Käsknöpfle

About This Recipe

Käsknöpfle (also known as Käsespätzle) is the proudest dish of Liechtenstein and the broader Alpine region. A loose egg-flour batter is pushed through a colander into boiling water to form soft, irregular dumplings, then layered with copious amounts of grated Bergkäse or Emmental. The whole dish is crowned with heaps of deep-golden fried onions. Simple, indulgent, and magnificent.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 300 gplain flour
• 4 largeeggs
• 120 mlmilk
• 250 gBergkäse or Emmental, coarsely grated
• 3 largeonions, thinly sliced
• 4 tbspbutter

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the batter

   Whisk flour, eggs, milk, and a generous pinch of salt into a smooth, thick batter (thicker than pancake batter). Beat vigorously until bubbles form. Rest 10 minutes.

2. 2

   Cook the knöpfle

   Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Working in batches, press batter through a Spätzle press or colander with large holes directly into the water. Boil 2–3 minutes until dumplings float; remove with a slotted spoon.

3. 3

   Fry the onions

   Melt butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook slowly for 20–25 minutes, stirring regularly, until deeply golden and caramelised.

4. 4

   Layer with cheese

   In a warm baking dish, alternate layers of hot knöpfle and grated cheese. Cover the dish and leave in a warm oven (80 °C) for 5 minutes to melt the cheese.

5. 5

   Crown with onions and serve

   Top the whole dish with all the caramelised onions. Serve immediately from the dish. Traditionally accompanied by a simple green salad.

Variations

• •

  Add a splash of white wine to the caramelised onions

• •

  Use a mix of Gruyère and Appenzeller for a more complex cheese flavour

Storage

Best eaten immediately. Leftovers can be pan-fried with butter the next day for a crispy result.

Frequently Asked Questions