German · Side · Medium
Spatzle
Soft, chewy little egg noodles, pan-crisped in butter until golden at the edges. The perfect partner for any rich gravy.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Spatzle, in 5 ideas
- The batter should be thick and stretchy, dropping slowly off the spoon in long ribbons.
- Resting the batter for 15 minutes develops the gluten and makes the noodles chewier.
- Scrape the spaetzle maker back and forth quickly; slow passes make fat, clumsy noodles.
- Pan-frying the cooked noodles in butter is optional but transforms them: golden edges, nutty flavor.
- Toss with cheese and fried onions and you have kaesespaetzle, a meal in its own right.
What you need
Ingredients
- 300g plain flour
- 3 large eggs
- 120ml whole milk
- 1 tsp salt
- 0.25 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 tbsp butter
- Chopped chives, to serve (optional)
How to make it
Directions
- Whisk the flour, eggs, milk, salt and nutmeg into a thick, elastic batter. Rest for 15 minutes.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil.
- Working in batches, press or scrape the batter through a spaetzle maker or the large holes of a colander into the boiling water.
- Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the noodles float to the surface, then lift out with a slotted spoon.
- Melt the butter in a large frying pan and toss the spaetzle over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes until lightly golden at the edges.
- Serve hot, scattered with chives if you like.
A spaetzle maker costs very little and lasts forever, but a sturdy metal colander and a dough scraper do the same job for free; do not buy single-purpose gear until you are hooked.