Nebraskaland

18 Nebraskaland • October 2024 IN THE FIELD By Ryan Sparks GERMAN PHEASANT AND SPÄTZLE SOUP This fall, my wife and I attended an Oktoberfest celebration where we sampled several German dishes (and beers). We both agreed that of everything we tried, the spätzle soup was by far the best. We also thought that wild pheasant would be an excellent substitution for the chicken traditionally used in the dish. After brainstorming how to recreate the soup, we ended up with our own version. German culinary enthusiasts will likely say it is unauthentic, but they can't argue with its delicious flavor. Making your own pheasant stock or broth gives the soup a deep, rich flavor, but store-bought chicken stock also works. Note that you will probably want a spätzle maker for this recipe. A perforated pan will work, but spätzle makers can be found online for less than $15 and make the process much easier. Servings: 6-8 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: ~2 hours Ingredients Soup • 4 tbsp. butter, divided • 6-8 boneless pheasant breasts • 1 large yellow onion, diced • 2 large carrots, shredded • 2 cloves garlic, minced • 1 tsp. dried thyme • 1 tsp. dried parsley • 1 tsp. caraway seed • 1 ⁄2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper • 1 tbsp. tomato paste • 1 ⁄4 cup white wine (optional) • 8 cups game bird stock (optional, but highly recommended), or chicken stock • 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar • Salt to taste • Fresh dill (optional) • Sour cream (optional) Spätzle • 2 cups all-purpose flour • 1 ⁄4 tsp. grated nutmeg • 2 eggs • 1 ⁄4 cup heavy cream • 1 cup milk (whole is best and buttermilk works well too) • A healthy pinch of salt Optional equipment: Spätzle maker Sear the pheasant breasts in 2 tablespoons of butter in a large soup pot over medium/high heat. When nicely browned on both sides, remove to a plate. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the pot, along with the diced onion and shredded carrot. Lower the heat to medium. Cook for about 5 minutes until the onion softens. Add the garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add the thyme, parsley, black pepper, caraway seed and tomato paste. Cook for another 2-3 minutes. The contents of the pot should form a cohesive mixture. Add more butter if it becomes dry to prevent burning. Deglaze the pan with white wine if using. If not, use stock instead. Scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spatula. Add the stock and seared pheasant and bring the mixture to a simmer. Continue simmering for 1-2 hours until the pheasant breasts easily shred with a fork. While the soup simmers, make the spätzle: In a large bowl, beat the eggs, then whisk in the milk and cream. Add salt and nutmeg to the bowl and stir. Last, add flour and mix until smooth. The mixture should resemble melted ice cream or a thin pancake batter. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and place the spätzle maker on top. A spätzle maker has a small hook on it to anchor it to the rim of a pot. Place some spätzle mixture in the hopper and slide it back and forth to make the dumplings. Work in batches to avoid crowding the pot. When the dumplings float, give them another minute or so and then move them to a large bowl. Toss them with butter or a neutral oil, like vegetable or canola oil, to prevent them from sticking together. When the pheasant is tender, remove the breasts and allow them to cool slightly. Shred them with your hands or two forks. Return the shredded meat to the pot. Add the apple cider vinegar. Simmer for another 5 minutes and taste for salt. To serve, spoon some spätzle in the bottom of a soup bowl and top with a couple of ladles of soup. Optionally, top with fresh dill and serve with sour cream on the side for adding to the soup. PHOTO BY RYAN SPARKS

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