Mustard Thyme Spaetzle Recipes

TRADITIONAL GERMAN SPAETZLE

Steps:

• Add the flour and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir to combine. Crack the eggs into a small bowl and whisk them. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour the eggs in it. Add the milk (start with using slightly less and add more as needed). Attach a dough hook to the stand mixer and "knead" the dough for 16-20 minutes, or until bubbles appear (see pictured instructions for details). After 15 minutes or less of beating, use a wooden spoon to scoop and pull the dough. If bubbles/holes appear, the dough is done.
• Bring at least 2 quarts of lightly salted water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Using a Spätzle maker of your choice (I use and prefer the Spätzle press), press the noodles into the simmering water and cook for about 2-3 minutes, or until the noodles float to the top. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the noodles to a colander, and then dump the noodles in a large bowl of ice water. Drain the noodles again, toss with some melted butter and serve warm.
• Make Ahead: The Spaetzle can be stored in the fridge for at least a couple of days and then reheated. Melt some butter in a large skillet and toss the Spätzle in it to heat through.

RED PEPPER SPAETZLE IN MUSTARD CREAM SAUCE WITH SAUSAGE

Steps:

• For the sausage: In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until browned on each side, about 5 minutes.
• Add 1/2 cup water to the skillet. (You can add a little more if sausage is large.) Cover and cook until the water is nearly evaporated and the sausage is firm, 15 to 20 minutes.
• For the spaetzle: In a food processor, combine the roasted peppers, cheese, and chicken stock and puree until smooth.
• In a large saucepot over high heat, bring 4 quarts water to a boil. While the water is heating, in a bowl blend 1/2 cup red pepper puree, flour, eggs, parsley, 1/2 cup water, and salt. Stir until just well mixed. Do not over mix! Over mixing will result in a tough dough.
• Once the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium. Squeeze or press the dough through a spaetzle maker or a large holed colander. This pressing needs to be completed in a quick manner, thus allowing the dough to cook evenly. Once the spaetzle has been dropped into the water, cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring throughout the cooking time.
• Once cooked, remove from the heat and drain through a colander to retrieve the spaetzle. Drain well.
• For the sauce: In a saucepan over medium heat, add the butter and shallots, cooking until shallots are a light brown, and then deglaze with the wine. Once deglazed, add the cream, thyme, Dijon, and salt and pepper, to taste. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook until the cream has thickened, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese. Toss the spaetzle in the sauce.
• Slice the sausage and serve alongside the spaetzle in cream sauce.
• Place the pork shoulder in a bowl and keep cold until ready to use. Fill a large bowl with ice and place the bowl of pork shoulder on top.
• Grind the pork shoulder once through a grinding disk with large holes and again through a disk with medium holes. Grind the meat into the bowl sitting on ice.
• Season the pork with caraway, ground coriander, fresh oregano, and salt. Mix to combine well.
• Cook a small amount of the meat mixture to test for seasoning. Add more spices and salt, if needed. Thoroughly mix in a splash of cold water. Allow the seasoned pork to chill on ice or in the fridge before stuffing into the casing.
• Replace the grinder attachment with the horn. (Be sure to thoroughly clean the attachment area before proceeding.) Rub oil onto the horn, and then put the casing on, leaving a few inches of slack at the end.
• Stuff the casing, tie off the ends, and prick the sausage with a pin or the tip of a knife.
• Refrigerate the sausage until ready to cook.

SPAETZLE WITH KIELBASA AND CARAMELIZED ONIONS

Steps:

• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, lightly brown the kielbasa until golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Melt the butter in the skillet. Stir in the onion and thyme, and stir briefly to coat the onion with butter. Cook onion, without stirring, until dark brown, about 5 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and cook on low heat until very soft and caramelized, 20 to 30 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons water and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Transfer onion to a bowl.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a large bowl, combine the flour, 1 teaspoon salt and the nutmeg. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir well. The batter should be fairly wet, with a consistency slightly thicker than pancake batter.
• Spread a clean dish towel flat on a work surface adjacent to the stove. Working over the pot of boiling water, press dough through a spaetzle maker or use a rubber spatula to push it through a colander with holes at least 1/4-inch wide. Drop dough into the water. When dumplings rise to the surface, use a slotted spoon to transfer to the towel.
• Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Toss the spaetzle and kielbasa in the bowl with the onions, and add 1 1/2 cups cheese and the pepper. Spread into a 2-quart gratin dish. Sprinkle the top of the casserole with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake until golden and bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes.

MUSHROOM AND MUSTARD SPAETZLE

Steps:

• Add 2 tablespoons of butter and the oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cooked spaetzle and saute until slightly browned, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the pan to a serving platter and set aside while you cook the mushrooms. Set the skillet back over high heat and add a little more olive oil and remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the thyme, mushrooms and garlic and saute until golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the cream and mustard and stir well. Reduce the mixture until the sauce is nice and thick, about 3 minutes. Fold in the spaetzle. Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with chives and serve alongside the pork schnitzel, if desired.
• Spaetzle:
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. In another mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the egg-milk mixture. Gradually draw in the flour from the sides and combine well; the dough should be smooth and thick. Let the dough rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Bring 3 quarts of salted water to a boil in a large pot, over medium heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer. To form the spaetzle, hold a large holed colander or slotted spoon over the simmering water and push the dough through the holes with a spatula or spoon. Do this in batches so you don't overcrowd the pot. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until the spaetzle floats to the surface, stirring gently to prevent sticking. Drain the spaetzle in a colander and give it a quick rinse with cool water. This can be made up to 1 hour in advance.

