Obatzda – version 2
We don’t want to teach Grossmutter to suck Eier but we’ve found the
best technique for making Obatzda is to use a chef’s knife for blending the
ingredients in the bowl. We draw the knife through the bowl in a cutting
motion, while slowly rotating the bowl – alternate this with a stirring
motion with the knife and occasional action like chopping parsley. The
ingredients need to be thoroughly mixed and reduced to a crumbly texture
like cottage cheese before the beer goes in. The knife also helps to chop
the onion even more finely - you don’t want big chunks left in the finished
dish. Although you could use a food processor there is a risk that it may
reduce everything to a fine paste. Anyway, using a good knife like this is
infinitely more satisfying and makes you feel it’s all your own work!
See also version 1
Preparation Time: 15-20 minutes Refrigeration Time: 4 hours
Ingredients:
* 100g cream cheese (Philadelphia or similar)
* 100g grated Emmentaler cheese (or similar)
* 1 tablespoon softened butter (or any soft spread suitable for cooking)
* 2 triangles of spreading cheese (the kind that comes in a round box with each triangle foil wrapped – La Vache Qui Rit, Dairylea, or the nice own brand we found in M&S)
* 1 medium onion, finely diced (you could use chives instead, or as well, and even add a small clove of minced garlic if you wish)
1 bottle of Ropetackle (just a couple of tablespoons, so enjoy the rest!)
Pepper to taste
*1 teaspoon paprika
*1 teaspoon caraway seeds (this gives an authentic taste but omit if you don’t like caraway)
Rye bread to serve it on (German black Roggenbrot is authentic and if you
like it you’ll find it in most supermarkets – otherwise see
Sussex Suppliers section), chopped
chives or onion rings to decorate, extra paprika, caraway and/or parsley to
sprinkle over.
* To make enough for four servings just double the quantities where the symbol * appears next to them.
Method:
Put the Camembert and Emmenthal in a mixing bowl, and use a knife to chop
it into small pieces. Add the butter, cream cheese, spreading cheese and
onion and chop them all together. Season with pepper – a pinch should
suffice – and caraway if liked. Now gradually mix in one or two tablespoons
of beer. You only need enough to make a spreadable consistency, so add the
beer very slowly until you think it looks right. Now cover the bowl with
cling film and put it in the fridge for 4 hours.
You can either put the spread on to small squares of rye bread, or let your
guests do a DIY job by putting a scoop of the spread on each plate and
letting them help themselves to rye bread. In either case the Obatzda
should be attractively presented by decorating it with your choice of the
ingredients mentioned above.
Compare Obatzda version 1
or take a trip to a virtual
Oktoberfest