Schinkenfleckerl
Schinkenfleckerl, the epitome of good Viennese cuisine. A perfect choice, when there is no time for cooking. The Bohemian version is refined with cabbage. For old and young, at the Heurigen and in the pub around the corner, in summer and in winter.
Schinken means ham and Fleckerl is pasta in the shape of little patches.
Aunt Jolesch[1] was a legendary cook. Which is no wonder, because her creator, the author Friedrich Torberg is said to have wished for the saying on his gravestone: “Eating was his favorite food”. You can to go to Section 1 of the Vienna Central Cemetery and check if this was actually implemented. And what made Aunt Jolesch’s Schinkenfleckerl so legendary? On her deathbed she confided the secret to us. “There were never enough.”
But it is also important that the ham does not play hide-and-seek with the Fleckerln, as Hermann Leopoldi sang about in the 1930s and later also Peter Alexander. The ratio of ham versus Fleckerl should be about 1:1. After Easter, when there is still plenty of ham left over from the Easter brunch, it can also be more.
The traditional basic recipe does not require cheese or an oven, but today gratinated Schinkenfleckerl are commonly served.
[1] Die Tante Jolesch, by Friedrich Torberg, ISBN 978—3-423-01266-9
important questions
Ratio of ham to Fleckerl
At least 1:1 (ham to uncooked Fleckerl), if you like it meaty, you can also use more ham as Fleckerl.
cheese or not?
The traditional Schinkenfleckerl were prepared without cheese. Cooked pasta with ham or sausage prepared in the pan. Today, a binding sauce is usually prepared and then baked with cheese in the oven.
Higher is juicier
If you like the Fleckerl extra juicy, use a high baking pan. They get extra creamy if you use a béchamel sauce.
chives, parsley
As always, it’s a matter of taste, but caution is advised in any case, because green herbs have a strong taste.
Ingredients
4 servings
– 300 g Fleckerl (uncooked)
– 450 g ham
– 3 eggs
– 80 g cheese– ½ tasty(e.g. Bergkäse) and ½ mild (e.g. Edam)
– 50 g Parmesan grated
– 250 ml sour cream
– 250 ml cream
– 100 ml Fond (vegetable or beef)
– 50 g bread crumbs
– 100 g butter
– nutmeg
– salt, pepper
Refining
Schinkenfleckerl consist of 3 ingredients: Fleckerln, ham and a sauce that connects everything.
If you have time, you can make the patches yourself. A pasta dough is used for this, and the Fleckerl are either plucked or thinly rolled out and cut.
The ham must be of excellent quality and should be similar in size and thickness to the Fleckerl. It gets tastier if you use smoked meat. The ham can of course also be replaced or supplemented. Cabbage is a good idea, also together with bacon.
The sauce can take any form from an egg mixture to a béchamel sauce. The more cream and express foam used, the creamier the Fleckerl will be. If you like a full, spicy note, you can also add a stock to the sauce.
CULINAMUS
For our Culinamus Schinkenfleckerl we use ready-made ham, cream and sour cream mixed with a not too strong stock to round it off, a flavorful cheese mix, parsley and rather more ham than Fleckerl.
Preparation
20 minutes
– Boil the Fleckerl (not quite al dente, so they don’t overcook when gratinated) and rinse with cold water.
– Rasp cheese
– Separate eggs
– Beat the egg whites until stiff
– Cut ham
– Preheat the oven to 200 degrees top/bottom heat
Grease the baking tin with butter and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.
cooking
20 minutes and 40 minutes in the oven
– Stir the egg yolks until creamy and mix with the cream, sour cream and stock.
– Add the Fleckerl, ham and cheese.
– Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
– Fold in the egg whites, not stirring too much so that the snow keeps the mixture airy.
– Place in the baking dish, sprinkle with butter and parmesan.
– Bake 35 minutes. If you like a crispy crust, you can turn on the grill for the last few minutes.
– Cut into portions and serve immediately.
and together with that?
Lettuce or a cucumber are a great match.
In terms of beverages, the most Viennese of all wines, the ‘Gemischter Satz’ is very fine. ‘Mayer vom Pfarrplatz’ automatically comes to mind. But you can also enjoy an nicely chilled original Viennese Ottakringer beer.
