Obatzda
Obatzda (Obazda): Bavarian beer-garden cheese spread with paprika and onion
Obatzda is what a Munich beer garden puts beside a giant soft pretzel: overripe Camembert mashed with soft butter, sweet paprika, caraway and raw onion until it turns a creamy, rusty orange. It is a thrifty spread that grew up in Bavarian taverns as a way to use cheese that had gone a little too far, and it is still eaten in the afternoon sun with radishes and dark bread. Camembert is usually made with animal rennet, so pick one labelled vegetarian if that matters to you. A common mistake is blitzing it in a processor, which makes it gluey; mash with a fork so a few soft lumps stay. Chef's tip: make it an hour ahead and chill it, then let it stand 15 minutes before serving, so the paprika flavour blooms and it spreads easily.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
To serve
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (4)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Cut the rind off half the 9 oz ripe Camembert (vegetarian rennet if needed) if it is very thick, then chop the cheese small and drop it into a bowl with the 1 ⅜ oz unsalted butter and 1 ¾ oz full-fat cream cheese.
3 minStep 2: Mash with a fork for 2–3 minutes until mostly smooth but still with a few soft pea-sized lumps. Don't use a blender; the spread turns sticky.
3 minStep 3: Stir in the 1 small onion, 2 tsp sweet paprika, ½ tsp ground caraway, 1 pinch salt and 1 pinch black pepper. Taste: it should be mild, rich and gently peppery, with a sweet paprika edge.
2 minStep 4: Pile into a bowl, swirl the top with a spoon and dust with a little extra paprika. Chill for at least 30 minutes if you have time, then bring back to room temperature for 15 minutes.
5 minStep 5: Scatter with 1 tbsp chives and 1 red onion rings and serve with soft pretzels (or gluten-free bread), radishes and dark bread. It keeps 2 days in the fridge, covered.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 4 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does obatzda take?
- About 15 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of unsalted butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of full-fat cream cheese?
- Mascarpone, same amount.
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