Christmas tongue

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 600 g beef tongue(s), cured
• 1 bunch of soup vegetables
• 800 g potatoes, floury
• 2 cans of peas and carrots
• 2 tsp coarse-grained mustard
• 100 g butter
• 1 egg yolk
• 150 ml sour cream
• 5 tbsp flour
• 300 ml milk
• 1 onion(s)
• nutmeg

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Cooking/baking time approx. 2 hours 30 minutes; Total time approx. 3 hours 30 minutes

Christmas beef tongue in mustard sauce with peas and mashed potatoes, as eaten on Christmas Eve in southern Germany

Bring 3 liters of water to a boil and let the washed tongue and vegetables simmer for about 2 hours. The epidermis should peel off easily afterward. Cut the tongue into finger-thick slices and fry briefly in 40g butter and keep warm. For the sauce, mix 3 tablespoons of flour with the egg yolk and sour cream, add to the frying fat and sauté. Gradually add the cooking liquid until the sauce is creamy. Season with salt, pepper, and mustard. For the pea and carrot mixture, finely chop the onion and sauté in about 20g butter. Strain the vegetables and add them to the pan. Stir in 2 tablespoons of flour and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. For the mashed potatoes, peel the potatoes and cook for about 25 minutes until floury. Mash the potatoes (if you don’t have a masher, a spaetzle grater works very well). Lightly fry the potatoes in 40g butter and gradually whisk in the milk until a light and fluffy mash forms. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and a generous pinch of nutmeg.