Creamed chanterelles with spaetzle

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 300 g flour
• 4 eggs
• 4 tbsp water
• 1 tsp salt
• nutmeg
• 400 g chanterelles
• 200 g lean, boneless Kasseler cutlet(s) (or a few ham cubes)
• 1 m.-sized onion(s)
• ½ bunch thyme, fresh or 1 dried tsp
• ¼ liter of water
• 2 tbsp butter or margarine
• n. B. Salt and pepper from the mill
• 250 ml water
• 125 g whipped cream
• 125 g sour cream or crème fraîche
• 1 tsp vegetable broth, instant
• 2 tbsp sauce thickener, dark
• possibly salad, green and pink berries, chopped

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Rest time approx. 2 hours; Total time approx. 3 hours

Mix flour with eggs, water, salt, and a pinch of nutmeg to form a thick, smooth dough (using the dough hook on a hand mixer). Mix until the dough bubbles. Let rest for 1 to 2 hours. Clean and trim the chanterelles (never wash with water). Cut the smoked pork into small cubes. Dice the peeled onion. Wash the thyme, pluck the leaves from the stems, and chop them; leave a few sprigs whole for sprinkling. Melt 1 tablespoon of fat in a pan and briefly fry the chanterelles in the hot fat. Add the diced onion and the smoked pork or ham cubes and fry for 2-3 minutes. Season with a little (!) salt, pepper, and thyme. Add 1/4 liter of water, cream, and sour cream, bring to a boil, and stir in the broth. Simmer everything for about 3 minutes. Stir in the sauce thickener (or cornstarch) while stirring, and bring back to a boil. Season to taste and keep warm. Boil plenty of salted water. Scrape the spaetzle dough into strips from a floured wooden board into the water (I borrowed a spaetzle press from a neighbor and then used it to press the dough into the water in portions; it makes things easier, of course). Cook the spaetzle until they rise to the surface of the water, then remove them with a slotted spoon. Refresh in cold water and drain. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter or margarine and briefly toss the spaetzle in it. Serve with the creamed chanterelle mushrooms. Garnish with a few green lettuce leaves and pink berries, if desired, and serve sprinkled with the remaining thyme.