I’ve poured through a dozen different recipe books, and have canvassed the internet looking for a recipe that my tante Gerda used to make her delicious spaetzle when I was visiting. I’ve managed to reduce all of those recipes into a single, simple, easily replicated recipe. Like my “Dutch Babies,” it is based on a single egg as the base measure. You scale for your needs from there.
1 egg
1/2 cup milk or half-and-half
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup flour
Nutmeg (add for authentic German, omit for Hungarian)
Beat the egg. Beat in the milk and salt. Beat in the flour. Add the nutmeg or not…
Bring a large flat pan of salted water to a boil.
Using a “Spätzle maker” if you have it, a colander, or a French fry basket and press the dough through the bottom of the basket by rubbing the spoon back & forth.
When the spaetzle come back up and float, you can scoop them off with a slotted spoon, dropping them into a colander to drain.
Use them most any place you’d use a noodle. I especially like them with chicken parikash, sauerbraten, and pork chops with mushrooms in cream sauce.
Enjoy!
Another variation to incorporate and test: Basic Spaetzle dough
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 cups flour, sifted
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
Method:
Bring a pan of salted water to a boil, reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
Stir the ingredients together. Using a “Spätzle maker” or colander, pour some of the batter into your chosen device and press through the holes with a spoon or spatula. When the spaetzle starts to float to the surface, cover the pan and keep covered until the spaetzle appears to swell and is fluffy.
Remove the spaetzle and repeat that procedure with the remaining batter.