Spaetzle is a German noodle dish that is usually served with a heavy cream sauce and some sort of fish or meat. In this dish, the spaetzle dough is made with pureed shrimp for added flavor.
Ingredients
8 oz. shrimp, peeled and deveined
3/4 C. heavy cream
1 C. flour
2 egg yolks
2 Tbs. mixed chopped herbs (parsley, basil, oregano)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
3 Tbs. clarified butter or canola oil
Creamy Tomato Sauce (recipe follows)
Garnish:
Basil-mint oil
Diced seeded tomatoes
Chopped parsley
Directions
Purée the shrimp in a food processor adding cream to make a smooth mixture. In a bowl, beat the shrimp with the flour, egg yolk, herbs, salt and pepper until smooth. Using a coarse sieve or colander, force the dough through the holes letting it drop gently into lightly-salted boiling water. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the spaetzle floats to the surface. Drain and cool.
To serve, sauté the spaetzle in clarified butter until lightly browned and crispy. Drain on paper towels and keep warm. Spoon Creamy Tomato Sauce onto plates and distribute spaetzle on top. Drizzle Basil-Mint Herb Oil around the perimeter of plate and sprinkle diced tomato and chopped parsley on top. Serve immediately.
Yield: 4 servings
Creamy Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 1/2 C. minced red onions
1/2 C. dry white wine
3/4 C. rich shellfish stock or clam juice
1 28 oz. can Italian peeled tomatoes, chopped and drained
1 tsp. minced rosemary
1/2 C. heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions
Add olive oil and onions to a saucepan and sauté until just beginning to color. Add wine, stock, tomatoes and rosemary and cook over moderately-high heat for 5 to 6 minutes to reduce slightly. Strain sauce to remove tomato seeds. Return to pan, add cream and reduce a couple of minutes more to a light sauce consistency. Correct seasoning with salt and pepper.
