Obatzda
Ripe Camembert mashed with butter, paprika and beer into a spread for pretzels. Fifteen minutes and no cooking.
Photograph credit: Obatzter-1 (image of Obatzda on Wikidata Q707630) by Rainer Z ... · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · this resized copy is shared under the same licence
Use Camembert that is properly ripe — soft to the point of collapse and smelling strongly. Under-ripe cheese stays in rubbery lumps that no amount of mashing fixes, and it is the ripeness that gives obatzda its depth. Mash it with a fork rather than blending: the texture should be uneven, with some pieces still recognisable.
What People Ask
How long does Obatzda take to make?
15 minutes of preparation and of cooking, plus 1 hour 30 minutes of softening the cheese and chilling, so allow 1 hour 45 minutes from start to finish. The recipe serves 6.
How to Make Obatzda
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Leave the Camembert at room temperature for 1 hour so it softens completely.
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Cut it into rough pieces, rind and all, into a bowl.
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Add the softened butter and cream cheese.
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Mash with a fork for 3 minutes, leaving some pieces of cheese visible.
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Work in the chopped onion, paprika, crushed caraway, salt and pepper.
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Add the beer a spoonful at a time until it is spreadable but not loose.
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Taste and correct the salt and paprika.
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Chill 30 minutes to firm slightly.
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Pile into a bowl and scatter the spring onions and chives over.
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Serve with pretzels and raw red onion rings.
Related guide: Prep, cook and total time.
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A Few Pointers
- Properly ripe Camembert, rind included.
- Fork, not blender — the texture should be uneven.
- Beer a spoonful at a time.
Changing the Recipe
- Out of spring onions? A small regular onion, finely sliced, or a few chives stirred in at the end both cover the job.
Pairs Well With
Soft pretzels · Radishes · A cold wheat beer
Leftovers and Storage
Keeps 4 days refrigerated and the flavour deepens.
Obatzda Nutrition
No nutrition figures are given for this recipe: they cannot be worked out reliably from its ingredient list (some ingredient lines cannot be read). Why some recipes have none.
Your notes on this recipe
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Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked. Found a mistake? Tell us.
First published ; last changed .
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