Bistro De Maufel

 

Luc Wolff: "Problems are solved with a little wine."

If Berlin's theaters hadn't been famous for their dry soft pretzels and mediocre wine, the city might never have gotten its own fantastic Luxembourger restaurant. But let's start at the beginning. Luc Wolff first came to Berlin to study gardening. But then he started making contacts in the art scene and became an artist in his own right. And then he fell in love. He and his girlfriend spent a lot of time at the theater and they were always shocked by the dearth of culinary sophistication during intermissions. It's a whole different story in Luxembourg, where snacks include delicious appetizers and Crémant champagne. So, Heike Kaschny and Luc Wolff were inspired to open up their delicatessen store, De Maufel, in 2006. It has meanwhile turned into a fine restaurant.

De Maufel in Berlin's Charlottenburg district

During the day, De Maufel is a bistrot that offers lunch. At night, it's a gourmet restaurant offering Luxembourgian specialties. They are so terrific that the influential French restaurant guide "Gault Millau" thought it worthy of multiple mentions and "toques," according to the magazine's rating system.

  

Coq au Riesling with Pommes Allumettes

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 guinea hens, 3–3.6 kg each
• 4 bay leaves
• 12 allspice seeds
• 1 celeriac root
• 4 carrots
• 8 onions
• 20 black peppercorns
• 200 g green grapes
• 4 parsley roots
• 4 medium-sized waxy potatoes
• 1 l Riesling wine
• 12 small shallots
• 10 g cornstarch
• 2 l frying oil
• 12 T oil for frying

Preparation:

Remove legs and breasts from guinea hens. Peel celeriac, carrots, parsley roots, and half of onions. Chop vegetables into walnut-sized pieces. Place guinea hen carcasses and cubed vegetables in a pot with allspice, bay leaves, and pepper. Cover ingredients with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer at low heat for around 45 minutes. Strain chicken broth through a fine sieve.

In the meantime, separate legs at joints. Peel remaining onions, slice in half lengthwise, then quarter. Roast prepared legs in roasting tray until golden brown, then add onions and roast. Deglaze tray with Riesling and cover ingredients with chicken broth. Cook for 45 minutes in a covered pot at medium heat.

Peel potatoes and slice into matchsticks. Blanch in boiling water, then shock in ice water. Place potatoes on paper towel and pat dry. Heat frying oil to 180° C, fry potatoes, and salt to taste.

Remove chicken legs from roasting tray and remove skin. Reduce stock to one third, then purée using a hand mixer until smooth. Return stock to roasting tray. In a pan, sauté chicken breast together with peeled shallots. Add shallots to the sauce in the roasting tray and cook for ten minutes. Stock will have thickened slightly in the reducing process. If sauce is too thin, dissolve one part cornstarch in one part white wine to thicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add chicken legs and grapes to sauce, bring to a boil briefly, then place on plate and serve.

Restaurant De Maufel
Leonhardtstraße 13
14057 Berlin

Tel.: +49 30 31004399
 

De Maufel website