Spinach Serviettenknödel with browned butter

Trim and wash the spinach. Blanch for 1 min in a large pan of unsalted boiling water. Drain, cool under cold water and firmly squeeze out as much free liquid as possible. Chop. Dice the bread and grate the cheese. Peel the onion and garlic and chop them. Soften onion and garlic in 25 g butter for about 4 min without browning, then cool to lukewarm.

Crack and beat the eggs, then weigh the stated amount. Mix quark, squeezed spinach, all the beaten egg, cooled onion and garlic with their butter, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Separately mix bread, flour and cheese, then gently fold into the wet mixture. Rest for 15 min. Lay out clean damp, well-wrung cotton cloths. Shape dough rolls no more than 6 cm in diameter and short enough to fit the pot. Roll up in the cloths and tie with kitchen string, leaving a little expansion room without exposing dough.

Submerge the wrapped rolls in a wide pot of barely simmering unsalted water and poach gently for about 40 min without a rolling boil. Check the centre is set and reaches 75 °C for 30 s through the cloth with a clean probe. Extend if needed. Toward the end, melt the remaining 80 g butter in a small light-coloured saucepan and heat for about 5 min, stirring, until the solids turn golden and smell nutty. Immediately remove from heat before they blacken. Lift rolls out, drain, unwrap carefully and slice about 2 cm thick. Divide all slices and all the browned butter with its golden solids.