Soft egg noodle spätzle tossed in golden herb butter, served as a warm grain bowl.
Spätzle are small, irregular egg noodles native to southern Germany, especially Swabia, made by scraping a wet dough through a special press or off a cutting board directly into boiling water. Unlike pasta made from a firm dough, spätzle batter is loose and eggy, which gives the noodles their characteristic soft, slightly chewy bite once boiled. Here the cooked spätzle get tossed in a butter melted with fresh herbs, parsley, chives and a little thyme, until each noodle is glossy and fragrant, then piled into a bowl the way a grain bowl is typically composed, though spätzle themselves aren't a grain but an egg noodle. Letting the butter foam slightly before adding the noodles develops a faint nutty flavor that plain melted butter doesn't have. This is comfort food in its simplest form, best eaten immediately while the butter is still glossy and the noodles are hot.
Serves 4
Whisk flour, eggs, milk, salt and nutmeg into a thick, sticky, pourable batter. Let rest 10 minutes.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil.
Push the batter through a spätzle press or scrape small pieces off a wet cutting board directly into the boiling water. Cook until they float, about 2 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon.
In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat until it foams and smells nutty, about 3 minutes.
Add cooked spätzle to the butter along with parsley, chives and thyme, tossing to coat. Serve hot, topped with grated cheese if using.
Let the batter rest at least 10 minutes before cooking; this relaxes the gluten and makes it easier to push through a press.
Cook the spätzle in batches so the pot doesn't overcrowd and drop in temperature, which can make the noodles gummy.
Watch the butter closely as it browns; the transition from nutty to burnt happens fast once it starts to foam.
Add sauteed mushrooms to the butter for Pilzspätzle, a common German mushroom variation.
Top with crispy fried onions for a heartier, more traditional presentation.
Make Käsespätzle by layering the noodles with grated cheese and caramelized onions under a broiler until melted.
Refrigerate cooked spätzle up to 3 days in an airtight container. Reheat in a buttered skillet over medium heat, tossing until warmed through; avoid the microwave, which makes them rubbery.
Spätzle originated in the Swabian region of southern Germany, where the name derives from a diminutive term meaning little sparrows, a nod to their small, irregular shape. They remain a defining regional specialty, traditionally made by hand-scraping the dough directly into boiling water.
It helps for consistent shapes, but you can also scrape small pieces of batter off a wet cutting board with a knife directly into the boiling water, the traditional method before presses existed.
Add a splash more milk until it reaches a thick but pourable consistency, similar to a heavy pancake batter; it should stretch into strands, not sit in a solid clump.
Yes, cook and toss lightly in oil to prevent sticking, then refrigerate; reheat in butter just before serving so they regain their glossy coating.
Per serving (300g / 10.6 oz) · 4 servings total
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