History

Rote Gruetze (literally red groats) takes its name from the 16th-century practice of binding the fruit compote with semolina or oat groats. The modern Berlin and Schleswig-Holstein version uses cornflour instead. The dish is the canonical Brandenburg summer dessert: a use-up for the red fruit glut of June and July from Werder's strawberry farms and the local raspberry and currant patches. By tradition, every Berlin Gartenrestaurant serves Rote Gruetze through the summer season; the vanilla-cream pour (Vanillesauce) is non-negotiable. Lutter und Wegner has plated the version unchanged since the 1990s; many Berlin bakeries sell the jam-jar take-away version year-round.

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Common allergens: Dairy, Egg in vanilla cream

Make it at home

Yield 6Hands-on 20 minTotal 3 hrDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 300g raspberries (fresh or frozen)
  • 300g pitted sour cherries (or sweet cherries with a squeeze of lemon)
  • 200g redcurrants, stems removed
  • 200g strawberries, hulled and halved
  • 150g caster sugar
  • 30g cornflour (mixed with 60ml cold water to a slurry)
  • 200ml red grape juice or red wine
  • 1 vanilla pod, split
  • For the vanilla cream: 300ml whole milk
  • 100ml double cream
  • 1 vanilla pod
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 70g caster sugar

Method

  1. In a wide pan, combine the cherries, redcurrants, grape juice or wine, sugar and vanilla pod. Simmer 5 minutes until juices run.
  2. Add the raspberries and strawberries, simmer 2 more minutes; the fruit should hold shape, not collapse.
  3. Whisk the cornflour slurry into the simmering fruit; cook 2 minutes until thickened to a loose jelly.
  4. Off the heat, fish out the vanilla pod. Pour into a serving bowl, cover with cling film touching the surface, refrigerate 3 hours.
  5. For the vanilla cream, bring milk and cream to a simmer with the split vanilla pod. Whisk yolks with sugar, pour the hot cream slowly over while whisking, return to the pan, cook over low heat until it coats a spoon at 82C.
  6. Strain the vanilla cream into a chilled jug. Serve the Rote Gruetze cold with the warm or cold vanilla cream poured generously over the top.

Tip from the editors. Use a 70:30 ratio of tart to sweet fruit; an all-sweet mix without redcurrants reads as fruit jam, not Rote Gruetze.

Where to eat rote gruetze

Rote Gruetze in Berlin

Lutter und Wegner ★ 4.1

€€€ Berlin BrasserieMitte

Lutter und Wegner on Berlin's Gendarmenmarkt has cooked traditional Wiener Schnitzel since 1811; the wood-panelled room runs Sunday classics and the long.

OrderThe Wiener Schnitzel with cucumber-potato salad; the Berlin sauerbraten in winter.

TipSunday lunch from 12:00 is the easier seating than weekday dinner. Book two weeks ahead by phone.

Directions

Borchardt ★ 4.5

€€€ Berlin BrasserieMitte

Borchardt on Berlin's Franzoesische Strasse has cooked the city's reference Wiener Schnitzel since 1992; the 1850s dining room runs 200 covers.

OrderThe Wiener Schnitzel with potato salad; the calf's liver Berlin-style is the long-running second pick.

TipLunch from 12:00 is easier than dinner. Book four weeks ahead by phone.

Directions

Lokal ★ 4.2

€€€ Modern German, SeasonalMitte

Lokal on Berlin's Linienstrasse in Mitte cooks a short daily menu of seasonal Brandenburg produce; the Spargel and Rote Gruetze are the calendar anchors.

OrderThe Beelitzer Spargel with hollandaise in Spargel season (late April to June).

TipShort seasonal menu changes frequently. Spargel season runs late April to 24 June only; book a week ahead for that window.

Directions

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Rote Gruetze in Hamburg

Old Commercial Room ★ 4.4

€€ GermanNeustadt

Old Commercial Room opposite the Michel in Hamburg has cooked Hanseatic harbour food since 1795 and is the city's canonical Labskaus address.

OrderThe Original Hamburger Labskaus with fried egg, herring, beetroot and gherkin.

TipOpen daily; lunch tables more available than dinner. Cash welcome but cards accepted.

Directions Book

Deichgraf ★ 4.2

€€ GermanNeustadt

Deichgraf on the historic Deichstrasse in Hamburg cooks classical Hanseatic dishes on the city's oldest canal-side street, with a single beam.

Why locals goOn the Deichstrasse canal-side row rebuilt after the 1842 fire, that most tourists walk past.

TipWindow tables face the Nikolaifleet canal. Ask for the Labskaus with the original Rollmops topping.

Directions

Fischereihafen Restaurant ★ 4.3

€€€ Hanseatic SeafoodAltona

Fischereihafen Restaurant on Grosse Elbstrasse in Hamburg-Altona has cooked classical Hanseatic seafood since 1981, with daily catch from the harbour below.

OrderThe Hamburger Aalsuppe; the Pannfisch with mustard sauce.

TipWindow-row tables face the Elbe; ask at booking. Open daily 11:30-22:00.

Directions Book

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