The first stop on our special series "Tennis & Culinary Delights in Carinthia" is the Hotel & Spa Sonne in St. Kanzian, on the western shore of Lake Klopein. From April to October, this family-run, 4-star hotel offers ideal conditions for a tennis holiday as a couple, with friends, or with family. Located directly on the lake, the charming hotel boasts an unforgettable panoramic view of the lake and mountains . You'll also fondly remember the delicious Alpine-Adriatic cuisine that the kitchen team conjures up daily. We asked the hotel what makes Alpine-Adriatic cuisine so special and how the tennis hotel embraces the Slow Food trend. Join us on this culinary journey of discovery. And we've even included a super tasty recipe: Enjoy trying out Carinthian salmon on white wine risotto with porcini mushrooms and bacon chips !

Kitchen door opens in the tennis hotel Sonne Hotel & Spa

We asked the kitchen team at the Sonne a few questions about Slow Food and Alpine-Adriatic cuisine. Read on to find out how the hotel puts these two concepts into practice every day.

 Carinthian Slow Food – that stands for fantastic regional and high-quality products that you use in your hotel. Where do you source your products (meat, fish, cheese, etc.) and do you have a particular favorite?

We source our products from nearby businesses with whom we have a long-standing partnership. Our meat comes from Karnerta in Klagenfurt, a company renowned for its traditional butchery. We get our fish directly from the Marzi fish farm in St. Marein. And our delicious, versatile goat cheese comes practically around the corner from Hartmann Goat Cheese in St. Kanzian.

Our favorite product is the buckwheat rice from the Tomic organic farm. (Note: Buckwheat rice is buckwheat)

 Carinthia is known for its so-called Alpe-Adria cuisine: how would you define this style of cooking? What makes this cuisine particularly delicious?

The influences of the neighboring countries and the combination of products from these three cultures harmonize beautifully. This interplay is characterized by the lightness of Italian cuisine, the tradition of Slovenian cuisine, and the passion for regionality of Carinthian and Austrian cuisine.

 What is your personal favorite Carinthian dish that you serve at the hotel?

Without a doubt, the original Carinthian Kasnudeln.

 What should a TennisTraveller absolutely eat when visiting Carinthia (e.g., in a rustic alpine hut)?

Ritschert – the classic dish that Carinthian grandmothers used to serve in a large pot, 'family style', when everyone gathered around the table in the evening. Beans from the garden, smoked meat, pearl barley, vegetables, all nestled in homemade soup.

The recipe from the Sonne Hotel & Spa tennis hotel: Carinthian salmon on white wine risotto with porcini mushrooms and bacon chips

white wine sauce:

• 2 shallots
• 1 clove of garlic
• 50 g butter
• 200 ml white wine
• 100 ml whipped cream
• some beef broth
• salt and pepper

Recommended garnish: cherry tomatoes and porcini mushrooms

preparation

• Season the fish fillets with salt and pepper and place them skin-side down on a buttered piece of aluminum foil. The fish can be marinated with lemon, thyme, and olive oil, or other herbs from the garden, according to taste, and set aside. Then, gently fry it skin-side down in a pan with oil.
  
  
• Finely chop the onion and sauté it in a little butter. Add the rice and stir. Deglaze with a splash of wine and let it evaporate while stirring. Then gradually add the vegetable stock, simmering until the rice is al dente and the risotto has a creamy consistency. It's important to stir frequently to prevent burning. Finally, remove from the heat and finish with butter and Parmesan cheese – this will make the risotto even creamier.
  
  
• For the white wine sauce, peel and finely chop the shallots and garlic clove, then sauté them in a saucepan with some of the butter. Deglaze with white wine, add the stock, and reduce slightly. Add the cream, season with salt and pepper, and continue to reduce. Remove from the heat, blend with an immersion blender, and, if necessary, strain. Finally, stir in the remaining butter and froth with an immersion blender before serving.
  
  
• As a garnish, we recommend fresh porcini mushrooms sliced ​​and lightly fried, a sprig of thyme and one or two fresh cherry tomatoes per plate.
  
  

We wish you a good appetite! 

Looking for more tennis holiday inspiration in Carinthia?

You can find lots of information about tennis hotels in Carinthia at www.kaernten.at/tennis . Specific booking offers can be found at: www.kaernten.at/tennis/urlaubsangebote. 
Or, of course, directly here on TennisTraveller on our Carinthia inspiration page – everything at a glance: Carinthian tennis hotels, camp offers, and interesting blog posts.

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