From the meadow to the plate
White gold
Good things take time. Unless you work with sheep's milk - then faster is better. That is why it is important at Plötzingerhof that the cheese delicacies are enjoyed within sight of the Attersee.
White tupers on a hill in the Salzkammergut. They move leisurely across the lush green meadows - away from the midday heat and into the shade of the fruit trees. Behind them, the sun glistens in the Attersee.
It is a sight that has been enjoyed by generations of Weyreggers: ever since the Plötzingerhof was first mentioned in documents in 1514, sheep have been kept here. It is true that other farm animals have always been kept in the stables. But since "the cow finally left the farm" 35 years ago, as the owners Bernhard and Monika Gangl say, only the sheep give milk. There are about 200 of them. In addition, there is the herding dog Flacke, called Fleck, and a handful of chickens.
If you stay at the fences for a while, you will get very close to the "Schmusis" - that's what Monika calls the sheep that are particularly in need of cuddling. They like to get an extra stroke from her.
"Bernhard scolds them because they are supposed to go inside and not stay there. But he does the same," she says and laughs. The sheep from Plötzingerhof belong to the Lacaune breed and are partly crossbred with East Frisian milk sheep. They are known for the good quality of their milk, which is perfect for cheese-making because of its high fat and protein content: Bernhard Gangl produces fresh cheese, Greek-style sheep's cheese, fruity yoghurts and wonderfully creamy curd directly on his farm. Only milk fresh from the day is put into his vats. Most of the time it is still so warm that he doesn't have to heat it any further and can start processing it straight away.
Marcel calls his style of cooking "simply honest": on the menu you will find beef from the Salzburg region, fish from the surrounding lakes - and sheep's cheese from the Plötzingerhof. The two found most of the regional products through hearsay; the farm of Monika and Bernhard Gangl, for example, was recommended to them by their fire brigade commander. Among the Plötzingerhof products, the chef is particularly taken with the mild cream cheese. Marcel combines it with strong contrasts: he contrasts the salty-sour vinaigrette with sweet accents of stewed tomatoes and rounds the whole thing off with fresh basil and thyme. A creamy delight that melts on the palate into a wonderful whole that is more than the sum of its parts.
A restaurant and a farm: two have found each other.
TEXT: Isabel Frahndl PHOTOS: Gregor Kuntscher / ASA12
Text & photos were published in Servus Salzkammergut Magazin 2022.
Recipe
WEYREGGER SHEEP CHEESE CUP with braised cherry tomatoes
Ingredients for 4 people
120 g cherry tomatoes
4 sprigs of thyme
20 g olive oil
1 tsp icing sugar
10 g cane sugar
25 ml vinegar
10 ml soy sauce
Salt, pepper, fresh basil
8 tbsp slivered almonds
15 g black olives
1 handful rocket and shiso cress
Preparation
1. Slice five cherry tomatoes, add a
few sprigs of thyme, some olive oil and icing sugar
and braise in the oven
at 120 °C for about 25 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, puree the remaining tomatoes with cane
sugar, vinegar and soy sauce for the marinade. Stir in
olive oil, season with salt and pepper
and add basil cut into strips.
3. toast slivered almonds in olive oil, stir together with olive slices,
a few dashes of olive oil and fresh basil
4. season everything with salt and pepper and serve with the
sheep's cheese croissants, a handful of rocket and shiso cress.
