BABA GANOUSH MIT GROOVE
BABA GANOUSH WITH GROOVE
Hummus, labneh, tabbouleh: the intensely aromatic and life-affirming cuisine of the eastern Mediterranean brings a touch of the Levant to the Tegernsee Valley.
The sun shines over Lake Tegernsee, a few boats bob on the waves outside the windows, and the scent of olives and freshly baked pita bread drifts through the air. The table at Clubhaus Bachmair Weissach seems almost to bend beneath the abundance of small, colourful ceramic bowls, filled to the brim with hummus, baba ganoush, labneh and tabbouleh. Alongside them are tempting dips such as Syrian aioli with ginger and cayenne, or the Levantine mango sauce amba with coriander and chilli.
Mezze is the magic word – small, varied dishes that can introduce a meal, but just as easily replace an entire menu.
For this is the most beautiful thing about Levantine cuisine: it is uncomplicated, indulgent and free of constraints. Mezze stands for a culture of sharing, with relaxed enjoyment and the communal celebration of food at its heart.
The traditional customs of Arabic cuisine were stylishly refined in Israel’s vibrant young gastronomy scene and, from Tel Aviv, went on to conquer the Western restaurant world. In doing so, the culinary impulses from Israel, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon not only bring entirely new aromas to our palates; they are also set to profoundly change our dining culture.
On the one hand, because they question our rigid menu structures in a completely carefree way; on the other, because their dishes are more casual, healthier, more aromatic and more cosmopolitan.
The traditional main protagonists of Levantine cuisine are vegetables, herbs and spices – a style that feels very much of the moment and is increasingly shaping the menu at the Clubhaus. “Vegetarian creations can be more exciting than many a fish or meat dish,” says Normen Eller, the young head chef who is currently giving the cuisine at the scene-setting lakeside restaurant a fresh new direction.
One example is his grilled oven-baked celeriac: it is cooked whole in the oven for up to five hours, then finished on the grill to take on delicate roasted aromas. The vegetable is elevated by imaginative accompaniments: persimmon chutney, seasoned with white balsamic vinegar, chilli and fresh coriander, topped with roasted pecans. Crispy fried ginger cubes add further aroma and texture. “A vegetarian dish with added value – that is how you can inspire guests,” says Eller.
In the bright pavilion, glazed on all sides, meat and fish lovers are, of course, also well catered for. Beef onglet, corn-fed chicken breast or lake trout achieve juicy tenderness on the Josper grill, currently so popular in fine dining. What makes it special: the kitchen team works over an open fire and uses coconut charcoal, produced in Asia from coconut shells, which burns longer and more intensely than conventional charcoal.
The professional grill can be heated up to 400 degrees, but also allows fish and meat to continue cooking gently away from the flames in the rising warm air. “That is where the chef’s finesse is required,” says Eller. And because guests can put together their own side dishes, they also get to enjoy his dedicated vegetable cuisine here. Wild broccoli, for example, served on a yoghurt-miso cream with a topping of aromatic dukkah crunch made from hazelnuts and cashews.
“Roasted nuts, which in this case we refine with cumin, fennel seed and dried mint, not only support the Levantine aromas, but also give the dishes depth and high nutritional value,” says the young chef, who always keeps health aspects in mind as well.
Among the secret weapons of Levantine cuisine is its infinite variety of spices. Anyone who has ever visited the spice bazaar in Istanbul or the Levinsky Market in Tel Aviv will keep them forever in their sensory memory: the aromas of cardamom and cumin, of sumac, cinnamon and coriander.
The young kitchen crew at Tegernsee is also fascinated by the richness of Oriental spice blends – and for the Clubhaus team, making them in-house is a matter of honour. Za’atar, for example, varies in composition from country to country across the Middle East, but always revolves around the main ingredients of wild thyme, sesame seeds and sumac.
Normen Eller uses it to add a special touch to his creation “Levante Caprese”, a salad with colourful tomatoes, figs, torn mozzarella and balsamic glaze. Homemade Moroccan preserved lemon provides a fresh acidic kick, while rose petals add floral notes.
With its cosmopolitan variety of flavours, the Clubhaus Bachmair Weissach fits into a very contemporary gastronomic network that has been woven across Europe in recent years by young immigrants from Israel, as well as refugees from Syria and Iraq. In their luggage, they brought the recipes of their mothers and grandmothers, along with spice blends such as baharat, harissa and za’atar.
Many of them opened bars, restaurants and street food venues – whether in London’s East End, Berlin-Neukölln or Paris-Montparnasse. Not all of them became as famous as Yotam Ottolenghi, the Jerusalem-born chef who, with his restaurants and delis in London and not least with his cookbooks, has shaped an entire generation of gourmets. With his bestseller Jerusalem, he drew attention to one of the most dynamic food cultures in the world today.
At Clubhaus Bachmair Weissach, this joyful style of cuisine feels deeply familiar. So much so that even the cocktail menu has been inspired by it. House creations such as the “Jerusalem Mojito”, flavoured with mint, agave and pomegranate, or the invigorating “Lebanese Fizz” with fresh watermelon and mint, suit the view over the lake, which presents itself differently in every kind of weather.
And like the improvised beach bars of Tel Aviv, the Clubhaus increasingly transforms over the course of an evening from restaurant into bar – and not infrequently into a spontaneous party location. Then the music is turned up, a holiday feeling spreads, and the mood becomes just like the cuisine of the Levant: exuberant, life-affirming and open in every direction.
CHARLOTTE MILLER
