare 3 big and deep plates, fill one with the egg, the other with flour and the last with breadcrumbs. Lightly dust and turn the meat in the flour, turn it in the egg and then quickly in the breadcrumbs until covered. You have to work quick now as you have to fry the Schnitzel and prepare the other cutlets at the same time. Put the breaded meat in the hot pan immediately and fry for 1 - 2 minutes on each side until golden brown. Take the meat out, season with salt and pepper and set aside. Add more oil and butter to the pan and let it heat before you fry another batch of Schnitzel. You may have to add some more butter in between flipping the meat as well. Serve with lemon wedges and Swabian potato salad.
For the Swabian potato salad
potatoes, peeled, cooked and thickly sliced, 1 kg / 2 pounds
cucumber, cut in half and thinly sliced, 1
onions, finely chopped, 160g / 6 ounces
white balsamic or white wine vinegar 100ml / 3.5 ounces
water 100ml / 3.5 ounces
olive oil 2 tablespoons
salt 1 teaspoon
black pepper
In a sauce pan, bring the onions, vinegar and water to a boil. Cook for 3 minutes on medium heat. Take it off the heat, close with a lid and let it sit for 5 minutes. In a large bowl, gently mix the potatoes, cucumber, onions in vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper, season to taste.
The salad tastes great the next day if you manage to keep some leftovers.
