Spätzle

Introduction

Spätzle are a Swabian noodle speciality - Usually it is used as a side dish like potatoes or rice,

but there are also other dishes like "Käsespätzle" - where it is made with cheese and onions and usually served with a green salad.

Of course, nowadays it is easy to just buy the ready made Spätzle in the supermarket and toss them in a pot of boiling water

If you want to get the real thrill of producing Spätzle yourself, you have to take some time and it is worth it!

The traditional way is to make them using a cutting board and a special scraper:

It takes a little time to learn it, just practise a little bit before inviting guests - so you can impress your guests with your new ability. Click on this link - it is in Swabian but quite slow- so you will understand without speaking the language or dialect.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5DqFq1GQFI&feature=related

Recipe:

This is the standard recipe - however every Swabian has his or her own recipe. Just try this first, then try to alter it if you wish. You can work with different kinds of flour, you can add spinach for green spätzle, walnuts or herbs like wild garlic (I will write about this, too - it doesn't take long until it grows again).

500 g flour
5 eggs
1 tea spoon of salt
water








This recipe is calculated for 4 persons (abundant)

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and whip them. Most traditionalists do it manually. You can also use a hand mixer is you wish. When the dough has a rubbery texture without tearing it is right. Otherwise add water or flour.

Fill a large pot with water and let it boil. Add salt. Prepare bowl and strainer. When the water boils put the board and scrape for a moment in the pot, then start the procedure. Put 1 or 2 spoons of dough on the board and smooth it out.
When the Spätzle appear on the surface, they are ready. Take out the Spätzle with the strainer and put them in the bowl which is already filled with cold water. - That's it. When you have finished you can take the prepared Spätzle and heat them up in a pan with a lump of butter.

tips and tricks:

• The dough won't stick to the board if you put the board and the scraper in the boiling water before adding the paste.
• If you want to create an especially opulent dish, you can replace the water by more eggs
• You can replace part of the dough by semolina. This will give the Spätzle a more soure
• If you use mineral water instead of normal water, the dough will have a more fluffy consistency
• You can prepare a larger quantity and freeze them without problems.