Dearly Beloved and I were curled up on the couch, enjoying our quiet Saturday afternoon and watching the cooking channel. I really like that channel, although it is a bit dangerous.
The common theme, being October, was ‘Oktoberfest’ and German food. We saw the Hofbräuhaus am Platzl in Munich, stirring up memories of my European Christmas Vacation and consumption of a beer as big as my head. I was able to show dearly beloved where i hung my coats and where I sat and it has been added to the list of ‘where to visit in Europe’ for the trip we are planning together.
A few of the shows featured schnitzel and Spaetzle. So I thought I would give it a go? Why not? I dragged my butt off of the couch, and headed for the kitchen. I have supplied the nutritional details at the bottom of the post – for the health conscious folk among you!
We didn’t have any veal for the traditional schnitzel, so I used chicken thigh fillets. I cut them in half and bashed crap out of them with a wooden rolling pin. I don’t have a meat hammer, for safety reasons (anyone who knows me personally will understand why!!). On the shows, the meat was put through a roller, making it super thin.
I dipped it in a beaten egg, coated it in breadcrumbs and shallow fried it.
Spaetzle – German Egg Noodle
I didn’t try it when I was in Europe, and now I wish I had. They are made throughout Europe, and called different things, depending on which country – Kind of like Devon/Polony/Fritz here in Australia! I will try Spaetzle though, when I go back! It was so easy to make. Just a mix of plain flour, egg and a bit of milk, with consistency a little thicker than pancake batter.
I dont have a Spaetzle maker, so I improvised and used an old steamer pot and pushed the batter through with a spatula and my little tadpole drops of batter fell into the pot of boiling water, cooked in about 40 seconds and floated to the top. Amazing!
It worked well. I drained them, tossed them in a little melted butter in my cast iron pan, then mixed through some grated cheese, milk and ham. I put a bit more cheese on top and whacked it under the grill to brown. OH, MY, LAWDY.
The finished products:
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
Carbohydrates: Too high to count
Fats: Don’t even go there.
Protein: Not to bad at all actually.
Food Type: Heavy, a bit stodgy, definitely comforting
Frequency: Without doubt a “sometimes” food.
Accompaniment: Could try a garlic bread if you like – why not boost the carbs and fat content to the moon, just for shiggles..??!!!
Drinks to have with it: Anything you damn well like, although the Germans are pretty fond of beer, so why not try a German Ale?
Enjoy!!
The Story of Anni 