Schmorgurken-Cremesuppe mit Lachs

1.2 kg cucumbers, 3 spring onions, 2 tbsp butter, 200 ml dry white wine, 1 tbsp vegetable broth (instant), 100 g sliced smoked salmon, 1 bunch of dill, 150 g crème fraîche, salt and pepper, 2–3 tsp small capers

Clean, peel and halve the cucumbers. Scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Roughly chop the cucumbers. Clean, wash and cut spring onions into rings.
Heat butter in a large saucepan. Braise the cucumbers and spring onions until translucent. Pour in the wine and 1⁄2 l of water, stir in the broth. Bring everything to a boil and cover and simmer for about 15 minutes until the cucumbers are tender.
Now cut the salmon into strips. Wash the dill and shake dry, chop them finely.
Puree the soup with a hand blender. Mix in crème fraîche and dill. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange soup and sprinkle with salmon and capers.

Slow-braised pork shoulder with cider, crème fraîche & mustard

4 pork shoulder steaks, about 750g in total, oil, 1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced, 300ml cider, 2 bay leaves, 4 tbsp crème fraîche, 2 tsp Dijon mustard, small bunch parsley, chopped

Heat a little oil in an ovenproof pan with a lid. Fry the shoulder steaks on each side until golden brown. Lift out then fry the onions until softened and golden. Add back the pork with the cider and bay. Bring to a simmer then put on a lid and cook in a 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 oven for 1½ hours.
Lift out the oven and break up the steaks into chunks. Stir in the crème fraîche, mustard and parsley then cook for another 5 minutes. Serve with mash or green veg.

Piept de porc la cuptor cu salvie si lamaie

1.5 kg pork belly, 4-5 sage leaves, 3-4 cloves of garlic, juice from ½ lemon, slices of lemon, sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, 2 teaspoons of cumin, 2 tablespoons olive oil
1kg of potatoes, cut into halves or quarters, salt and pepper

Cut the skin with a sharp knife. You can make squares or stripes. Salt and pepper well the meat on all sides. Squeeze the juice from 1/2 lemon and sprinkle the meat with it. Put slices of garlic and sage leaves in the cuts. Cut into slices the other half of the lemon (with whole bark - it gives a special flavor) and put it on the tray. Rub the meat with 2 tablespoons of oil.
Place the roast in the heated oven at 220C, without foil or lid. Leave it for 30 minutes, then remove the tray briefly and add the potatoes around the meat. Salt them and sprinkle with cumin. Add 2 cups of water and cover the tray with aluminum foil. Bake for another 50 minutes.
In the last 10 minutes remove the aluminum foil. With a spoon pour the juices from the tray over potatoes and meat. It is reintroduced in the oven for the final grinding, preferably with the grill function.

Ciorbă de cartofi cu afumătură și tarhon, ca în Ardeal

Yummy traditional soup from Ardeal by Laura Laurentiu Ciorba de cartofi

1 kg of waxed potatoes, 300 grams smoked bacon or smoked ribs, 1 large onion, 3 medium size carrots, 2 celery celery sticks or a piece of peeled celery root, 1 teaspoon of sweet paprika of good quality, 200 ml fresh tomato juice or 150 ml tomato paste, 1 bunch tarragon, 1/2 bunch parsley, 200 grams of liquid cream for cooking (20-30% fat), salt and pepper

If the meat is very salty, keep it for 2-3 hours in cold water. Put the meat in a pot with 4 liters of cold water on the stove and gather the foam from the surface a few times. Boil it for about 1 hour. After boiling, completely debone the meat and cut it into appropriate cubes.
Peel, wash and chop all the vegetables in cubes.
Add the vegetables in the soup, if necessary add water. After boil add the meat cut into pieces. Season with salt and pepper if necessary. Sprinkle over the paprika and mix.
Boil the broth until the vegetables are done. Add the fresh tomato juice or paste and boil for another 5 minutes. 

Turn off the heat, add the cream and the chopped tarragon and parsley. Leave it to infuse for a few minutes, then serve.