Main Course
Walliser Gsottus
Valais Boiled Dinner
A Valais specialty that takes a little planning, but is a true delicacy: dried and smoked meats simmered with vegetables and pears.

Zutaten
IngredientsTick off ingredients as you go.
Nährwerte
Nutrition · per serving
| Energy | 3653 kJ / 871 kcal |
|---|---|
| Fat | 36 g |
| of which saturates | 14 g |
| Carbohydrate | 38 g |
| of which sugars | 25 g |
| Fibre | 12 g |
| Protein | 92 g |
| Salt | 10.7 g |
Meat counted as half dried meat, half smoked pork. Soaking removes part of the salt, so the salt value is an upper estimate.
Estimate for the original amounts, per serving. Salt added to taste is not included. Calculated from the Swiss Food Composition Database (V7.1, FSVO).
Zubereitung
Directions- 1
Fill a wide pot with cold water, add the meat and bacon, and let soak for 12 to 14 hours. The meat must be completely covered with water.
- 2
Stud the onion with the bay leaf and cloves and add it to the pot. Bring to a boil and let the meat simmer for about three hours. As the pieces are cooked, remove them and set aside.
- 3
Add the sliced potatoes, white cabbage, leek, beets and pears to the broth and cook for about 15 minutes.
- 4
Return the meat to the broth to heat through.
Tipp · Serving
Enjoy with Valais rye bread or white bread and Valais mountain cheese.
En Guete!
Bon appétit · Buon appetito · Bun appetit · Enjoy your meal
First published in the Arizona Swiss Society's Valley Echo newsletter, Spring 2024.
A bit of history
Geschichte
Where Walliser Gsottus comes from, gathered from reliable sources such as the Culinary Heritage of Switzerland inventory.
Gsottus belongs to the traditional cooking of Upper Valais. The Virtual Walser Museum describes everyday mountain meals there: meat was rare, Fridays and Lent were meatless anyway, and the Sunday meat meal was usually Gsottus. People preserved meat by air-drying it as dried meat, ham, bacon and house sausage. In 2011 NZZ Folio watched a chef in Ernen make it: he soaked dried and cured meats, beef brisket, mutton, bacon and Schnörrli, simmered them with onions and small Siederli sausages, then added potatoes, rice, leek, garlic and wine. Folio called it a pot-au-feu, Upper Valais style.
Sources
- Ässu · Virtuelles Walsermuseum
- Hüere güet! · NZZ Folio
- Saas Mutton Gsottus · Slow Food Foundation, Ark of Taste
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