Hiltl. Virtuoso Vegetarian

Hiltl.
Virtuoso
Vegetarian

Hiltl.
Virtuoso
Vegetarian

For my family.
Rolf Hiltl

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this publication,
or parts thereof, in any form.
© 1998 Werd Verlag AG, Zurich
4th edition, completely revised and updated 2013
Recipes The Hiltl family and their chefs, adapted and prepared by
Helmut Schattauer and Sven Zyschka
Styling and editing of new recipes Karin Messerli
Food photography Marie-Pierre Morel, Paris
Texts and history Paul Imhof
Photographs p. 5 Felix Frey; p. 8 Felix Frey; p. 174 / 175 Arsène Saheurs, Felix Frey;
p. 176 –181 Archiv Familie Hiltl; p. 179 centre Thomas Burla; p. 180 top right
Beatrice Niederau; p. 181 bottom right RDB / Schweizer Illustrierte /
Marcel Noecker; p. 182 –186 Felix Frey, Hiltl Archiv; p. 184 top left Blumen Krämer;
p. 184 bottom left Event by Trendix; p. 192 Ruf Lanz Werbeagentur AG
English translation and editing (4th edition) Jane Michael, Munich
English translation (previous editions) Birgit Rommel, Weisslingen
Design and layout Scherer Kleiber CD, Zurich
Re-Design (4th edition) Claudia Neuenschwander
Coordination (4th edition) Linda Malzacher
Printed by Bodan AG Druckerei und Verlag, Kreuzlingen
ISBN 978-3-85932-706-1

contents
09 Foreword
10 Rolf Hiltl in Conversation
with Beat Caduff
Soups
14 Carrot Soup
16 Lentil and Chestnut Soup
18 Cucumber Soup
20 Vegetable Gazpacho
Salads
24 Guacamole
25 Chinese Asparagus Salad
26 Carrot Salad
28 Taboulé
30 Fennel and Apple Salad
32 Orange Salad with Dates
36 Leek Salad
37 Thai Salad
38 Pumpkin Salad
42 Sweet Potato Salad
44 Chickpea Salad
46 Nepali Lentil Salad
Vegetables
Pasta
50 Saffron Artichokes
52 Ratatouille
54 Cucumber and Tomato
Ragout
55 Vegetable Stew
56 Provençal Potatoes
57 Aubergine Fricassée
58 Asparagus with
Mascarpone Sauce
64 Caponata
66 White Peppers
67 Courgettes with
Saffron Sauce
68 Sweet and Sour Pumpkin
70 Masaman Thai Curry
72 Chicory Piccata
76 Spaghetti with
Ramsons Pesto
Cereals
Mushrooms
80 Sweet Corn and Leek Cakes
82 Barley Risotto
83 Gorgonzola Polenta
86 Mushroom Ragout with
Marsala Sauce
88 Mushroom Stroganoff
6 Hiltl

Tofu & Co.
Arabian
Drinks
92 Tofu Napolitano
94 Züri Geschnetzeltes
96 Sweet and Sour Tofu
98 Lime Tofu
99 Paprika Geschnetzeltes
100 Casimir
Indian
104 Chapatis
105 Kachoris
106 Jaffna Okras
107 Coriander Pilau
108 Ravaya
110 Curried Eggs from
Southern India
111 Indian Snake Beans
114 Basmati Rice
115 Lemon Rice
116 Dushin Rothli
117 Vadai
118 Aubergine Curry
120 South Indian Avival
122 Paneer
123 Paneer Makhani
124 Rajma
125 Bengali Vegetables
126 White Curry
128 Jeera Dal
132 Arab Bamja
134 Couscous Marrakech
136 Lebanese Badingal
Sauces
Chutneys
140 Lime Salad Dressing
142 Ginger Raita
144 Mayonnaise
145 Almonaise
146 Date Chutney
148 Coconut Chutney
150 Home-Made Vegetable
Stock
151 Masaman Curry Paste
154 Tahini
154 Shrikand
155 Madras Sauce
155 Cress Salad Dressing
Desserts
158 Brownies
160 Mango Ice Cream
162 Walnut Salad
164 Easter Cake
168 The Call of Spring
168 Autumn Juice
168 Tropical
168 Santa’s Juice
168 Abricotine
168 Melo-Melo
170 Masala Coffee
172 Some Notes on the Recipes
174 Team
176 Hiltl History
182 Hybrid Concept
186 To Use at Home
188 Guest Statements
192 Outstanding

