Green spaetzle with shimeji mushrooms

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 60 g Kailan (Chinese broccoli), alternatively leaf spinach
• 1 egg(s), size S
• 1 tsp vegetable stock powder
• 1 pinch(s) black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 pinch(s) nutmeg, freshly grated
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 120 g spelt flour
• 2 m.-large tomato(s)
• 10 g carrot(s), cut into julienne strips
• 16 g butter
• 5 g garlic clove(s)
• 150 g Shimeji mushrooms, brown-capped
• 2 tsp broth powder (mushroom bouillon, granules)
• 3 tbsp crème fraîche
• 2 tbsp white wine, semi-dry
• 1 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 1 tsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1 pinch(s) black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 tsp, leveled tapioca flour
• 2 pinches of nutmeg, freshly grated
• 1 tbsp rice wine, dark, spicy-mild
• 2 tbsp celery leaves, finely chopped
• e.g. fried onions or carrot threads for garnishing

Instructions

Working time approx. 35 minutes; Rest time approx. 15 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 15 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 5 minutes

A festive meal and a specialty from the Deggenhausertal.

Wash the kailan or spinach leaves and spin them dry in a salad spinner. Whisk the beaten egg with vegetable stock, pepper, nutmeg, and sunflower oil. Place the egg mixture and spinach leaves in a blender and puree for 1 minute at full speed. Transfer the puree to a mixing bowl and add the spelt flour, tablespoon by tablespoon, using a food processor. Depending on the flour’s ability to expand and the type of spaetzle you’re making (hand-scraped, grated, or pressed), add a little more or less spelt flour. Let it mature, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove the lower part of the shimeji mushrooms (substrate + mycelium). Separate the mushrooms, cleaning them with a brush if necessary. Cut off the long stems at the cap, cut them into thirds crosswise, and use with the caps. Cut the washed tomatoes crosswise into approximately 6 mm thick slices. Julienne a peeled carrot. Melt the butter in a casserole dish over medium heat. Press in the peeled garlic and sauté lightly. Add the mushrooms and stock powder and simmer for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mix the crème fraîche with the white wine, tomato ketchup, and lemon juice, and deglaze the mushrooms with it. Season with pepper and nutmeg. Dissolve the tapioca flour in the rice wine and stir into the mushrooms. Cover and simmer gently. Just before use, stir in the celery leaves. Bring 2.5 liters of lightly salted water to a boil in a 3-liter saucepan. Divide the green spaetzle dough into two portions (scraped, shredded, or pressed) and add to the boiling water. As soon as the first portion floats to the top, remove it from the water with a slotted spoon, drain well, and transfer to one of the warmed serving dishes. Repeat with the second portion. Pour the mushrooms and their sauce over the spaetzle, garnish with fried onions or carrot threads if desired, serve, and enjoy. Accompany with a cool lager beer. Note: In late summer and fall, this dish is prepared with chanterelles or porcini mushrooms.