Schnitten Von Geräuchertem Rohen Schinken

This recipe comes from Henriette Davidis’ famed ‘Praktisches Kochbuch,’ first published in the mid-19th century and cherished across generations of German households. Davidis’ opus is revered as a bridge between traditional peasant fare and the evolving middle-class kitchen, making both everyday and more refined dishes accessible. In this late 19th-century context, rural and urban Germans alike frequently worked with preserved meats such as smoked or salted ham. Soaking salty meats and gentle frying were ways to revitalize leftovers or slightly tough cuts, while the breading and slow frying reflect both thrift and the era’s fondness for crispy, buttery fare.

Back in the day, cooks would have used a sturdy, sharp, but also broad-bladed kitchen knife to pound the meat; simple ceramic or stoneware bowls for soaking; a whisk or fork to beat the eggs; hand-cranked mills to crush zwieback or rusks; and heavy iron or tin-lined copper frying pans over wood- or coal-fired stoves to fry in butter. Bread would often be grated fresh on a box grater.