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1
Mash the Camembert
10 Mins
Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Put the 250 g of Camembert, rind and all, into a large bowl and mash it thoroughly with a fork until it is soft and mostly smooth — a few small lumps are fine and traditional. Add the 60 g of softened butter and the 100 g of cream cheese and keep mashing and stirring until the mixture is creamy and spreadable.
Mash by hand, never in a food processor — the processor makes it gluey, while a fork keeps the spread light and a little rustic.
Done when: A thick, creamy orange-cream paste with no hard lumps of cheese.
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2
Dice the Onion and Snip the Chives
5 Mins
No heat — room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Finely dice 60 g of the onion and set it aside, then slice the remaining 40 g into thin rings for the garnish. Snip the chives into short pieces and keep them in a small bowl.
Dice the onion as finely as you can — big pieces make the spread hard to spread and too sharp in a single bite.
Done when: Fine onion dice, neat thin rings, and a small pile of snipped chives.
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3
Mix in the Onion, Spices and Beer
5 Mins
Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Stir the 60 g of diced onion into the cheese with the 4 g of sweet paprika, the 2 g of ground caraway, the 2 g of salt and the 1 g of black pepper. Pour in the 60 ml of wheat beer a little at a time, stirring until the spread is soft and easy to scoop — you may not need all of the beer. Taste and add a pinch more salt or paprika if it needs it.
Add the beer slowly: too much at once makes the spread runny, and you cannot take it back.
Done when: Rust-orange, soft and scoopable, with the onion and spices evenly mixed through.
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4
Chill to Firm Up
30 Mins Chill
Chilled, about 4°C (40°F)
Scrape the spread into a serving bowl, smooth the top, cover with cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. The flavours meld as it rests and the spread firms up to a proper scoopable texture.
Do not skip the chill — warm obatzda is soft and the onion tastes raw and sharp; chilled, it is mellow and holds its shape.
Done when: Firm enough to hold a spoon mark, with a matte, even orange surface.
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5
Garnish and Serve
5 Mins
Serve cool, about 15°C (59°F)
Take the bowl out of the fridge 10 minutes before serving so the spread softens slightly. Scatter the onion rings and snipped chives over the top, dust with a pinch of paprika, and set the bowl in the middle of the table with warm pretzels and radishes.
Serve the onion rings on top, not mixed in — they stay crisp and look like a beer garden, and guests can take as much or as little as they like.
Done when: A neat mound topped with onion rings, green chives and a dusting of paprika.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve the obatzda cool, not fridge-cold, with warm soft pretzels, dark rye bread, radishes and spring onions on the side, and a cold wheat beer for everyone at the table. A generous spoonful per person is about 148 g.
Germany
3h 30m
