Spätzle

(German egg dumplings)

Yield: 6-8 servings

Basic Steps: Sift → Beat → Sieve → Boil

Sift the flour, salt, pepper and optional nutmeg together in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl beat together the eggs and milk or water. Mix the egg mixture into the dry ingredients and beat well will a fork or whisk till smooth. Add a little more liquid or flour as needed to get a thick and elastic yet pourable consistency.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Working in batches of 1 to 1 1/2 cups at a time, pour the batter through a sieve or colander with large holes (about 1/8-1/4") so small bits drop off into the boiling water. Let cook for about 1 minute, or until the spätzle noodles float to the top. Remove with a slotted spoon to another bowl. Cover and continue with the remaining batter.
The finished noodles can be tossed with butter, some toasted breadcrumbs and served as a side dish.

Another way to make the spätzle is to spread a thin layer of batter on a smooth cutting board and scrape pieces off into the boiling water with a knive. You can also use a spätzle press, a utensil that looks a lot like a potato ricer, but with bigger holes.
Käsespätzle (Cheese spaetzle): Layer spätzle with shredded Swiss cheese in a greased casserole dish. Bake at 350˚F until the cheese is melted, 15-20 minutes. Top with onions browned in butter, sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.
Kräuterspätzle (Herbed spaetzle): Mix a variety of chopped fresh herbs--parsley, thyme, marjoram--into the batter. Serve tossed with butter and sautéed onions.
Spinatspätzle (Spinach spaetzle): Blanch 1 lb of spinach and squeeze dry. Puree in a blender or food processor and use in place of the water or milk. You may have to add a little water to get the correct batter consistency. You can use frozen spinach if you like. Defrost and squeeze dry.
Pilzspätzle (Mushroom Spatzle): Toss the spätzle with sliced mushrooms that have been sautéed in butter.

Spätzle (SHPEHT-sluh, SHPEHT-sel, or SHPEHT-slee) is a simple egg dumpling popular in southwestern Germany and served as a side dish, often with sauerkraut and sausages. It is often spelled Spaetzle or Spatzen.
Gaisburger Marsch, a stew of beef, potatoes and spätzle is popular in the area around Stuttgart.