Swabian Stew with Potatoes and Spaetzle (Gaisburger Marsch)

Ingredients

• 1 kg beef stew meat (from oxen)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt
• nutmeg
• ground black pepper
• 1 stalk leek
• 2 carrots
• 500 g waxy potatoes
• 2 onions
• 2 tbsp butter
• 350 g flour
• 4 eggs
• Salt

Instructions

1. 1.

   Rinse the meat cold, place it in a pot with about 2 L of cold water. Ensure the meat is fully covered by water. Bring to a boil and skim off foam. Peel and roughly cube the onions, carrots, and celery. Add cloves, pepper, and bay leaf to the meat; simmer over low heat for about 2.5 hours, adding water as needed.

2. 2.

   While the broth simmers, wash, trim, and slice the leek into rings. Peel the carrots and potatoes; cut carrots into slices and potatoes into cubes. Remove the meat from the soup, strain the liquid, and skim fat if desired. Return the strained broth to the pot, bring to a boil, add the vegetable mix, and simmer gently for about 15 minutes. Dice the meat into small cubes.

3. 3.

   Make a thick spaetzle dough by mixing flour and eggs until it pulls apart in bubbles. Let rest for about 15 minutes. Boil plenty of salted water; drop portions of the dough into the pot or press them through a spaetzle maker. Cook 1-2 minutes, then let boil again briefly. Remove finished spaetzle with a slotted spoon and shock in cold water to stop cooking. Drain.

4. 4.

   Heat butter in a pan and sauté onions constantly over medium heat until golden brown.

5. 5.

   Season the soup with salt, nutmeg, and pepper; finally add the meat and spaetzle, allow to heat for 2-3 minutes, then top with onions and chopped chives before serving.