Foreword
Food for a
Vegetarian Mood
In 1998 the vegetarian Hiltl Restaurant in Zurich celebrated
its 100th anniversary; an ideal occasion to
publish a book of this kind. At the time it didn’t occur
to any of us that “Vegetarisch nach Lust und Laune”
would be such a resounding success. It was translated
into French and English and to date more than 100,000
copies have been sold. In autumn 2012 we launched
the English edition “Hiltl. Virtuoso Vegetarian” in
England. Naturally, we were delighted by the tremendous
interest the book generated in vegetarian food
generally and in our restaurant in particular. And so it
is with great pleasure that we present the 4th edition
of our Hiltl classic, which we have revised, modernised
and expanded.
Only twenty years ago, vegetarian cuisine still aroused
incredulity and scepticism. Bewildered tourists, who
had come into the restaurant more or less by accident
because they liked the look of it, its bistro style, or
the fact that it was obviously popular, were amazed:
“What, no meat? And you don’t serve fish either?”
I understood them only too well, as in those days the
word vegetarian hardly conjured up an image of fine
food served in a relaxed atmosphere. At that time there
was more than some truth in such negative preconceptions.
It was widely believed that vegetarian food was dull,
perhaps good for convalescents but certainly not
something to eat for pleasure. Today such prejudices
no longer exist. Vegetarian food is no longer ridiculous,
but part of our culinary heritage; the focus now is on
quality and taste, on change and variety. With or without
meat, a good meal depends on the products used
and the cooking skills available. My great -grandfather
was well aware of that. In 1948, when we celebrated our
50th anniversary, he wrote, “I want everyone who dines
here to feel at home and enjoy our wide choice of good,
healthy and nutritious food.”
We want to foster joie de vivre. Our focus is always on
people – whether guests or employees. For four
generations now, we have combined innovation and
tradition. As a team, we try to delight our guests
anew each and every day. That’s why we’re happy for
you to recreate our specialities for your guests at
home. We’ve compiled more than 80 recipes, some of
which are so popular that the restaurant wouldn’t be
the same without them. And this includes more than
20 recipes which our guests have repeatedly asked
for since we published the first edition of this book.
Today we are a multicultural team of 200 staff members
from over 50 nations. From early morning to late
at night, Haus Hiltl invites you to enjoy healthy indulgence
in our full-service restaurant, at our extensive
Hiltl buffet, in our self-service and take-away sections,
as well as in our bar-lounge, club, cooking studio, shops
and seminar rooms. Away from our headquarters we
also offer our home-made specialities in the form
of catering in event locations or at unique take-away
locations.
This book is also a ‘thank- you’ to my forebears and all
the Hiltl staff. They play a major part in ensuring that
the oldest vegetarian restaurant in the world will always
be young at heart.
I wish you happy hours in the kitchen whenever you are
in a vegetarian mood.
Yours sincerely, Rolf Hiltl

