Recipe Manuscript

Gebratener Auerhahn

Name: Gebratener Auerhahn
Prep time: PTPT30M
Cook time: PTPT1H15M
Yield: 4
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 1 capercaillie (Auerhahn), approx. 1.5–2 kg; can substitute pheasant or wild turkey; 100 g bacon (streaky, unsmoked), sliced for larding or wrapping; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; For roasting: 200 ml poultry or game stock; For older birds – marinade:; 500 ml red wine vinegar (or half vinegar, half water); 500 ml water; 2 large onions, sliced; 2 carrots, sliced; 2 bay leaves; 8–10 juniper berries; 10 black peppercorns; 1 lemon, sliced (optional); Salt, to taste

"Roast Capercaillie"

1850

From the treasured pages of Der Marianka, Mundköchin des Hans-Jörgel von Gumpoldskirchen

Written by Marianka, Mundköchin des Hans-Jörgel von Gumpoldskirchen

Age of Gastronomy (1800 - 1900)European Intermediate Dinner Lunch

Original Recipe • 1850

Original Manuscript(circa Age of Gastronomy, 1800 - 1900)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

Gebratener Auerhahn

"Dieser wird, wenn er noch ganz jung ist, blos recht fein mit Speck gespickt, oder in denselben eingebunden, und einem Fasane gleich gebraten. Ist er jedoch älter, so wird er gleich dem Hasen mit saurer Brühe begossen, worin er 2 bis 3, auch wenn er zähe seyn sollte, wohl 8 Tage liegen bleibt. Die übrige Behandlung ist wie beim Hasen. Eben so wird der Birkhahn und der Schildhahn zugerichtet. Man pflegt bei diesen dieselbe Brühe zu machen, wie beim Gemsschlegel."

English Translation

"If it is still very young, it is simply finely larded with bacon or wrapped in it, and roasted like a pheasant. If it is older, it is basted with a sour broth like a hare, in which it remains for 2 to 3 days, or even up to 8 days if it should be tough. The remaining procedure is the same as for hare. The same methods are used for black grouse and hazel grouse. For these birds, people usually prepare the same broth as for chamois leg."

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is written in a style typical to mid-19th-century cookbooks, assuming the reader’s competence and experience in the kitchen. Details are spare: exact quantities and temperatures are omitted, with the expectation that the cook can judge doneness and adapt quantities to taste and bird size. Note the period spelling, such as 'seyn' (modern: 'sein'), and casual mention of techniques like larding and marinating, which were considered basic household skills at the time. The presence of ingredient substitutions for related birds (pheasant, hazel grouse) and methods (like those for hare and chamois) demonstrates a flexible approach suited to game-based diets.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Der Marianka, Mundköchin des Hans-Jörgel von Gumpoldskirchen - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Der Marianka, Mundköchin des Hans-Jörgel von Gumpoldskirchen (1850)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Marianka, Mundköchin des Hans-Jörgel von Gumpoldskirchen

Era

1850

Publisher

Dirnböck

Background

A delightful 19th-century cookbook that serves up refined banquets and hearty Austrian and Bohemian fare alike, all tested by the experienced hand of Marianka. It promises elegance for noble tables and affordable, tasty household cooking even in lean times—an inspiring blend of culinary sophistication and practical home kitchen wisdom.

Kindly made available by

Wien Bibliothek

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe hails from the mid-19th-century Viennese kitchen, penned by 'Marianka,' the skilled cook of Hans-Jörgel von Gumpoldskirchen. Her cookbook, published in 1850, sought to balance refined dishes for the nobility with hearty and affordable fare for the middle class, at a time when economic pressures encouraged thrift and resourcefulness. Game, particularly birds like capercaillie (Auerhahn), was a status symbol on central European tables. Large birds such as these required both skill and patience to cook well, especially when older and tougher specimens were in play. The use of sour marinades and larding techniques reflects a time before refrigeration, when preservation, tenderizing, and flavor enhancement walked hand in hand.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

In the 1850s, the cook would have used a wood-fired brick or cast-iron oven for roasting, with manual temperature management via coals and dampers. Larding needles or small knives were used to insert bacon strips into the muscle, enhancing juiciness and flavor. For marinating, large stoneware or glazed ceramic vessels provided non-reactive storage. Basting would be performed with a long-handled spoon or ladle. Heavy roasting pans and large two-pronged forks completed the kit. Today's cook can easily replicate the process using a modern oven, roasting rack, and metal or silicone larding tools; marination is safely done in glass or stainless steel, and regular basters help keep the bird moist as it roasts.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

1 hr 15 mins

Servings

We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!

Ingredients

1 capercaillie (Auerhahn), approx. 3.5–4.5 lb; can substitute pheasant or wild turkey
3.5 oz bacon (streaky, unsmoked), sliced for larding or wrapping
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For roasting: 7 fl oz (scant 1 cup) poultry or game stock
For older birds – marinade:
2 cups red wine vinegar (or half vinegar, half water)
2 cups water
2 large onions, sliced
2 carrots, sliced
2 bay leaves
8–10 juniper berries
10 black peppercorns
1 lemon, sliced (optional)
Salt, to taste

Instructions

For a young capercaillie (Auerhahn), begin by carefully larding the bird with thin slices of backfat bacon (about 3.5 oz), or wrap the whole bird snugly in bacon.
Roast it in a preheated oven at 350°F, similar to the method for pheasant, until the juices run clear and the skin is crisp (approx.
60–75 minutes, depending on the size, about 3.5–4.5 lb).
Baste ocasionaly with its own juices and a little poultry stock.
For an older or tougher capercaillie, prepare a sour marinade: combine about 2 cups vinegar or diluted red wine vinegar, 2 cups water, 2 large onions (sliced), 2 carrots (sliced), a few bay leaves, 8–10 juniper berries, 10 black peppercorns, optional sliced lemon, and salt.
Submerge the plucked and cleaned bird in the marinade in a non-reactive vessel, cover, and refrigerate for 2–3 days (up to 8 for very tough birds), turning ocasionally.
Afterwards, roast in the same way but baste regularly with the marinade and finish with some bacon fat for flavor and moisture.
This method also suits black grouse (Birkhahn) and hazel grouse (Schildhahn).
The sour marinade should be made as for a chamois leg (Gemsschlegel), emphasizing aromatic roots and spices.

Estimated Calories

550 per serving

Cooking Estimates

Preparing and roasting a 1.5–2 kg capercaillie takes about 15–30 minutes of prep time and 60–75 minutes in the oven. This recipe serves about 4 people. Each serving has about 550 calories, based mainly on the average size of the bird and added bacon.

As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.

We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.