Chicken and Spaetzel in Garlic Gravy

Since it’s the weekend I had some extra time to make dinner tonight.  So I decided to make spaetzel.  I’d never done it before but I had a basic recipe... so I went for it. This was a challenge in my small kitchen as I had to juggle the pans on the small stove and make the spaetzel without a colander... I used the lid to one of my spices which had nice large holes.  I pushed the batter through the holes with my fingers (which was a little warm since I had to hold a small lid over the boiling water...).  Not the easiest spaetzel process with the modifications I had to make, but it turned out great.  Next time I make this I’ll try to have the proper tools, which I’m sure will make it much easier.  If you don’t want to take the time to make spaetzel, the chicken and gravy would also be delicious over egg noodles. 

As for the chicken and gravy, it was really simple and tasty.  It was just a matter of searing the chicken and then making a simple gravy by making a roux.  The garlic flavor was amazing as frying it in the oil before making the roux guaranteed that the flavor was all throughout the gravy.  The peas added a nice sweetness and some much needed color to the dish.  Overall a very tasty meal.

This recipe made two servings.  I ate one and the other is in the fridge to feed me sometime this week.  I’m definitely looking forward to that meal.  J  I’ll probably double the recipe when I make it while Jeremy’s around so that we can both eat and have leftovers. 

Recipe: 

1 chicken breast, butterflied

1 c. frozen peas

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/3 c. skim milk

¾ c. chicken stock

1 tbs. flour

¼ tsp. paprika

¼ tsp. pepper

¼ tsp. salt

½ tsp. parsley flakes

1 tbs. olive oil

1 tbs. margarine

1 recipe spaetzel (below)

1. Heat a frying pan over medium high heat.  Add 1 tbs. of olive oil.  Add chicken and sear on both sides until cooked through, approximately 3 minutes per side.  Remove from pan.

2. Turn heat down to medium low and add sliced garlic.  Stir frequently until it is a light golden brown (watch the garlic carefully so that it doesn’t burn... if it burns it turns bitter and won’t be pleasant.) Remove garlic from pan.

3. Add 1 tbs. margarine or butter.  Add flour and stir to combine.  Add milk and chicken stock.  Bring to a boil to thicken the sauce.

4. Add salt, pepper, paprika, and peas to the sauce.  Return chicken and garlic to the sauce.  Stir to combine.  Allow to simmer until peas are heated through. 

5. Add spaetzel to the pan and stir to combine.  Serve immediately.

Spaeztel:

1 c. flour

¼ c. milk

2 eggs, beaten

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. black pepper

1. Mix all the ingredients together.  (Batter will be thick and sticky.)

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

3. Press batter through a colander (with large holes preferably) into the boiling water.  Stir periodically so they don’t stick.

4. When the spaetzel floats, drain it and set aside until ready to be added to the gravy.  (As an alternative, spaetzel is also delicious as a side dish when tossed with just a little butter.)