SUNNY'S BK JAGERSCHNITZEL WITH SUNNY'S LEMON-THYME SPAETZLE

Steps:

• For the chops: Use a rolling pin to flatten the chops to a little less than 1/2-inch thin. Sprinkle the chops with salt and pepper.
• Set up the dredging station: Get 3 large bowls or plates in a row, with the last one closest to your stove. Place a plate next to the last bowl. In the first bowl, add the flour. In the middle bowl, add the eggs with a splash of water. In the last bowl, add the breadcrumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, dried sage, cardamom, Hungarian paprika, salt, black pepper, chili powder and lemon zest. Stir with a fork.
• Dredge the chops: First, take each seasoned chop and dredge in the flour, shaking off any excess flour. Dip each in the egg, and then press each into the breading mixture, making sure to completely cover both sides. Remove each to the resting plate.
• Fry the chops: In a large pan over medium-high heat, add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Cook the chops until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and set aside. To keep warm, cover gently with aluminum foil and do not seal (or place in a warm oven anywhere from 100 to 150 degrees F, uncovered).
• For the gravy base: In the same pan on medium heat, add more oil if needed. Add the carrots, celery, half the onions, thyme, bay leaf, a pinch of salt and a grind or two of black pepper. Cook while stirring until everything is tender and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Raise the heat and add the wine, using a wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan. When the wine has reduced by about half, add the beef broth. Bring to a simmer and reduce the sauce by half, about 10 minutes. Pour the sauce through a sieve into a bowl, pressing down to get the most liquid out of the solids. Set aside.
• Finish the mushroom gravy: Wipe the pan clean with a paper towel. Over medium heat, add the butter and melt, but don't brown it. If the heat is too high, lower it. Then add the remaining chopped onions, the mushrooms, a pinch of salt and a grind or two of pepper. Cook while stirring until tender, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle over the flour and stir while cooking a few more minutes until the veggies soak up the flour. Add the reserved sauce base back to the pan and bring to a simmer. Cook while stirring until thickened, about 10 minutes. Serve poured over the cooked chops. Serve with Sunny's Lemon-Thyme Spaetzle.
• For the batter: In a bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, thyme, salt, black pepper, ground mustard, cayenne pepper, nutmeg and lemon zest. Gradually whisk in the flour to make a thick, tight batter. Add more flour by the spoonful until the proper texture is met (this should feel like it won't drip through a colander whole, but can be pressed through and remain stringy, not doughy).
• Boil the spaetzle: Fill a double boiler halfway with water and add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and place a colander over the pot. Add a heaping cup of spaetzle batter at a time to the colander and, with a rubber spatula, press the batter through the holes into the boiling water. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the colander between pressings and stir the spaetzle into the water so the next group of batter doesn't stick to the one before it. The spaetzle is cooked when it floats to the top. Remove with a fine mesh sieve and strain to remove as much water as possible (shake it!).
• Pan fry the spaetzle: In a large pan on medium-high heat, add the bacon and cook until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel-lined plate. Add the butter to the remaining bacon fat in the pan and allow it to melt. Then add the boiled spaetzle to the pan to saute. Water and oil can produce splattering, be careful! Allow the spaetzle to build a golden crust, and then toss and cook until it's mostly golden all over, but still tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Add the bacon back to the pan and toss. Sprinkle with lemon juice, taste and season with salt and pepper if needed. Serve warm.

THYME MUSTARD SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.
• Just before serving, warm the mixture in a microwave until it simmers, or place it in the top of a double boiler and bring to a low boil.

MUSHROOM AND MUSTARD SPAETZLE

Steps:

• Spaetzle:.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. In another mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the egg-milk mixture. Gradually draw in the flour from the sides and combine well; the dough should be smooth and thick. Let the dough rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Bring 3 quarts of salted water to a boil in a large pot, over medium heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer. To form the spaetzle, hold grater or slotted spoon over the simmering water and push the dough through the holes with a spatula or spoon. Do this in batches so you don't overcrowd the pot. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until the spaetzle floats to the surface, stirring gently to prevent sticking. Drain the spaetzle in a colander and give it a quick rinse with cool water. This can be made up to 1 hour in advance.
• Sauce:.
• Add 1 tablespoon of butter and the oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cooked spaetzle and saute until slightly browned, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the pan to a serving platter and set aside while you cook the mushrooms. Set the skillet back over high heat and add a little more olive oil and remaining 1 tablespoons of butter. Add the thyme, mushrooms and garlic and saute until golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the cream and mustard and stir well. Reduce the mixture until the sauce is nice and thick, about 3 minutes. Fold in the spaetzle. Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with chives and serve alongside the pork schnitzel, if desired.