German for “little sparrow,” spaetzle are tiny dumplings that make a delicious side dish to any number of meats. A former sous chef enriched the traditional recipe and came up with this delicious variation that we typically serve alongside medallions of venison. Creole cream cheese is the secret ingredient here. It has a tart flavor and a texture as rich and thick as mascarpone. It was traditionally eaten as a spoon food, almost like yogurt, topped with sugar or fruit. It was almost lost until the Slow Food movement came along, and people became more interested in artisanal food products. These days it is produced locally and sold at the farmer’s market. My favorite variety is made by the Mauthe family (see Sources, p. 384) at their hormone-free dairy north of Lake Pontchartrain.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Place the flour in a bowl and stir in the Creole cream cheese. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, until you have a smooth batter. (If you still have too many lumps, you can strain the batter through a fine sieve.) Stir in the herbs and season with salt and pepper.
Step 2
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Select a colander with fairly large holes (about 1/4 inch). Pour in about a third of the batter and, with a plastic spatula, scrape the batter through the holes into the simmering water. The spaetzle will rise to the surface when they are ready, in about 3 minutes. Let them simmer on the surface for another 30 seconds or so, then use a slotted spoon or strainer to transfer them to a bowl of ice water. Repeat the process with the remaining batter.
Step 3
To reserve the spaetzle until serving, drain them and toss with a little oil, then store them in a covered container (don’t pack too tightly) and refrigerate until needed.
Step 4
To serve, sauté the spaetzle in a hot nonstick skillet, with a little olive oil or butter, until they are lightly browned and crusty.
