Sweet Potato Spaetzle
“Spaetzle is very versatile, the flavors can be changed up in many ways,” says Rogers of this dense, German egg noodle dish, most often seen as a side dish. “Decent spaetzle maker options are available on Amazon.com for around $10.” (A spaetzle maker looks like a cheese grater with a container on top that slides, like a mandolin.)
Ingredients
1 cup cooked, mashed sweet potato (completely smooth)
2 eggs
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon dried thyme
¾ cup whole milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
For sautéing
3 tablespoons fat of your choice (butter, extra-virgin olive oil, bacon fat, duck fat; Chef’s choice: schmaltz [chicken fat])
1 teaspoon fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, sage, chive, celery tops; Chef ’s choice: carrot tops)
Directions
Mix sweet potato, eggs and spices in large mixing bowl. Add milk, stir/integrate thoroughly. Add flour slowly until just combined — don’t overmix. The dough will be slightly thin and sticky. Let rest in the fridge for one hour minimum.
Bring large pot water to rolling boil (Chef ’s tip: add herb or vegetable scraps to poaching water for added flavor). Fill a large bowl with ice water, placing colander inside to prevent ice infiltration and dumpling damage.
Working in small batches, position the spaetzle maker over the pot, pour a small amount of dough into receptacle and slide over grater, allowing the dough bits to fall into the water. Spaetzle will float to the top when done. Remove with slotted spoon and place in ice water. Once cooked and cooled, remove from water and toss with small amount of oil. Spread out on baking dish or small sheet pan until ready to serve (this can be stored covered in the fridge for 2-3 days).
Heat large, nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add fat of choice to pan. Once hot, add spaetzle to fat (do this in 2-3 batches). Sauté until slightly browned, flipping or tossing to get color even. No need to brown on all sides. Once done to your liking, add chopped fresh herbs/salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot, topped with braised ox tail.