Jägerspätzle

Jägerspätzle

from Savory Nothings - I've translated to European units.

Ingredients

For the Spaetzle

• 675 ml flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 160 ml water
• 160 ml milk
• 3 eggs

For the gravy

• 4 tbs butter (divided)
• 60ml finely chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 500 g button mushrooms sliced
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 tbs flour
• ½ tbs tomato paste
• 125 ml white wine OR more broth
• 500 ml beef / chicken / vegetable broth
• 2 tbs heavy cream (optional)

Ingredients notes from the author:

For the spaetzle

• Flour: The spaetzle work great with regular all-purpose flour. If you want to go super authentic, substitute 125 ml of semolina for 125 ml of flour. This adds more bite to the spaetzle.
• Milk: I use semi-skimmed milk. Any fat content can work, although skim milk may make the batter more difficult to work with.
• Water: Use all milk for richer spaetzle. I prefer using half milk and half water though, because all milk can make them a little sweet.

For the gravy

• Mushrooms: White or brown button mushrooms are my favorite for the gravy.
• Broth: I very strongly recommend using beef broth for the best look/flavor of the gravy. Chicken can be used as a substitute. If you’re making this vegetarian and use vegetable broth, the gravy may need an extra tablespoon of flour to thicken (due to the collagen in animal-based broth).
• Cream: This is optional for a richer taste.
• White wine: I recommend a dry white wine, such as a Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc or unoaked Chardonnay. Please do not use white wine vinegar in place of the white wine. Red wine can work, but alters the taste. You can also just use another 125 ml of broth.

Directions

To make the Spaetzle

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour and salt. In a separate large measuring jug, whisk together water, milk and eggs until smooth.
2. Add the egg mixture to the bowl with the flour, stir, then vigorously beat batter with a wooden spoon until there are no more lumps, you see air bubbles forming and batter rips off the spoon when trying to scoop it up. This will take around 5 minutes of continous beating. Cover and rest batter for 30 minutes.
3. When ready to make the Spaetzle, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Reduce heat to a good simmer. Place a large wooden board on top of the pot, then place 125 ml of batter on the board. Using a blunt knife, scrape slivers of batter into the pot.
4. Once the spaetzle float to the surface, remove them with a slotted spoon and place in a lightly buttered casserole dish to keep warm. Proceed the same way with remaining batter.

To make the gravy

1. While spaetzle batter is resting, place a large, deep skillet over medium high heat and melt the butter in it. Add onion, garlic and mushrooms and cook until mushrooms have fully softened – about 5-10 minutes.
2. Reduce heat to medium. Evenly sprinkle seasoning and flour over mushrooms, then stir well. Stir in tomato paste. Pour the white wine into the skillet, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pan.
3. Pour beef broth into skillet, stirring well. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes, until gravy has thickened. Finish with cream, if using.
4. Serve finished gravy over finished spaetzle.

Directions notes from the original author:

Beating the batter

• The batter really needs to be beaten vigorously, for about 4-5 minutes. It needs some arm strength, but it’s worth it.
• You can use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment for this if you cannot beat the batter by hand. I recommend using medium-low speed, and do not overdo it. Stop and scrape the bowl often and stop mixing once the batter is shiny, forms air bubbles and falls off the paddle attachment in large, sticky chunks.

Batter thickness

• This really is a very thick batter. Like wallpaper paste! Definitely much thicker than pancake batter.
• To get an accurate flour to liquid ratio, please do not scoop the flour with the measuring cup. Instead, use a spoon to pile the flour into the cup, then level it off with the back of a knife.
• If you measured your flour correctly, please do not add any extra liquid. If too much water/milk is added to the batter, the spaetzle will come out mushy.

Resting

• Do not skip resting the batter. The gluten in the flour needs this time to develop the right structure.

Spaetzle press

• Scraping the spaetzle batter off a chopping board can take a little practice, The easy method is using a smart gadget that turns spatzle-making into a quick and easy ordeal.
• There are different systems, but this one is very popular.(See the original recipe for an affiliate link to the system that they recommend).

Work in batches

• Don’t drop more than that 125 ml of batter into the pan at once or the Spätzle will immediately start sticking together. If your pot is on the small side I suggest reducing that amount to 60 ml.

Cooking temperature

• Do not use vigorously boiling water to cook the spaetzle. This can make them fall apart. You need to bring it to a boil, then slightly reduce the heat until the water is still at a good simmer, but not at a vigorous boil.