JANUARY 31, 2021
The quiz for the week January 25, 2021 featured a question on obatzda, the delicious cheese spread frequently served in Bavarian biergartens.
Because it’s incredibly tasty and I thought others might want to give it a try, we’re putting a recipe here for you to try. Don’t feel like you have to follow it exactly — obatzda is the type of food where everyone has their own personal way they like it, and it’s pretty forgiving. Give it a try and you too will be able to make comments about “the real thing is much better” the next time you see German beer cheese on the menu somewhere!
One note on the cheese: It can be any combination of brie & camembert you want, so long as you end up with about 400 g. The standard wedge size you find in U.S. grocery stores is generally about 227 grams, which is fine.
Obatzda
Makes approximately 2 quarts (party size)
Ingredients
200g Camembert
200g Brie
3 T butter, softened
3 T cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup finely minced onion
splash of German wheat beer (Weissbier)
1 tst Hungarian sweet paprika (regular paprika won’t work)
salt & pepper to taste
Cut some of the rind off of the cheese. Don’t feel the need to get it all, just some of the thicker parts. Use a hand mixer or potato masher to combine them, then add the rest of the ingredients and continue mixing. adjust the paprika, salt, & paper until you think it’s good.
Serve with soft pretzels or whatever bread or crackers you have handy. If you’re feeling fancy you can use an ice cream scoop to serve in scoops and garnish with some spring onion and raw onion rings.