How to serve spätzle?

Spaetzle is basically a blank, buttery canvas that will absorb whatever flavorings you care to mix into it. I've served the dumplings plain with melted butter and chopped chives . I've crisped them in a pan of brown butter and almonds. I've topped them with hearty beef stew.

What is a culinary spätzle?

plural spaetzle or spaetzles also spätzle or spätzles. : a small dumpling cooked by running batter through a colander into boiling water .

What tool can you use to prepare spaetzle if you don t own an spaetzle maker?

If you place the cheese grater grating side down over a pot of water, it resembles a spätzle maker without the dough box. It's then easy to spoon the sticky dough onto the cheese grater and use a spoon or even a pastry cutter to push the dough back and forth through the holes and into the water below.

What meat goes well with spaetzle?

Looking for a quick answer? The best side dishes to serve with spaetzle are red cabbage, pork schnitzel, bratwurst, or borscht if you are looking for a classic pairing. For some less traditional options, you can eat spaetzle with sauteed zucchini and summer squash, chicken and mushrooms, or carrot fries.

What does Spätzle taste like?

Taste: Spatzle taste similar to my beloved egg noodles, with the chewiness of a dumpling .

What is Spätzle made of?

Spätzle is a type of pasta or dumpling or noodles. Spätzle dough typically consists of few ingredients, principally eggs, flour, and salt . The Swabian rule of thumb is to use a number of eggs equal to the number of servings, plus one. Water is often added to produce a runnier dough.

What is Spätzle in German?

The word Spätzle literally means “ little sparrows ” in English but they are also called Knöpfle in Germany because they look like little buttons. You can get them in many different sizes and shapes in Germany.

What can you use instead of a spatzle maker?

If you don't have a spaetzle maker, the batter can be pressed through the holes of a colander with a spatula (just make sure to lift the colander above the boiling water so it doesn't get clogged with cooked dough). I've heard a potato ricer works well, too.

Can you make spaetzle dough in advance?

My make-ahead Spaetzle noodles can be formed and boiled up to 3 days ahead. Try my Spaetzle-making trick using a colander if you don't have (or want to invest in) special equipment to make this classic German side dish recipe.

Does spaetzle need to be refrigerated?

When you're done with the batter, drain the spaetzle well and toss it with a small amount of olive oil to keep it from sticking. You can use it right away, or keep it in the fridge for a day until needed .

How do you serve and eat Shakshuka?

Start with a whole pita, then garnish generously with some hummus. Add a serving of the shakshuka, then garnish with the tomato salad. Slightly fold it in a way you can hold it with your hands, and eat immediately!

How do you eat Kugel?

Kugel is traditionally served as a side dish alongside something meaty like brisket or roast chicken . In this case it would normally be served warm, but it can also be refrigerated and eaten cold the next day. Sweeter versions can also be eaten hot or cold, and taste great with fresh cream or vanilla ice cream.

How to serve goulash?

The best side dishes to serve with American Goulash are crispy green beans, country gravy, mashed sweet potatoes, butternut squash, watermelon cucumber salad, caramelized carrots, Tabasco sauce, corn salsa, grilled asparagus, cornbread, roasted Brussels sprouts, cucumber salad, garlic bread, biscuits, and macaroni ...

Does spaetzle taste like pasta?

Taste: Spatzle taste similar to my beloved egg noodles , with the chewiness of a dumpling.

Herb Spätzle with Speck and Peas Recipe (2024)

Why It Works

Adding semolina flour and minced fresh herbs to the batter gives the spätzle a robust flavor and golden color.
The cutting method requires no special tools and yields a rustic, homestyle spätzle.

Spätzle isgemütlichkeitat its best: homey, oddly shaped little clumps, somewhere between dumplings and pasta. Hearty and very homey. The traditional homemade style of cutting the dough on a wooden board and letting the little bits drop into boiling water is particularly rustic. That's how my grandmother and my mother prepared them. It's something I loved watching as a kid and is now how I make mine.

I'll admit, seeing spätzle being made was more captivating than having to do it myself. But in the end, it's worth the effort.

Mixing the Batter

Though forming spätzle may take a little practice,preparing the dough is as easy as mixing pancake batter.There are two basic keys to getting the right flavor and texture.Adding semolina flour to the all-purpose flouradds flavor, a brighter color, and a texture that is lighter, a touch sandy, and less gummy. Secondly, it's important torest the dough before cooking it. It doesn't need a long rest, just 15 minutes or so. In the time it takes you to get your spätzle board ready and boil a big pot of water, you'll be ready to start cooking.

Hand-Cut Spätzle

Sure, you could get a spätzle maker. They're easy to use (so I hear) and not at all expensive. Or, if you have just the right colander with large enough holes that are not too close together, you could use that. But, with either of these you end up with what I think of as restaurant spätzle. Much smaller and more consistently shaped (like monochromatic Fruity Pebbles), they may be more delicate, but doesn't that defy the essence of spätzle?

Herb Spätzle with Speck and Peas Recipe (1)

The shape and size of hand-cut spätzle is as individual as one's handwriting.Mine tend to be on the longer, thinner side, while my mom's spätzle are a little stubbier.Try it out for yourself and see what your personal spätzle-ization is.

Here's how I form spätzle. First, I get out a heat-proof board with a smooth surface, like a wooden cutting board. I moisten it with cool water, and then spread some of the batter in a long strip going from one end of the board to the other.

I move the board so that one side is positioned over a pot of salted boiling water. Using an offset spatula, I cut off small, thin strips of the batter and slide them into the water. I cut the dough at small angles to keep the spätzle from getting too long (they will almost double in size as they cook). As I cut the dough, I let any small bits drop into the boiling water as well. If the dough doesn’t want to release from your spatula, just plunge the spatula into the water for a second. (You can also cook the spätzle directly in soup broth.)

According to my Oma’s notes, if you work quickly enough you can cook the whole thing in two batches. Yeah right, Oma. The rest of us may do better with small batches – about as much as you can scoop up with one or two sweeps of a strainer.

Once the spätzle floats, let them cook at a gentle boil for another minute or two, until they no longer have a raw flour taste and have a pleasantly firm texture, not tough and chewy. The cooking time will differ depending on the size of your spätzle.

Herb Spätzle with Speck and Peas Recipe (2)

Once they are cooked, I shock the spätzle in ice water. Once cool, I scoop them out, rest the strainer on a clean, dry towel for a moment to get rid of excess water, and then spread them on a baking sheet to dry off further.

Herb Spätzle with Speck and Peas Recipe (3)

You can do all of this up to a day in advance of serving. Once the spätzle has dried off for about 30 minutes, pack them up and store them in the fridge. Or hold them for several weeks by freezing the spätzle on a tray and then packing them up in a well-sealed container.

The Lighter Side of Spätzle

Herb Spätzle with Speck and Peas Recipe (5)

Spätzle is served with any number of stews, braised dishes, and goulashes. It does a great job of holding on to rich sauces and holding up to hearty meats. Another popular way to serve it, particularly in the Swabian region of Germany, is as Kässpätzle, alternating layers of buttered spätzle and melted cheese topped with frizzled onions.

Though delicious, this kind of food is not daily fare, at least for me. I'm not turning it into spa food, but I do like to lighten it up just a tad and let the spätzle itself feature more prominently. In this recipe, toss some herbed spätzle with butter, crispy speck, peas, and top it with toasted bread crumbs.

Finally, if you have any leftover spätzle, crisp them up in the skillet and pour a few beaten eggs over them for a German-style frittata.

May 2011

Recipe Details