Spaetzle

Easy Spaetzle

Easy Spaetzle

Ingredients

SERVES 4 (quantities can be easily halved)

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 onion, peeled, halved and finely sliced into half-moons
• 4 large eggs
• 350g Italian 00 or plain flour
• 50g fine semolina
• ½ tsp fine salt
• nutmeg
• 120-150ml sparkling water
• 150g emmental, gruyere or Bavarian smoked cheese, finely grated
• finely chopped chives, to top

Method

1. Heat the butter in a frying pan over a low heat, add the onion, and soften until golden, but not brown.
2. Turn off the heat.
3. Meanwhile, put a large pan of salted water on to boil.
4. Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl and whisk until very frothy.
5. Whisk in the flour, semolina, salt and a good grating of nutmeg, then add enough sparkling water to make a stiff batter, if using the board and knife method, or a looser batter more like molten cheese, if using a colander or spatzle press.
6. Add flour, salt, semolina, nutmeg and fizzy water to beaten eggs, and whisk until you have a stiff batter.
7. Add flour, salt, semolina, nutmeg and fizzy water to beaten eggs, and whisk until you have a stiff batter.

Photographs By Dan Matthews .For the Guardian.

1. Beat the batter with a wooden spoon until you see large bubbles forming, then, when the water has come to a boil, wet a small wooden board and smear a rectangle of dough on to it, spreading it out so it’s thin, but not see-through.
2. Use a metal dough scraper or the blunt side of a chef’s knife to cut very thin strips from the end of the batter and quickly flick these into the pan.
3. Spread the batter over a board in batches, cut off a strip, scrape into boiling salted water, and repeat.
4. Working in batches, spread the batter over a small board, cut off a strip, scrape into boiling salted water, and repeat.
5. Cook for about two minutes, until they’ve risen to the top, then scoop out with a slotted spoon and run under cold water to stop them cooking further.
6. Repeat with the remaining batter.
7. Once you’ve used up all the batter, turn on the heat under the onion pan.
8. Once warm, tip in the spatzle and the cheese, and toss and stir until the latter has melted and coated the former.
9. Toss the cooked spatzle in fried onions, add cheese and chives, and serve topped with more chopped chives.
10. Toss the cooked spatzle in fried onions, add cheese and chives, and serve topped with more chopped chives.
11. Divide between bowls, top with a sprinkle of chives and serve hot.