Abendbrot — Rye Bread, Cold Cuts, and Quark
A very simple evening board: thick slices of rye sourdough bread, ham and sausage, beaten quark cheese with herbs, pickles and radishes. No cooking: just arranging, slicing, sharing.
A very simple evening board: thick slices of rye sourdough bread, ham and sausage, beaten quark cheese with herbs, pickles and radishes. No cooking: just arranging, slicing, sharing.
You see, in Berlin we took the hot meal at midday; in the evening, the table remained sober and quiet. I myself cut the rye bread into firm slices, placed a slice of ham on it, a spoonful of Quark seasoned with chives, and that was ample for a man of science. The rigour of the mind, believe me, gets on very well with the frugality of the table. After supper, I would go to the piano, and music finished the day better than any dish.
- •Rye sourdough bread (Roggenbrot) — a few thick slices (base)
- •Ham and country sausage — as desired (cold cuts)
- •Beaten quark cheese — one bowl (freshness)
- •Chives and parsley — a handful (herbs)
- •Vinegar pickles, radishes — a few (crunchy acidity)
- •Butter — a knob (binding)
Abendbrot — Rye Bread, Cold Cuts, and Quark
A very simple evening board: thick slices of rye sourdough bread, ham and sausage, beaten quark cheese with herbs, pickles and radishes. No cooking: just arranging, slicing, sharing.
Why this dish? Planck's profile describes a sober bourgeois diet: rye bread, cold cuts, seasonal vegetables. The cold Abendbrot was precisely the evening meal of a Berlin professor living like clockwork, after a day at the University of Berlin.
You see, in Berlin we took the hot meal at midday; in the evening, the table remained sober and quiet. I myself cut the rye bread into firm slices, placed a slice of ham on it, a spoonful of Quark seasoned with chives, and that was ample for a man of science. The rigour of the mind, believe me, gets on very well with the frugality of the table. After supper, I would go to the piano, and music finished the day better than any dish.
Ingredients (period version)
- Rye sourdough bread (Roggenbrot) — a few thick slices (base)
- Ham and country sausage — as desired (cold cuts)
- Beaten quark cheese — one bowl (freshness)
- Chives and parsley — a handful (herbs)
- Vinegar pickles, radishes — a few (crunchy acidity)
- Butter — a knob (binding)
Ingredients
- Rye sourdough bread — 6 slices (base)
- White ham and dry sausage — 150 g total (cold cuts)
- Quark or skyr — 200 g (freshness)
- Chopped chives + parsley — 3 tbsp (herbs)
- Pickles + radishes — 1 small jar + 1 bunch (crunchy acidity)
- Semi-salted butter — 50 g (binding)
- Salt, pepper — to taste (seasoning)
Method
- Beat the quark with the chopped herbs, a little salt and pepper until creamy.
- Generously butter the rye bread slices.
- Arrange on a board: rolled or folded slices of ham and sausage.
- Place the bowl of herbed quark, pickles and sliced radishes alongside.
- Serve as is, each person composing their own open-faced sandwiches during the meal.
How it was made : Abendbrot ("evening bread") is the institution of the German supper: a cold meal, no cooking, using breads, cold cuts and cheeses. Quark, a fresh curd cheese, was a staple of northern tables, economical and nourishing.
The contemporary twist : Serve the quark in a small Kilner jar, topped with a drizzle of roasted pumpkin seed oil (Steiermark) for a dark green, nutty touch.
Max Planck · Charactorium
