Spaetzle Wolfgang Puck Recipes

SPäTZLE (AKA SPAETZLE)

Steps:

• Place flour, egg, salt, cayenne, cream fraiche, and milk in a mixing bowl. Whisk together until batter drips slowly off the whisk. If batter seems too thin, add a bit more flour; if too thick, add a bit more milk. You can test the thickness using the smooth side of a cheese grater with fairly large holes. If a dollop of the batter does not drip through the grating holes, it's the right consistency.
• Bring a pot of salted water to a simmer over medium-high heat. Use a spatula to push a spoonful of batter through the holes of the smooth side of the grater into the simmering water.
• When dumplings rise to the surface of the water, they are done. This will take just a few minutes. Remove dumplings with a slotted spoon, and repeat in batches with remaining batter.

SPATZLE

Steps:

• In small bowl, beat together egg yolks, egg, and milk.
• In medium bowl, whisk together flour, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and mix with wooden spoon just until well blended. (Do not overmix.) Refrigerate, covered, at least 1 hour or overnight.
• Bring large pot salted water to boil. Fill large bowl with ice water. Place spätzlemaker, perforated sheet pan, or large-holed colander on top of pot. Force one-third of batter through holes into water. Cook until spätzle float to surface, 4 to 5 minutes, then transfer immediately with slotted spoon to bowl of ice water. Make 2 more batches in same manner.
• When spätzle are cool to touch, drain well and toss with 1/4 cup oil. (Spätzle can be prepared up to this point and refrigerated, covered, up to 2 days.)
• In large sauté pan over high heat, heat remaining 1/4 cup oil. Add spätzle and cook, without moving pan, until undersides are brown, about 2 minutes. Add butter and sauté until golden brown, about 2 minutes more. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

WOLFGANG'S BEEF GOULASH

Steps:

• In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil and saute the onions and sugar until caramelized. Add the garlic and caraway seed. Cook for 1 minute. Add the sweet and sharp paprika, marjoram, thyme, and bay leaf. Saute another minute, until fragrant. Add the tomato paste. Deglaze with the vinegar and the stock and add the pieces of beef shank, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook until very tender, about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve with Spaetzle on the side.
• In a small bowl, beat together the egg yolks, egg and milk. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and mix with hand until well blended. Do not overmix at this stage. Cover the bowl and refrigerate. Allow the batter to rest for at least 1 hour.
• Bring salted water to a boil. Place a perforated hotel pan on top of the pot. Place the batter on the pan and force through the holes to form spaetzle. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until al dente. Transfer cooked spaetzle to a bowl of ice water to shock. When cool to the touch, drain well. Stir in half the oil. (At this point you can cover and refrigerate up to 2 days).
• Over high heat, place a large saute pan until it gets very hot. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of oil and the boiled spaetzle. Saute until golden. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Finish with butter and sprinkle with parsley.

SPAETZLE WITH GRUYèRE AND CARAMELIZED ONIONS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, whisk the milk with the egg yolks and egg. In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the nutmeg, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Using a wooden spoon, stir the egg mixture into the flour, leaving a few lumps. Cover and refrigerate the batter for at least 1 hour or overnight.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare a large bowl of ice water. Carefully hold a colander with large holes over the boiling water. Add about 1/2 cup of the batter to the colander and press it into the simmering water with a spatula or the back of a spoon. Repeat until all of the batter has been used. Cook the spaetzle for 2 minutes longer, then drain. Immediately transfer the spaetzle to the ice water, swirling the dumplings until all of the ice melts. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the oil, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat.
• Preheat the oven to 400°. Oil a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Spread the spaetzle in the dish and dot with the butter. Sprinkle with the cheese and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the spaetzle is hot and the cheese is just melted.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium skillet. Add the onion and cook over high heat until softened, about 1 minute. Reduce the heat to moderately low and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Scatter the onion over the spaetzle and serve.

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.

SPAETZLE

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine flour, salt, nutmeg and pepper. Add eggs and milk; stir to mix well (batter will be thick). In a Dutch oven or large kettle, bring chicken broth to a boil. Drop batter by 1/2 teaspoonfuls into boiling liquid. Boil until spaetzle rise to the surface; remove to ice water. Drain well. In a skillet, heat spaetzle in butter until lightly browned. Serve with schnitzel and gravy or with Parmesan cheese.

SPAETZLE (WOLFGANG PUCK) RECIPE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, beat together the egg yolks, egg, and milk. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and mix with hand until well blended. Do not overmix at this stage. Cover the bowl and refrigerate. Allow the batter to rest for at least 1 hour. Bring salted water to a boil. Place a perforated hotel pan on top of the pot. Place the batter on the pan and force through the holes to form spaetzle. Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until al dente. Transfer cooked spaetzle to a bowl of ice water to shock. When cool to the touch, drain well. Stir in half the oil (at this point you can cover and refrigerate up to 2 days). Over high heat, place a large saute pan until it gets very hot. add the remaining 1/4 cup of oil and the boiled spaetzle. Saute until golden. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Finish with butter and sprinkle with parsley.