Rolf Hiltl in conversation with Beat Caduff
In the Mood
for Meat?
You’re both trained cooks – one
a semi -vegetarian and the other
a hunter. Where do Beat Caduff
and Rolf Hiltl differ?
Rolf Hiltl For me, being a semivegetarian
means that I enjoy
eating well and that sometimes I’m
in the mood for fish or a succulent
piece of meat.
Beat Caduff I sometimes have
a meal without meat, but I can’t
imagine eating only plants for the
rest of my life.
The approach to meat has
changed since the end of the
1990s. More and more people
are cutting down on the meat
they eat, but they don’t see
themselves as vegetarians.
Hiltl That’s a reaction to the
scandals connected with livestock
and poultry farming. On the day
Zurich’s Tages-Anzeiger published a
front -page story about BSE, we had
a queue that reached well onto the
pavement. The main problem is how
the animals are raised. When we’re
walking in the countryside and see
how pigs, for example, are housed,
I can understand why one of my
children says: “Daddy, I don’t think I
want to eat meat any more.”
Caduff Giving up meat is also a
result of today’s meat flavours.
Obviously, after you’ve eaten a
smelly pork chop from industrially
farmed pigs or a chicken fed on
fishmeal, the natural reaction is to
forget about meat altogether.
Could one say that in this
respect most Hiltl guests are
semi -vegetarians?
Hiltl Yes. We did a survey in which
more than 90 percent of our guests
said they ate meat or fish every
now and then.
“90 percent
of our guests
are semivegetarians”
Is that a matter of principle or
simply wanting less meat?
Hiltl Actually, it’s both. Some
people don’t eat meat because
they say enough is enough. The way
the animals are raised and shipped
is shocking: I’ll do what little I can
by eating less meat. However, I’m
convinced that people come to us
primarily because our food is good.
They come because we cook well,
because our service is friendly and
because we take our guests seriously.
We treat them with respect.
“The guests
come to Hiltl
because the
food is good”
You’re saying quality is the
deciding factor?
Caduff And the desire to eat
lighter meals. It’s true for me, too.
I used to use butter all the time; today
I tend to use olive oil. And other
restaurants, too, have noticed that
you can create excellent menus
without meat or fish. In the old days
they simply served a grilled tomato
or overcooked carrots.
Do you both use organic
products?
Hiltl We use many organic products.
Our eggs, for example, are
certified free range Swiss eggs;
our milk products are also certified
organic Swiss too. In the case of
vegetables the organic products
are not automatically better; here
we simply go by quality. It’s just like
wine. Wine simply has to be good.
Vegetables must be fresh, crisp
and full of flavour. We want to
10 Hiltl

know where they were grown; if
they’re organic, then so much the
better.
Caduff You’re absolutely right.
There are not many aids to help you
make a good wine. The only marketing
instrument is what’s in the
bottle; it’s the taste. The important
thing is that a tomato is a tomato
and also tastes like one.
In your mind’s eye you view the
veal chop you’ve just bought
as the centrepiece on the plate;
the rest is decoration. How do
you create a menu design if
there’s no meat around which
to work?
Hiltl The focus is on the vegetables.
It’s a tremendous challenge
for our chefs to cook without meat.
Of course you also need to know
how to cook a veal chop, but I’m
convinced that it’s harder to cook
without meat than with meat. It’s
difficult to make a main dish out of
a so-called side dish.
“Cooking without
meat is
a tremendous
challenge”
Caduff You’re right. Most chefs
find it very hard to produce a vegetarian
meal. I need almost twice
the time to prepare vegetarian food
as I do for a meat dish. Many chefs
are not prepared to invest the extra
time and effort.
Today every good restaurant is
expected to have vegetarian
dishes on its menu. You can no
longer take it for granted that a
couple dining out both want to
eat meat.
Hiltl Naturally, we’ve noticed that.
There’s much more competition
today. For me, however, this is a
positive development because vegetarian
food is nothing out of the
ordinary any longer. It has become
an established fact; it’s quite normal.
Today people have a vegetarian
meal because they’re in the mood
for it, not simply because their
doctor ordered it.
What vegetarian recipes are
there in Swiss regional cooking?
Caduff There are lots: all those
dishes with potatoes – rösti,
mashed potatoes – or those with
mushrooms or cheese. Cheese
fondue is a vegetarian dish. You’ve
got to remember that in Switzerland
meat was the prerogative of
the upper classes for a very long
time. For most people there was
only the Sunday roast, and that only
every now and then.
So, if we take a historical view,
we’re not a nation of semi-vegetarians
but of occasional meat
eaters!
Hiltl All the same, the range of
vegetarian recipes in Swiss cooking
– and indeed throughout Europe –
is not as varied as in India. It’s not
by chance that we serve numerous
Indian specialities. We look for
vegetarian dishes worldwide, particularly
lighter recipes. The Swiss
dishes without meat tend to be
fairly heavy, based on potatoes and
cheese. Low-calorie meals are not
typical of the mountain regions.
Caduff It was always colder in
this part of the world. In warm
climates one automatically eats
lighter meals. When I think of Thai
markets, with all their fruit and
vegetables, then it’s easy to do
without meat ...
Hiltl … it’s simply a question of
enjoyment. It’s about good food,
interesting drinks and friendly
service. About superb quality each
and every day. That’s our motto.

