Wherever a crowd gathers in Liechtenstein, at village festivals, sports days and the great national day party in Vaduz on the 15th of August, there will be a grill, a queue and a cloud of sausage smoke. The sausage of choice in this corner of the Alps is the white bratwurst of eastern Switzerland, made from veal and pork with milk and gentle spices; the most famous, the St. Galler Bratwurst, is protected by its own geographical indication and made just across the Rhine. It comes with a Bürli, a small, crusty, floury bread roll with a soft and slightly chewy middle.

Then there is the question of mustard. In St. Gallen, tradition holds that this sausage is eaten with bread and nothing else, on the grounds that mustard drowns its subtle spicing, and some locals defend the position with surprising feeling. Elsewhere, a squeeze of mustard is simply lunch. We put it on the side and leave the diplomacy to you.

The sausages

Ingredients

• 4 white veal bratwurst
• 1 teaspoon neutral vegetable oil

Method

1. Heat an outdoor grill to medium, about 375°F (190°C), or set the grill pan or skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes. Brush the grill bars or pan lightly with the oil.
2. Lay the sausages on the grill across the bars. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, turning a quarter turn with the tongs every 3 minutes so every side browns. If they start to blacken or the skin splits, move them to a cooler part of the grill or lower the heat.
3. Push the thermometer into the end of one sausage toward the center.
4. Move the sausages to a plate and rest for 2 minutes so the juices settle.

To serve

Ingredients

• 4 Bürli rolls
• 4 tablespoons medium hot mustard

Method

1. During the last 2 minutes of grilling, set the rolls on the edge of the grill or in the warm pan, turning once.
2. Give everyone a sausage on a paper napkin or small plate with a whole roll beside it. The sausage is held in one hand and the roll in the other, with a bite of each in turn. Put the mustard on the table for those who want it.

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