Spätzle Food

TRADITIONAL GERMAN SPAETZLE

Steps:

• Add the flour and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir to combine. Crack the eggs into a small bowl and whisk them. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour the eggs in it. Add the milk (start with using slightly less and add more as needed). Attach a dough hook to the stand mixer and "knead" the dough for 16-20 minutes, or until bubbles appear (see pictured instructions for details). After 15 minutes or less of beating, use a wooden spoon to scoop and pull the dough. If bubbles/holes appear, the dough is done.
• Bring at least 2 quarts of lightly salted water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Using a Spätzle maker of your choice (I use and prefer the Spätzle press), press the noodles into the simmering water and cook for about 2-3 minutes, or until the noodles float to the top. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the noodles to a colander, and then dump the noodles in a large bowl of ice water. Drain the noodles again, toss with some melted butter and serve warm.
• Make Ahead: The Spaetzle can be stored in the fridge for at least a couple of days and then reheated. Melt some butter in a large skillet and toss the Spätzle in it to heat through.

SPAETZLE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. In another mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the egg-milk mixture. Gradually draw in the flour from the sides and combine well; the dough should be smooth and thick. Let the dough rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Bring 3 quarts of salted water to a boil in a large pot, then reduce to a simmer. To form the spaetzle, hold a large holed colander or slotted spoon over the simmering water and push the dough through the holes with a spatula or spoon. Do this in batches so you don't overcrowd the pot. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until the spaetzle floats to the surface, stirring gently to prevent sticking. Dump the spaetzle into a colander and give it a quick rinse with cool water.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat and add the spaetzle; tossing to coat. Cook the spaetzle for 1 to 2 minutes to give the noodles some color, and then sprinkle with the chopped chives and season with salt and pepper before serving.

EASY GERMAN SPAETZLE RECIPE

Steps:

• In a bowl, whisk together the flour, eggs, milk, and salt. Stir until the batter is well combined and develops bubbles. You can also use a mixer. The batter should neither be too thin nor too thick or it will be difficult to make the spaetzle with your spaetzle maker. Let the batter sit for 5-10 min.
• Put a colander into a bowl to drain the Spaetzle once cooked and bring a large pot of water over high heat to a boil, add about 1 Tbsp of salt to the water, and reduce temperature to a simmer.
• Press batter through a spaetzle maker, a large holed sieve or colander into the simmering water.
• Work in batches, after using about 1/3 of the batter stop adding new spaetzle and let them cook for about 2-3 minutes, or until they float to the top. Stir occasionally. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the spaetzle to the colander so that excess water can drip off.
• Serve the spaetzle immediately or saute them in butter to crisp them up a little. If you don't serve or saute them right away, add 1 or 2 Tbsp of butter to the hot spaetzle to prevent them from sticking together.

GERMAN SPAETZLE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Place a large pot of salted water over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle boil.
• Meanwhile, prepare the spaetzle batter. In a medium bowl, combine the flour and salt; stir to blend.
• In a small bowl, whisk 1/2 cup of milk with the eggs.
• Add the milk and eggs to the flour mixture and beat with a wooden spoon or whisk until the batter is smooth and elastic. It will have a consistency similar to pancake batter. When you lift the spoon, it shouldn't flow; it should drip from it slowly. If too thick, add some milk, and if too thin, add more flour. Let the batter rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Place your spaetzle maker or another slotted utensil over the simmering water; add some of the spaetzle batter, and press it through the holes and into the gently boiling water. The spaetzle cook quickly, so it's best to cook them in two or more batches depending on the method you use.
• The spaetzle will take from 1 to 3 minutes to cook, depending on their size. The dumplings will float to the top when done.
• Use a slotted spoon to remove the spaetzle to a bowl and toss with a teaspoon or two of butter. Repeat with the remaining batter.
• At this point, you may sauté the cooked spaetzle (see below) or refrigerate until it's time to sauté and serve. If you're skipping the sauté step and are serving them immediately, taste and add more salt and butter, as needed, along with the freshly ground black pepper and herbs. Toss and serve hot. Sauté the Spaetzle
• Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat until lightly browned.
• Add the spaetzle to the pan and increase the heat to medium-high. Sauté the spaetzle, stirring frequently, for about 3 to 7 minutes, or browned as desired. Taste the sauteéd spaetzle and add salt, as needed, along with freshly ground black pepper and fresh herbs. Toss and serve hot.

TRADITIONAL SPäTZLE

Steps:

• Spätzle: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add 4 egg yolks, 4 whole eggs, and a pinch of salt. Mix on medium-high until combined, 10 seconds. Turn off mixer and grate a bit of nutmeg into the eggs (just a hint will go a long way!); add the flour. Start mixing on low, then on medium-high until combined, 20 seconds. Check the consistency: the mixture should have the viscosity of thick pancake batter. To achieve this, add ½ cup water, and use the whisk attachment to beat the batter on high; with the mixer on, add more water as needed, 1 tablespoon at a time, until batter reaches proper consistency, another 1-2 minutes. (Makes 2½ cups batter.)
• Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl and set aside. To the boiling water, add 2 large pinches salt and 1 tablespoon of grapeseed oil. Working in batches, cook the spätzle: Set the spätzle-maker over the pot. Add two ladles of batter to the sliding box; move the box back and forth over the grate and allow the batter to fall into the boiling water. Once the water comes to a boil again, stir the spätzle a few times to prevent clumping and to finish cooking, 1 more minute.
• When all the spätzle are fluffy and floating on the surface of the water, use a strainer to transfer them to the ice bath to stop the cooking, about 1 minute. Next, strain them from the ice bath, place in a bowl, and stir in ½ tablespoon oil to prevent sticking. Set aside. Repeat with remaining batter. (At this point, you can freeze the fully cooked spätzle in an airtight container. Bring to room temperature before using. Makes about 4 cups.)
• Cream Sauce: Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add ½ cup water, followed by ¼ cup crème fraîche, two pinches of salt, and a few gratings of nutmeg; stir to combine. Add 1 cup of spätzle in an even layer (note: sauce and spätzle can be doubled in a larger skillet). Add a few grinds of black pepper, and gently simmer to reduce the sauce, stirring occasionally, 8-10 minutes. As the water evaporates, the spätzle will become evenly coated with sauce and plump up. Meanwhile, finely mince the chives. Set aside.
• When almost all the liquid is gone and the sauce has thickened up, taste and adjust seasoning. Add two tablespoons of minced chives and toss or stir to combine. Repeat with remaining servings of spätzle. Plate and serve immediately.

SPäTZLE (AKA SPAETZLE)

Steps:

• Place flour, egg, salt, cayenne, cream fraiche, and milk in a mixing bowl. Whisk together until batter drips slowly off the whisk. If batter seems too thin, add a bit more flour; if too thick, add a bit more milk. You can test the thickness using the smooth side of a cheese grater with fairly large holes. If a dollop of the batter does not drip through the grating holes, it's the right consistency.
• Bring a pot of salted water to a simmer over medium-high heat. Use a spatula to push a spoonful of batter through the holes of the smooth side of the grater into the simmering water.
• When dumplings rise to the surface of the water, they are done. This will take just a few minutes. Remove dumplings with a slotted spoon, and repeat in batches with remaining batter.