SALADS
Chickpea Salad
A taste of India
Serves 4
320 g chickpeas
1 small onion, stuck with
2 bay leaves and 2 cloves
1 tsp sea salt (1)
1 tbsp rapeseed oil
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp mild Madras curry
powder
2 tsp turmeric
Sea salt (2)
50 ml vegetable stock
(see p. 150)
1 medium carrot
1 small onion
180 g plain yoghurt
1 tbsp freshly squeezed
lemon juice
1 tbsp mayonnaise or
almonaise (see p. 144/145)
The previous day: Pick over the chickpeas, removing any
stones, wash thoroughly, and leave to soak overnight in 1 litre
cold water.
The next day: Drain the chickpeas and fill the pan again with
fresh water. Add the onion and salt (1) and simmer until
tender. This should take about 1 ½ hours. Drain in a colander.
Heat the rapeseed oil and gently fry the cumin seeds until
they smell aromatic. Be careful not to let them burn.
Take the pan off the heat and mix in the rest of the spices.
Immediately add the vegetable stock so that the
spices do not become bitter. Stir this spice mixture into
the well -drained chickpeas and set aside to cool down.
Peel and grate the carrot. Add to the chickpeas together
with the chopped onion, yoghurt, lemon juice, mayonnaise or
almonaise and mustard. Mix thoroughly
Allow to stand for about 30 minutes to let the flavours
develop before serving.
1 tbsp mustard
Tip Chickpeas are very nutritious
because they contain
both protein and carbohydrate,
as well as supplying valuable
fibre, trace elements, minerals
and vitamins.
(Ei) / Mi / (Nü) / Sf / Zw
44 Hiltl

tofu & co.
Züri Geschnetzeltes
Not just for gourmets from Zurich
Serves 4
400 g button mushrooms
2 tbsp sunflower oil
(high oleic)
500 g sliced tofu,
Quorn or seitan
25 g butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp tomato purée
200 ml white wine
A dash of cognac
400 ml double cream
150 ml vegetable stock
(see p. 150)
Sea salt
1 tbsp freshly squeezed
lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper
Clean the mushrooms and slice thinly. Heat the oil, gently fry
the tofu, Quorn or seitan over a low heat and set aside.
In the same pan, heat the butter and gently fry the onion until
golden brown, taking care not to burn it. Add the mushrooms
and tomato purée and continue to fry. Add the white wine and
cognac, stirring while the liquid reduces. Add the cream and
vegetable stock, and continue to cook until the sauce has the
required consistency. Lastly, add the tofu (Quorn or seitan)
and season with sea salt, lemon juice and pepper.
tip Served with rösti (Swiss
hash browns) or pasta, this tofu
geschnetzeltes is just as good
as Zurich’s famous speciality.
(Ei) / (Gl) / Mi / (Sf) / (So) / (Zw)
94 Hiltl

desserts
Brownies
The best brownies in Zurich
Makes 25 brownies
(30 x 27 cm baking tin)
Melt the butter and vanilla couverture in a small pan on the
lowest heat.
360 g butter
500 g vanilla couverture,
grated (dark couverture)
5 large eggs
A pinch of salt
540 g brown sugar
½ tsp vanilla sugar
300 g shelled walnuts
360 g brown flour
Butter for the tin
Beat the eggs, salt, brown sugar and vanilla sugar till they are
light and fluffy.
Carefully fold the egg mixture into the butter and chocolate
mixture. Fold in the flour and the walnuts.
Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Generously butter the baking tin.
Spoon the brownie mixture into the tin and spread
smoothly. Bake for about 35 minutes in the lower third of
the oven (about 5 minutes less in a convection oven).
Leave to cool and then cut into 4 cm squares.
Tip Brownies can be stored in a
tin for several days.
Ei / Gl / Mi / Nü / So
158 Hiltl