German maatjes with red beet and apple
Summer is not only the hottest season, it's also maatjes season. And that maatje is one of my favorite snacks! So, when my husband and I visited our daughter in Munich last summer, I had to taste the German version. On the menu: matjes with red beet and apple.
The maatjes of Dallmayr
Although I prefer Belgian maatjes, I couldn't pass up German matjes during my visit to Munich. And no, this is no spelling error. Our maatjes are called matjes in Germany. After having explored part of the city, we stopped at Dallmayr for a light lunch. Dallmayr is an impressive deli slash lunch spot. The store is known for its huge selection of food-related products of the highest quality. In the charcuterie department, I saw more sausages than I could count, hams from Italy but also German-grown, different kinds of salami ... Another department is entirely devoted to fresh fish, as well as seafood. In the last section of the store, you will find fruits and vegetables, prepared dishes, tea and coffee, mustard and spices...
And yes, Dallmayr also had a maatjes dish on the menu: maatjes with red beet and apple. Here’s my version of the dish, prepared with Belgian maatjes.
German maatjes or Belgian maatjes, what's the difference?
The largest size herring caught in the northern waters are intended for the German market, while we Belgians prefer the smaller ones. German maatjes are not only much larger; they are also drier and have a firmer texture. The Belgian maatjes melt on your tongue. The salty taste is also much more pronounced in the German variety, which is why they are often served with lots of sauce.
Ingredients for 4 people
- 4 maatjes
- 1 small red beet
- ½ green apple
- 100 ml heavy cream
- 4 sprigs dill
- 1 teaspoon mustard
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Grated lemon zest for finishing touches
- Ground pepper and sea salt
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Preparation
Red beet chips
Red beet chips are not only delicious as a snack, they also add extra bite to salads.
Peel the red beet and then cut it in half. To keep the ringed structure of the beet, cut the beet in half horizontally. Then use a mandolin to cut fine slices from one half of the beet. Wear gloves! That way your hands won't color red. From the other half of the beet cut very fine strips with a peeler. You will use these later.
Heat the oil to 165°c and fry the round slices into crispy chips. Make sure each slice is fully cooked through and crispy but retains its beautiful red color. Drain the chips on kitchen towel and sprinkle with a little sea salt.
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Cream sauce with dill and lemon
With a summer dish comes a fresh dressing. The sauce for this dish is one with dill, mustard and lemon.
Pick the dill off the sprigs and keep a few pickings aside. You will need them later to finish the dish. Chop the rest of the dill very finely.
Pour the cream into a mixing bowl, add the chopped dill and mustard. Using a whisk or electric mixer, whisk the mixture into a fluffy dressing. Season to taste with the lemon juice, pepper and salt. Whisk a little more and refrigerate the dressing.
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Finishing
Time to get the main ingredient out of the fridge. Maatjes are very tasty and salty by themselves. All you have to do is cut them into angled pieces.
Now cut the apple into quarters and remove the core. With the mandolin, cut the apple quarters into fine slices. You can also cut them into brunoise.
Finally, arrange the maatjes on a plate with the red beet and apple. Garnish with some sauce on top and finish the dish with the crispy chips, grated lemon zest and dill. Enjoy!
![SG maatjes 0106]()
