5 January 2015

Spelt Spätzle with smoky leeks


I have posted Spätzle recipes here a couple of times before. Please also see my Cheese and shallot Spätzle bake and the original Spätzle post. Those posts include a bit more detailed instructions for the making, if you're actually up for it. I am also very keen in answering any questions you might have about the process. I can't basically stop talking about this, if only anyone is interested.

Spätzle are Swabian egg noodles, a southern German classic dish. I love them and always want to find new ways to combine them in veggie dishes. One day I thought how great it would be to try Spätzle made of spelt flour, and I made a half and half mix. That was quite successful, so I went even bolder this time and only used spelt flour for this Spätzle. They stuck together just as well as with wheat flour and were wonderfully earthy and tasty.

In order to add even more to the earthiness of the recipe, I baked the Spätzle covered with cheese and hugged by a smoky leek sauce. If you got interested, read the recipe below. It's surprisingly straight forward even though you're making your own noodle batter.

Ingredients:

2 leeks
4 shallots
2 garlic cloves
1 tbsp butter
50 ml dry cider
2 tsp vegetable stock powder
100 g smoky cheddar
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
A few fresh thyme leaves
200 g mozzarella and cheddar mix

Spätzle dough:

400 g spelt flour
4 eggs
1 tsp salt
250 ml water


Method:

Chop the leeks, shallots and garlic and cook them in butter at medium heat for about 10 minutes.

Add the cider and vegetable stock powder.

Finally add the grated smoky cheddar and season with salt, pepper and fresh thyme.

Then mix the Spätzle dough ingredients together into an even batter.

Bring water to the boil and press the Spätzle dough into the water through a potato ricer to make thick noodles.

Cook them until they float on the surface.

Mix the Spätzle with the leek mix and place into an oven dish.

Cover with the mozzarella and cheddar mix and bake until the cheese has melted and is golden brown.

Enjoy the yummy winter flavours!

Your VegHog

6 comments:

  1. May I come to your house for dinner? YUM!

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  2. This is like Germanys version of Mac'n'Cheese.
    I have made a recipe for spatzle from one of Celia Brooks cookbooks, it was delicious served with a side of smoky paprika mushrooms, I did not blog about it, as it was made before my blogging days, but now you have reminded me of it once again, then I am tempted to revisit it again. I am liking your Spelt spatzle with smoky leeks though, very much in fact. This dish is Perfect for this dreary weather, my husband would certainly love a bowl of this cheesy deliciousness.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, this is of course extremely cheesy, but that's what makes it so lovely for this season, real comfort food. That's great that you have made it before, maybe you'll give it a go again. :)

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  3. I swear, everything you make looks amazing!<3

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Thanks for reading! I would very much appreciate any comments or suggestions from you.