Chive Spatzel Food

TRADITIONAL SPäTZLE

Steps:

• Spätzle: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add 4 egg yolks, 4 whole eggs, and a pinch of salt. Mix on medium-high until combined, 10 seconds. Turn off mixer and grate a bit of nutmeg into the eggs (just a hint will go a long way!); add the flour. Start mixing on low, then on medium-high until combined, 20 seconds. Check the consistency: the mixture should have the viscosity of thick pancake batter. To achieve this, add ½ cup water, and use the whisk attachment to beat the batter on high; with the mixer on, add more water as needed, 1 tablespoon at a time, until batter reaches proper consistency, another 1-2 minutes. (Makes 2½ cups batter.)
• Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl and set aside. To the boiling water, add 2 large pinches salt and 1 tablespoon of grapeseed oil. Working in batches, cook the spätzle: Set the spätzle-maker over the pot. Add two ladles of batter to the sliding box; move the box back and forth over the grate and allow the batter to fall into the boiling water. Once the water comes to a boil again, stir the spätzle a few times to prevent clumping and to finish cooking, 1 more minute.
• When all the spätzle are fluffy and floating on the surface of the water, use a strainer to transfer them to the ice bath to stop the cooking, about 1 minute. Next, strain them from the ice bath, place in a bowl, and stir in ½ tablespoon oil to prevent sticking. Set aside. Repeat with remaining batter. (At this point, you can freeze the fully cooked spätzle in an airtight container. Bring to room temperature before using. Makes about 4 cups.)
• Cream Sauce: Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add ½ cup water, followed by ¼ cup crème fraîche, two pinches of salt, and a few gratings of nutmeg; stir to combine. Add 1 cup of spätzle in an even layer (note: sauce and spätzle can be doubled in a larger skillet). Add a few grinds of black pepper, and gently simmer to reduce the sauce, stirring occasionally, 8-10 minutes. As the water evaporates, the spätzle will become evenly coated with sauce and plump up. Meanwhile, finely mince the chives. Set aside.
• When almost all the liquid is gone and the sauce has thickened up, taste and adjust seasoning. Add two tablespoons of minced chives and toss or stir to combine. Repeat with remaining servings of spätzle. Plate and serve immediately.

PAN SEARED HALIBUT WITH GARLIC CHIVE SPAETZLE, LOBSTER AND FAVA BEANS WITH A WILD MUSHROOM VELOUTE

Steps:

• Mix milk, flour, 5 whole eggs, nutmeg, 1 teaspoon of salt and freshly ground pepper and minced garlic until the dough forms. Allow to rest for 30 minutes. Over a pot of salted boiling water, pass the dough through a perforated pan or spaetzle maker. Once the dumplings float, strain out of the water and place them on a tray until room temperature. Moisten with a little oil and store for up to 2 days, refrigerated.
• In a pot place 2 tablespoons of butter, 2 shallots, 1 cup of leeks and 1 cup of mushrooms and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes. Then add the fish stock and reduce by half. Add your 1-quart of cream and reduce by another two thirds. Place in a blender until smooth and pass through a strainer. Adjust with salt and pepper.
• You will need 2 pans for cooking and a small pot for your sauce. In a pan on medium-high heat, add the oil and allow 30 seconds to heat up. Then place the fillet of fish away from you in a pan so it doesn't splash you. While the fish is cooking, put the other pan on high heat, place half of the butter and allow to brown slightly. Once slightly brown add the spatzle and allow to cook for about 1 1/2 minutes. At this stage add the fava beans and lobster; allow to cook for no more than 2 minutes.
• Your fish should be almost cooked by this point with a nice golden brown crust, flip and finish for 1 minute. Place the sauces on warm plates with the spatzle saute in the middle and the drained fish on top.

CHIVE SPATZEL

Steps:

• Combine all the dairy ingredients and mix. Combine all of the wet ingredients and add them to the dry ingredients in a steady stream, while mixing. Once the ingredients are combined use a whisk and beat well to develop the gluten. Let the flour rest for a half-hour.
• Heat a pot filled 2/3 full of salted water. Bring to a boil with a perforated pan on top. Pour a small amount of the batter into the perforated colander on top and work it through the holes with a scrapper.
• Let the spatzel cook for about one minute. Remove with a strainer and shock in salted ice water. Remove from the ice water and allow to dry slightly on absorbent paper towels. Store in Refrigerator.
• For service, sear the spatzel in whole butter. You will want to develop color without burning. Turn only once.

MUSTARD CHIVE SPAETZLE

Steps:

• Make sure to read through all steps below before executing this recipe!
• Beat the eggs & the next 5 ingredients. This works well with or without the chives and nutmeg if you do not have any.
• Add the flour & mix until a sticky batter forms. [Note: If your spaetzle is too heavy or dense in the end, then you know for next time that you used too much flour.].
• Bring a pot of salted [generously salted] water to a boil.
• If you have a spaetzle maker, work the batter through the sieve.
• For the rest of us, take a small plastic cutting board and place a decent line/dollop of batter across about 2/3rds of the way up the board. Holding the board at a slight downward angle over the boiling water, very very quickly, using a butter knife, scrape off small bits of batter [to make each spaetzle] into the boiling water, dipping the knife into the water with the batter each time [less stickiness]. Don't worry, this takes some practice to do well! Remember, the spaetzles are supposed to be relatively small, but most importantly, even in size as they cook together! After going through this process once, you will also get a better feel for what the proper consistency of the batter should be when adding in the flour in step 3.
• There is also the "colander" method [push batter through colander over boiling pot], however, I've never gotten it to work well and the batter sort of cooks in the holes over the pot before you've worked your entire batter. Plus, I find they are almost too small this way & lose all their satisfying chewiness. Maybe this is all because I grew up making these with my grandma who was a natural spaetzle machine! {btw, she used a teaspoon rather than a butter knife on the cutting board, which you could try too}.
• They are done when they rise to the top of the boiling water, only about 1 to 2 minutes {why I said "very very quickly" earlier}. You may need to do this in batches, especially at first, so that your pot doesn't have overooked and undercooked spaetzle at the same time. They should be just slightly chewy still when done, but cooked all the way through.
• Drain well.
• At this point, you can serve right away with your meal [they get cold fast], or saute them in 2-4 tbsp of butter as needed to coat them, stirring constantly.
• Enjoy! Great with dishes that have sauces and gravies to keep them warm on your plate.
• Now that you've read through this, don't be too intimidated and go plan a session to make them!