Obatzda Cheese Spread
Obatzda was invented to use up camembert that had gone too far, and that is the whole point: the cheese must be very soft, nearly running under the rind, or there is no flavour to work with. It is never blitzed in a blender — you mash it with a fork so pieces of cheese survive. And it needs time: freshly mixed it tastes sharp, but an hour in the fridge and the paprika and onion have given everything they have.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Rest
- 1 h
- Total
- 1 h 15 min
- Servings
- 6
- Level
- Easy
- Per serving
- 290 kcal
Ingredients
Makes: About 450 g, 6 servings
Shopping list
The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
-
Step 1: Bring the cheese up
Take the camembert out of the fridge an hour before you start. Cold cheese crumbles instead of mashing and the spread turns lumpy. Leave the rind on — it carries the smell that makes this dish.
-
Step 2: Mash the cheese
Cut the camembert into large pieces, put them in a bowl and mash with a fork. Stop short of a paste: finished obatzda should still hold pea-sized pieces, which is a feature and not a fault.
-
Step 3: Work in the fats
Add the soft butter and cream cheese and keep working with the fork until the colour is even but the texture still visible. No blender: it turns obatzda into smooth nothing.
-
Step 4: Add the spices
Stir in the paprika and caraway, add the very finely chopped onion, season with salt and pepper. The mixture takes on its even warm orange colour straight away.
-
Step 5: Loosen with beer
Add the beer a tablespoon at a time, mixing after each, until the spread is soft enough to go onto bread but still holds its shape in the bowl.
-
Step 6: Let it rest
Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour, better overnight. Take it out 20 minutes before serving and scatter spring onion over the top.
Tips & variations
-
Tip
If the camembert is not ripe enough, leave it a day at room temperature in a closed box and it will soften under the rind.
-
Swap
Sparkling water or kefir works in place of beer: the same consistency, a milder flavour.
-
Variation
Bavaria often adds a teaspoon of hot paprika to this quantity — deeper colour, and a tail on the finish.
-
Storage
In a sealed jar in the fridge it keeps four days and sharpens as it goes. Do not freeze it; the cheese separates.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 6 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 290 kcal | 1,740 kcal |
| Protein | 11 g | 66 g |
| Fat | 25 g | 150 g |
| Carbohydrates | 4 g | 24 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
Cooked it? Rate the recipe
No ratings yet — yours will be the first.
