Description
Last year, my husband and I walked the coast to coast trail in northern England. Our second stop in the Yorkshire Moors The Buck Inn in Chop Gate.
The owner of the inn was an older German man. My husband was stoked because there was schnitzel and spaetzle on the menu. I was stoked because venison was a special that night and I love venison. How was the venison? I have no idea because I was distracted by the deliciousness of my husband’s meal.
The schnitzel and spaetzle was so delicious that we asked him if we could have it for breakfast the next morning, and he kindly obliged! Fortunately too, because our last day on the moors was howling winds, dense fog, and a consistent mist. Having that as a, yes unusual, hearty meal really helped us withstand the elements the day threw at us.
My husband has always wanted to learn how to make spaetzle to have at home. Well, I took on that endeavor and tried to piece together this fantastic dish. I don’t think I got my gravy quite as good as the owner of The Buck Inn, but it’s certainly close!
The owner told us that he made his spaetzle simply with flour and eggs. I added a bit of seasoning, but the consistency of the dough was what I was unsure about. It’s definitely not as thin as pancake batter but thin enough for it to slide slowly and smoothly off the back of your spoon.
The spaetzle has to sit for 30 minutes, so during that time, I prepped and cooked the chicken, keeping it warm in the oven. Then I made the gravy. Even though this is chicken schnitzel, I wanted a brown gravy to mimic the dish we had in England. A bit of red wine and Dijon mustard heighten the flavors. And, my husband and I love mushrooms, so that just seemed the right thing to add to this.
By the time the chicken and gravy were done, the spaetzle was ready to make. I bought a spaetzle press, but this can easily be made with a large holed colander. Just pour a small amount of dough into the colander and force through the holes with a rubber spatula. Spaetzle cooks very quickly!
This turned out to be surprisingly easy, and what a treat of a Sunday dinner!
Enjoy!
Ingredients
Schnitzel
1 lb thinly sliced chicken breast ~ 4 pieces
1 cup flour
2 cups panko
2 eggs, whisked
2 tsp paprika
½ TB garlic powder
½ TB onion powder
salt and pepper
2 TBs olive oil, divided
1 TB butter, divided
Spaetzle
2 cups flour
4 eggs
⅔ cup cream
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp nutmeg
Mushroom Gravy
2 pints sliced brown button mushrooms
2 cups beef broth
⅓ cup red wine
1 TB Dijon mustard
1 TB olive oil
2 TBs butter
¼ cup flour
salt and pepper
Instructions
Make the Spaetzle
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add in the 4 eggs and cream, stirring until combined and smooth. The consistency should be thick enough not to run through the holes of a large colander or spaetzle press (thicker than pancake batter) but not so thick that it won’t slip off the spoon (see image above for a sense of consistency).
Cover with a towel and set aside for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, start heating a large pot of salted water over medium heat.
While the spaetzle sits, make the schnitzel.
Preheat your oven to its lowest setting (175° to 200°)
Grab three shallow bowls. In the first bowl, put the flour and a pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk together with a spoon. In the second bowl, whisk the eggs. In the third bowl, put the panko, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder and whisk to combine.
Dredge each chicken piece in flour on both sides, then cover both sides with egg. Lastly, coat each side with the panko, pressing down to get as much to adhere.
In a cast iron pan, half a tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add 1 TB of olive oil and swirl to evenly coat. Place two pieces of chicken in the pan. Cook 3 to 4 minutes per side with each side a golden brown. Remove and place on plate. Place in the oven.
Repeat with the remaining two pieces of chicken. Keep all four pieces warm in the oven.
Make the Mushroom Gravy
Wipe the cast iron pan clean. Heat the olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add the mushrooms and sprinkle lightly with salt. Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms start to turn golden ~ about 2 minutes.
Add in the butter. Once melted, add the flour and stir until well combined and fully saturated in the butter. Very slowly add in the beef broth, constantly whisking to combine the roux with the broth. Once thoroughly blended, add the red wine and Dijon mustard, stirring to combine.
Bring to a boil then reduce the temperature to low. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Make the Spaetzle
Using a colander with large holes and a rubber spatula or a spaetzle press, pour the dough in batches.
If using a colander, pour approximately half a cup of dough and then use the spatula to push the dough through the colander holes into the pot of boiling water.
If using a spaetzle maker, fill as instructed my the spaetzle press manufacturer. Press the dough into the pot of boiling water.
Cook until all the spaetzle floats to the top. Remove with a slotted spoon.
Dish the spaetzle on to the plates. Top with a piece of chicken and then pour over the gravy.
Serve!
Keywords: Chicken Schnitzel, Spaetzle, Mushroom Gravy, Traditional German, Schnitzel and Spaetzle