Schotten-Nocken

Monika Huber from the gastropub Wirtshaus im Demutsgraben shares her Tyrolean mother-in-law's recipe for Schotten-Nocken.

Tyroleans say Schotten, whereas the rest of Austria knows it as Bröseltopfen or Bauerntopfen. The crumbly cheese curd is made from pasteurised buttermilk and cream. Not only does it differ in consistency from traditional curd cheese, which to compare is used for curd cheese turnovers, it also tastes different. Its crumblier and savoury appearance is perfect for Monika’s Schotten-Nocken. Don’t take our word for it - try it for yourself.

Recipe: 

Mix the eggs with the crumbled curd and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Then mix in the flour to bind the mixture. By adding seasonal herbs – such as wild garlic in spring or lovage in summer – you can easily enhance the mix in a number of ways. Before shaping the cones, taste the mixture once again as once you start frying, it is difficult to add flavour to the finished Nocken.

Next, heat the oil. It is better to use a non-stick pan as the curd cheese tends to stick to the bottom of the pan. It’s really easy to shape the cones using a spoon, which you can use to put them into the pan to cook.  Use a sheet of kitchen paper to soak up the excess fat from the cooked Schotten-Nocken and serve.

Ingredients: 

• 500g curd cheese
• 3 eggs
• 7–8 tbsp flour
• Salt, pepper, nutmeg
• If available, seasonal herbs (e.g. wild garlic, lovage)
• Oil for frying

Tip: Serve with salad and herb dip. Also taste great with sauerkraut.