Bockwurst is a popular German sausage made from finely ground veal and pork. It’s relatively hefty size and natural casing means that bockwurst must be cooked slowly to retain its appearance and flavor. As long as you keep that one detail in mind, preparing a meal of bockwurst, potatoes, and peppers is very, very simple (see instructions, below). It was a perfect meal to cap a day spent exploring The Bach House and surrounding area.
Classical music aficionados in large numbers trek into central Germany during the summer months to visit The Bach House. This well reputed museum displays a comprehensive collection of Johann Sebastian Bach’s musical instruments, hand written compositions, and furnishings from his home. Meandering from floor to floor and room to room, visitors are treated to the sounds of professional musicians performing Bach’s compositions on Bach’s own instruments – pretty cool. Visitors may also settle into comfortable listening pods, pictured above, to listen to a wide variety of Bach pieces performed by a vast array of musicians. While admittedly a bit macabre, visitors also have the, er, interesting opportunity to learn how Bach’s likeness was recreated by exhuming his body (seriously) and using his skull as a model. [The cost of fame? Yikes.]
Whether you are touring The Bach House or simply popping in a CD, here’s a solid German meal to enjoy while you listen!
Bockwurst with Potatoes and Peppers
Ingredients (serves 4)
4 medium size potatoes
4 bockwurst
1 small onion, sliced
3 bell peppers (different colors if possible), sliced
1 tablespoon butter
black pepper to taste
Directions
Step 1) Wash potatoes and cut into bite size chunks. Place in bottom of a nonstick pan. Place bockwurst on top of potatoes.
Step 2) Cover bockwurst and potatoes with cold water. Water should completely, but just barely, cover the bockwurst.
Step 3) Cover pot and heat on low until water is just about ready to boil. Don’t turn the heat too high – it should take about 30 minutes for the water to approach boiling. Be patient!
Step 4) Just before the water boils (for example, when the surface of the water appears to vibrate, or very teeny tiny bubbles begin to appear on the edges of the pot), layer the onion and peppers on top of the bockwurst. Turn the heat OFF and LEAVE THE POT COVERED. Do not lift the cover for 20 minutes!
Step 5) Important – check the internal temperature of one bockwurst with a meat thermometer. The internal temperature should be at least 160 degrees F. If the temperature has not reached 160 degrees F, turn the heat back to low and cover the pot for another few minutes. Check the temperature again before serving.
Step 6) To serve, gently remove peppers, onions, and bockwurst from the pan. Drain most of the liquid off of the potatoes; leave just a little bit of water with the potatoes in the pot.
Step 7) Add butter and pepper to the potatoes and coarsely mash. Potatoes should be chunky; this is a rustic dish.
Step 8) Spread one scoop of potatoes on each serving plate and top with one bockwurst. Arrange onion and pepper slices on top of bockwurst. For added color, garnish with carrot shavings (optional). Enjoy!
Crowded Earth Kitchen 
Would one make this sausage? Or buy it locally? I kind of want a photo of it cooking. I am kind o dense about these things.
I would buy it locally – it’s popular enough in Germany that it is also available from German sausage makers in the US (Usingers, for example). The second photo shows the sausage cooking – there really isn’t much that’s exciting to see, just layered ingredients in a covered pot. I’ve seen recipes to make the sausage homemade from scratch, but that’s a ways outside of my realm! 🙂
I would love to visit The Bach House—thanks for sharing your trip!
It’s really a cool place – worth a visit! 🙂