Rye Spaetzle Food

GERMAN SPAETZLE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Place a large pot of salted water over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle boil.
• Meanwhile, prepare the spaetzle batter. In a medium bowl, combine the flour and salt; stir to blend.
• In a small bowl, whisk 1/2 cup of milk with the eggs.
• Add the milk and eggs to the flour mixture and beat with a wooden spoon or whisk until the batter is smooth and elastic. It will have a consistency similar to pancake batter. When you lift the spoon, it shouldn't flow; it should drip from it slowly. If too thick, add some milk, and if too thin, add more flour. Let the batter rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Place your spaetzle maker or another slotted utensil over the simmering water; add some of the spaetzle batter, and press it through the holes and into the gently boiling water. The spaetzle cook quickly, so it's best to cook them in two or more batches depending on the method you use.
• The spaetzle will take from 1 to 3 minutes to cook, depending on their size. The dumplings will float to the top when done.
• Use a slotted spoon to remove the spaetzle to a bowl and toss with a teaspoon or two of butter. Repeat with the remaining batter.
• At this point, you may sauté the cooked spaetzle (see below) or refrigerate until it's time to sauté and serve. If you're skipping the sauté step and are serving them immediately, taste and add more salt and butter, as needed, along with the freshly ground black pepper and herbs. Toss and serve hot. Sauté the Spaetzle
• Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat until lightly browned.
• Add the spaetzle to the pan and increase the heat to medium-high. Sauté the spaetzle, stirring frequently, for about 3 to 7 minutes, or browned as desired. Taste the sauteéd spaetzle and add salt, as needed, along with freshly ground black pepper and fresh herbs. Toss and serve hot.

WILD BOAR SCHNITZEL WITH RYE SPAETZLE AND PICKLED MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• For the schnitzel: Butterfly the four tenderloins and set aside. Place plastic wrap over a cutting board, then place one butterflied tenderloin on top. Cover with another piece of plastic wrap. Pound the tenderloin with the smooth side of a meat tenderizing mallet to about 1/8-inch thick. Repeat with the remaining tenderloins and set aside.
• To bread the schnitzel set up three shallow pans big enough to fit the pounded tenderloins. Add the seasoned flour to one pan. Put the milk in the second. Combine the panko and dried thyme in the third. Working with one tenderloin at a time, dredge in the seasoned flour until evenly coated, move to the milk and coat evenly. Finally, coat each tenderloin completely with the panko. Set the breaded tenderloins aside.
• Heat the frying oil in a large pot or fryer to 350 degrees F. Fry the tenderloins until golden brown and crispy, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from oil and let dry on a paper towel lined plate or sheet tray.
• For the rye spaetzle: Combine the eggs, all-purpose flour, rye flour and beer in a large bowl and whisk to combine. (The mixture should have the consistency of oatmeal.)
• Set up a bowl of ice water. Place a spaetzle dumpling maker over a pot of boiling salted water. Force the mixture through the maker using a spatula or bowl scraper. Let the spaetzle cook for about 1 minute, then remove from the boiling water and chill in ice water until cool. Remove from the ice water and lay on a clean kitchen towel to dry.
• Add blended oil to a large saute pan on high heat until just before smoking. Add the spaetzle and let cook, undisturbed, until the bottoms are golden. Flip the spaetzle using a large flat spatula and add the arugula, lemon zest and juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Saute the ingredients together for about 1 minute, then remove from heat.
• For the pickled mushrooms: Combine rice wine vinegar, fish sauce, soy sauce, sweet soy sauce and 1 quart cold water in a pot and bring to a boil. Add mushrooms to a bowl. Pour liquid over the mushrooms, then set aside and let cool.
• For the gravy: Add onion to a saucepot with apple cider vinegar. Whisk together cornstarch with 1/2 cup cold water in a bowl to make a slurry. Bring onions to a simmer, then pour in cornstarch slurry. Cook, stirring constantly, until the gravy thickens. Turn off the heat and set aside. Season to taste.
• Serve the schnitzel over a generous portion of spaetzle. Pour gravy around the schnitzel and garnish with pickled mushrooms.

RYE SPAETZLE GRATIN

Steps:

• Discard the outer leaves of cabbage; quarter, core and slice the rest. Using a mortar and pestle or the flat of a knife, lightly crush the caraway seeds. Melt the butter in a very large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly colored, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the caraway, garlic, chile and thyme; cook 1 minute. Add the cabbage and cook, tossing frequently, until very tender and wilted, 7 to 10 minutes. Season with vinegar and 3/4 teaspoon salt or more to taste. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours and 1 teaspoon salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and 1 cup milk. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine. The consistency should be that of a sticky cake batter. As the batter sits, it will absorb more liquid; add more milk as needed to keep it loose.
• Working in batches, press the spaetzle through a spaetzle maker or a colander into the boiling water. (If using a colander, either hold it with oven mitts so you don't burn yourself over the steaming water, or get a friend to help). As the spaetzle rise to the surface, scoop them out with a slotted spoon and transfer to the skillet with the cabbage. Once all of the spaetzle has been added, toss the mixture well.
• Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Scrape the mixture into a 1 1/2-quart gratin dish. Scatter cheese over the top. Bake until golden and bubbly, 20 to 25 minutes. Grind a generous amount of black pepper all over the top of the gratin, then serve.

SPAETZLE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Whisk the flour with the nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of pepper in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and add the eggs and milk. Gradually mix the milk and eggs into the flour to make a sticky batter.
• Spray both sides of a colander with 1/4-inch-wide holes (see Cook's Note) with cooking spray then spoon the batter into the colander. Hold the colander directly above the pot of boiling water (using an oven mitt if necessary) and working quickly, use a rubber spatula to push the batter through the holes into the water. Simmer until all of the spaetzle float to the surface and are tender, about 2 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl. Toss the spaetzle with the butter and sprinkle with herbs, if using.