German Spätzle with Mushroom Gravy (Jägerspätzle)

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Spätzle are small dumplings made from flour, eggs and milk. And Jägerspätzle means it is served with a delicious rich mushroom gravy. We enjoyed this dish for Oktoberfest, but you can serve it up at any time!

Prep Time: 45 min (including rest time)

Cook time: 30 min

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

For the Spätzle

• 2 1/2 cups flour

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/3 cup water

• 1/3 cup milk

• 3 eggs

For the gravy

• 4 tbsp butter divided

• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion

• 2 cloves garlic minced

• 1 pound button mushrooms sliced

• 1/2 tsp dried thyme

• salt & pepper to taste

• 1 tbsp flour

• 1/2 tbsp tomato paste

• 1/4 cup white wine OR more broth

• 2 cups beef broth

• 2 tablespoons heavy cream or sour cream (optional)

Directions

Make the Spätzle

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together water, milk and eggs until smooth.

2. Add the egg mixture to the bowl with the flour, stir, then vigorously beat batter with a wooden spoon until there are no more lumps, you see air bubbles forming and batter drips off the spoon when trying to scoop it up. This will take around 5 minutes of continuous beating. Cover and rest batter for 30 minutes.

3. When ready to make the Spätzle, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Next to the water pot, place a small skillet over medium heat.

4. Reduce heat under the water to a simmer. Hold a wooden board on the edge of the pot. Then place about 1/2 cup of batter on the board. Using a blunt knife, scrape slivers of batter into the simmering water. This might take some practice, but you'll get the hang of it!

5. Once the spätzle float to the surface, remove them with a slotted spoon and put them into the skillet with a bit of butter and lightly fry. Remove to a casserole dish to keep warm. Proceed the same way with remaining batter.

Note: depending how long it takes to get through your batter, you may need to pause and top up your water pot. Wait for it to get back to that simmer before proceeding.

Make the mushroom gravy

1. Place a large, deep skillet or dutch oven over medium high heat and melt the butter in it. Add onion, garlic and mushrooms and cook until mushrooms have fully softened – about 5-10 mins.

2. Reduce heat to medium. Evenly sprinkle seasoning and flour over mushrooms, then stir well. Stir in tomato paste. Pour the white wine into the skillet, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pan.

3. Pour beef broth into skillet, stirring well. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes, until gravy has thickened. Finish with cream or sour cream, if using.

4. Serve finished gravy over finished spätzle.

Zhuzh it up!

• Spätzle requires a bit of time at the stove. But it can be made ahead and reheated before serving. Warm it again in a skillet, or quickly reheat in boiling water - for about 1 minute.

• Spätzler is a blank canvas! Skip the mushroom gravy and serve spätzler on it's own with fresh herbs, or topped with cheese sauce.

This amazing recipe was found on savoury nothings