Recipes Comfort Food German Specialties from Pretzels to Schnitzel By Food & Wine Editors Updated on March 5, 2018 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Eva Kolenko From bacon and apple sauerkraut to wine-braised brisket, here are some terrific German recipes. 01 of 13 German-Style Pretzels These chewy pretzels from chef Hans Röckenwagner develop a shiny, professional-looking crust as they bake. Get the Recipe 02 of 13 Panko-Coated Chicken Schnitzel Thomas Keller of the French Laundry in Yountville, California uses panko bread crumbs to give chicken a crunchy crust. "Pounding chicken breasts to a uniform thickness cuts down on cooking time," he says. Get the Recipe 03 of 13 Sautéed German Sausages with Bacon and Apple Sauerkraut CREDIT: © QUENTIN BACON In Germany's Pfalz region, cooks braise sauerkraut with onions, apples, seasonings, a touch of sugar and a little of the region's Riesling wine, creating a craveable accompaniment for juicy weisswurst or bratwurst. Get the Recipe 04 of 13 Spaetzle with Gruyère and Caramelized Onions The cheese and the caramelized onions perfectly complement the already-delicious noodles in this recipe. The spaetzle can be refrigerated for up to 1 day. Get the Recipe 05 of 13 Warm Potato Salad with Pancetta and Brown Butter Dressing Grace Parisi whisks brown butter into a tangy, mustardy dressing for creamy fingerling potatoes. Get the Recipe 06 of 13 Red-Wine-Braised Beef Brisket Both Frank Falcinelli and Frank Castronovo had early experiences with sauerbraten, the German braised brisket. Castronovo sampled it on trips to Germany; Falcinelli had it at the German deli where he worked as a teenager. The terrific recipe they ultimately perfected is very sweet and very sour, made with raisins, apples, red wine vinegar, and red wine. Get the Recipe 07 of 13 German Soft Pretzel Sticks "I've always been a fan of any food high in salt and starch," Grant Achatz says. "And soft pretzels right out of the oven are awesome." You can eat these slightly sweet, chewy, dark pretzel sticks plain or with mustard; Achatz goes for ranch dressing. Get the Recipe 08 of 13 Grandma Zerr's Apricot Kuchen Kuchen is a traditional German fruit- or cheese-filled yeast cake that's common in North Dakota (Nancy Olson says it's in countless church cookbooks) and served at any time of day. This is Olson's adaptation of her grandmother's version. "I love that this is a hearty, rustic, belly-filling pastry; nothing dainty about it," she says. Get the Recipe 09 of 13 Spicy Beer Mustard Chef Jeremy Nolen updates German classics, including this intense mustard for sausages. Get the Recipe 10 of 13 Crispy Wiener Schnitzel with Lingonberry Preserves © Tina Rupp "Schnitzel and Grüner Veltliner isn't a very creative pairing, but I think it's a beautiful one," says Wolfgang Ban. He loves how rich styles of the Austrian white wine still have bright acidity, which is delicious with crispy veal cutlets. Get the Recipe 11 of 13 Candy Cookies © Fredrika Stjärne These truffle-like cookies have an unexpected piece of candy in the centers. They're adapted from a traditional holiday cookie that Renato Poliafito discovered during his travels in Germany. Get the Recipe 12 of 13 Pork Schnitzel with Warm Potato Salad © Lucy Schaeffer Wolfgang Puck of Los Angeles's Spago makes his schnitzel by deep-frying cutlets of Kurobuta pork, a deeply marbled heritage meat imported from Japan. At home, opt for boneless pork chops from the supermarket, pounding them tender. Pan-fry the schnitzel in a shallow pool of oil instead of deep-frying it. Get the Recipe 13 of 13 Mixed-Berry Dutch Baby © Hallie Burton A Dutch Baby, also known as a German pancake, is a mixture of eggs, flour and whole milk that gets baked in a heavy skillet until it becomes puffy and golden. In the terrific version here, Grace Parisi folds in fresh berries to create a wonderful summer dessert that's also great for breakfast. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit