The first recorded civilization in Austria was the Hallstatt civilisation, so named because their burial grounds were found there. They were salt traders who lived mainly in and around Salzburg. In 279 BC when the Celts invaded the country they took over the salt industry and thrived for a while until the Romans, with their usual tenacity and a lot of patience eventually ousted them and so they, in turn, did very well out of the extended Austrian lands. Eventually the Romans colonized Austria, notwithstanding stubborn and vehement resistance by the locals. Later during the rule of Tiberius, the borders were 

strengthened substantially when huge numbers of Roman legions annihilated hordes of wild Barbarians along the Danube. During the Middle Ages there was, at first, extensive migration but after Otto the Great defeated the Magyars in 995 AD at the Battle of Lechfeld the Austria we know today was, to some extent, formed and an exciting period in history began. Let’s get something straight before we continue -  German and Austrian are two distinctly different languages and the countries are two separate countries, each with it’s own history and traditions – especially when it comes to culinary matters. Any foreigner ordering coffee in a Viennese coffeehouse will simply underline the fact that s/he is just that – a foreigner. Each coffee specialty has a different Austrian name and each one, more delicious than the previous.

Coffee is a legacy of the Turks and is one of the many good culinary contributions made by them during the years of bitter war and even though, thanks to Prince Eugene, they never managed to take Vienna, the Viennese certainly benefitted from their presence. The Austrian empire was a huge world power and consisted of Hungary, the Czech Republic, Southern Tyrol, Trieste, Croatia (or a bit of it) and on top of all that, the Austrian Emperor was also the King of Spain at one stage.  One can imagine what a positive influence all this had on the food of Austria which developed into something sublime. The Turks were trounced in 1697 and Austria became the glorious baroque paradise for which it became so famous. Today Vienna seems a bit over the top with it’s glorious old architecture sharply contrasting with the uber modern. Austrians do not think of their food as something simply to be eaten – they think of their food as something with which to improve life and soul.

THE VIENNESE COFFEE HOUSE

In the 1920′s, the heyday of the Emperor Franz Joseph, a coffee house was a place where the literati met. Intellectuals, writers and artists met to drink coffee and sit at the round marble tables to talk, to postulate and to be inspired – the aroma of coffee thick in the air and the buzz of conversation comforting. Considering the fact that they were probably living in appalling conditions, the welcoming surroundings of the coffee houses must have been have pure bliss after having spent a night in, quite probably, tiny bedrooms or apartments – badly heated and cramped. They could even have their mail delivered to the coffee houses and work there – a latter day office (image of the more seedy ones below).

Today it is a thing of the past and even though there are about 2,000 coffee houses in Vienna, few of the older ones exist and the scourge of the soulless, modern mass franchise only too evident. The literati also left and on top of that, even though 200,000 Jews settled in Vienna during the world wars, after peace only 5,000 were left and the guts were ripped out of the coffee houses. By the time the Jews came back the coffee houses couldn’t make it anymore and many sold their precious properties, which is why Vienna is now home to far too many boutiques and fast food joints. In order to lure more tourists some of the old ones were renovated with the imitations of the original newspapers tables, billiards tables and window seats but they seem too professional and certainly no place for the literati to meet anymore. Today one is only able to glimpse into the past – but only glimpse -because the young and trendy Viennese fill them to brimming and the aroma of coffee blends with the latest perfume from Gucci or Chanel against a backdrop of leather and denim.

All the coffee houses double up as restaurants but most importantly, they serve cake! Here are some of the most popular coffee specialties:

• Einspänner – a sweet black coffee served with whipped cream and sprinkled with chocolate powder.
• Fiaker – a sweetened demi-tasse served in a glass
• Kapuziner – a latte
• Grosser Brauner – a large cup of filter coffee with a dash of milk
• Kleiner Schwarzer – demi-tasse served without milk
• Kleiner Goldener – demi-tasse with milk
• Kleiner Brauner - small cup with a dash of milk
• Melange – coffee and fresh milk in equal parts with a lid of foam

WIENER SCHNITZEL

When Field Marshall Count Joseph Radetsky (the man that inspired Strauss snr to compose his famous Radetsky March) returned home from Italy he excitedly told his Viennese chefs about the way the Italians covered their schnitzels in breadcrumbs before they baked them. What the Viennese didn’t know was that the Italians had learnt to do this from the Spaniards who had learnt from the Moors who had learnt in the Byzantine and I wonder how thrilled they would have been with the Arab connection.  So, to be honest, the Wiener Schnitzel is really a Byzantine Schnitzel copied from the Costoletta Milanese. The problem with it is that in most restaurants the world over the it’s positively murdered. The correct way to make a Wiener Schnitzel is to use the finest veal available, thinly sliced and baked dry. Since nobody does, here’s a recipe that will produce an exquisite Schnitzel.

Ingredients

• 4 veal schnitzels, finest quality available
• 200 g fine bread crumbs
• 200 g flour
• 2 beaten eggs
• 250 ml oil
• 1 organic lemon, unwaxed

Method

• Make sure that the butcher cuts the schnitzels across the grain and pounds them lightly.
• Prick them all over with the point of a knife.
• Put the flour, the eggs and the breadcrumbs in three separate bowls.
• Salt the schnitzels lightly and then shake them first in the flour, then dip them into the eggs and then cover them with the breadcrumbs.
• Heat the fat in a pan and fry each schnitzel for about 3 minutes on each side until golden brown – don’t overdo it or you will have burnt leather.
• The schnitzels must not touch the side of the pan when you fry or another schnitzel – so if you have to, do them separately or buy a bigger pan.
• Dry on paper towels and serve with lemon wedges and potato salad.

It is extremely difficult to choose so few culinary greats in most countries but it is particularly so in Austria, especially Vienna. The Apfelstrudel is one of the Viennese masterpieces that are famous the world over and, frankly, one of the greatest desserts ever created. Once again, like it or not, the Turks must be credited for the paper thin dough that envelops the apples that originated in Hungary. That said, it was Vienna and only Vienna that created the Strudel. The dough must be so thin that one can read a newspaper through it and despite the fact that much is made of how difficult it is, that’s nonsense. One needs patience, time and a good attitude. Firstly the apples have to be tart and the Russet or Granny Smith apples should do nicely on condition they are fresh. The dough, made as per the recipe, must be thinly drawn (not rolled with a rolling pin) – start at the middle and draw outwards.

APFELSTRUDEL

Ingredients

• 300 g flour
• 1 egg
• 1 pinch salt
• Oil – a tasteless vegetable oil
• Caster sugar
• 1 ½ kg sour apples
• 80 g chopped nuts (almonds and pecans mixed are quite good)
• 80 seedless raisins
• 80 g bread crumbs
• 100 g sugar
• 100 g butter
• Cinnamon to taste
• Fresh lemon juice to taste
• 2 tbsp brandy (or rum)

Method

• Oil a baking tray or container well with parchment paper.
• Combine the flour, salt, egg and one tablespoon of oil with 125 ml lukewarm water to make a soft dough and allow to rest for 30 minutes (a food processor is called for here).
• Roll out in a floured kitchen towel and brush with the oil.
• Cover your hands with flour, reach under the dough and start to draw out the dough, little by little with patience, until it becomes very very thin.
• Remove the thicker edges (there will be – they bunch up into your hands as you draw) and save them.
• For the filling, douse the raisins in brandy (or soak them before you start).
• Fry the breadcrumbs in a little butter and then sprinkle them over the dough.
• Peel the apples, core and slice them very, very thinly and combine with the raisin, the nuts, cinnamon to taste and lemon juice.
• Spread this mixture carefully over the dough.
• Roll, up the strudel carefully and fasten the ends by pressing down firmly.
• Decorate the top with the pieces of dough that you kept.
• Pierce the top of the strudel several times with a fork and slip from the kitchen towel onto the baking tray very carefully.
• Pre-heat oven to 180 C
• Melt the rest of the butter and baste the strudel with the butter whilst it is baking – bake for 30 – 45 minutes until ready.

SACHERTORTE

The original recipe for Sachertorte was registered 1876 by the Sacher Hotel in Vienna, then owned by Franz Sacher’s (who built it) father.  It was originally created for a Count Metternich and there have been many attempts to copy it, with the Demel cake shop starting the trend. Demel insisted that they bought the recipe when the Sacher ran into financial difficulties during the Second World War. The hotel fought back and they were involved in a long legal battle in which only the lawyers made money. The result? The Sacher Hotel makes Sachertorte – a cake that consists of two layers of dense, not very sweet chocolate sponge cake with a thin layer of apricot jam in the middle. The sides and the top are iced with a dark, dark chocolate icing improved by thin, long flakes of dark chocolate. It is usually served with sugarless whipped cream. It’s terribly expensive but mindblowingly delicious and certainly worth trying – if it means blowing your entire expense allowance for the day, do it – it’s worth it. Demel now make a cake called Demel Sachertorte that has it’s layer of apricot jam underneath the chocolate icing which certainly affects the chocolate flavour. The other almost Sacher would be the Sacher-Masoch-Torte. Here is our version of the Sachertorte – as close as dammit to the original.

SACHERTORTE

Ingredients.

• 225g bitter chocolate, (70 % cocoa solids) chopped for easy melting
• 9 extra large free range (organic) eggs
• 85g finest demerara castor sugar plus 1 additional tablespoon
• 15 ml brandy
• 225 g unsalted melted butter
• 90 grams cake flour
• 30 tablespoons good, unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• 200 g additional chocolate flakes

Icing

• 180 grams grated bitter chocolate
• 125 ml cream
• 240g best smooth apricot jam
• 250 ml whipping cream

Method

• Preheat oven to 160 C whilst greasing and lining a 26″ cake tin with baking paper.
• Put the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl and allow it to melt until smooth, allow it cool down a bit.
• Whisk together egg yolks, sugar and brandy until pale and then beat in the chocolate well.
• In the bowl of your electric mixer whisk the egg whites until the stiff peaks are formed and add that extra sugar bit by bit until it’s all used up.
• Sift the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder folding it into the chocolate mixture – then, in turn, the eggs whites.
• Pour this cake mixture into the prepared cake tin and and bake for 50 – 60 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.
• Let it cool down on a rack – preferably wire.
• While it’s doing this, make the icing.
• Pour the chocolate flakes into a bowl and cover with the cream you have just quickly boiled over high and stir until it’s smooth.
• Let it cool down.
• When the cake is cold, take some fishing line or strong cotton and cut the cake in half, spread with warm apricot jam very evenly and put the two sides together again.
• Now take your spatula and cover the top and the sides of the cake with the icing.
• Allow it to settle and flake the last 200 grams, and attaching it to the icing.
• Serve with fresh berries and whipped cream.