German Spaetzle Recipe

 German Spaetzle is a German pasta that is usually served with Sauerbraten or other German meats that have some sort of gravy or sauce.  It has the slightest hint of nutmeg.  I always like to serve mine with my German Sauerbraten and German Pretzel Rolls and German Apple Strudel. This recipe is based on an Emeril Lagasse recipe for Spaetzle.

 Tools Needed

 

Potato ricer or colander

Grater

Slotter spoon or strainer

fork

Large boiler

3 Small bowls

Large bowl

 

List of Ingredients to Purchase

 

Grocery store items (by location where I find them)

      

Spice / sugar/flour section  

Whole nutmeg

Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

3 cups all purpose flour

 

Other aisles

3 eggs

1 cup milk

 

 

 

 Recipe steps:

 

Make batter.

Ingredients needed

3 eggs

1 cup milk

Whole nutmeg

 ½  teaspoon Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

3 cups all purpose flour

Large bowl

Medium bowl

Small bowl

Large boiler

2 small bowls for eggs

fork

 

 

Fill at a large boiler about 3/4^th full of water.  Heat it over high heat until it is boiling.  While the water is heating, prepare the spaetzle.

 

First grate the whole nutmeg using a fine grater so that the nutmeg looks like powder until you get ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg.  Freshly grated nutmeg will taste stronger than already ground nutmeg purchased from the store.  Place the ground nutmeg into a small bowl.  Add ½ teaspoon of kosher salt to the nutmeg. 

 

To measure flour:

Now measure out 3 cups of all purpose flour into a large bowl. Be sure to level the cup of flour so that you have the right amount of flour.  Use a piece of parchment paper under the cup to catch the excess flour. To level the flour, fill the 1 cup measuring cup with flour to overflowing.  Take a knife and using the straight flat side of the knife, scrape off any flour that is above the cup.  You will now have 1 cup of flour.    Repeat the above process to get the other cups of flour.  When you are done, carefully fold over and crease the parchment paper in the middle and pour the excess flour back into your flour container.

Another easy way to get the correct amount of flour is to just weigh the flour with a scale.  Place the flour into a large bowl. 

 

Add the ground nutmeg,  ½  teaspoon Kosher salt, a couple turns of freshly ground pepper, to the 3 cups all purpose flour in a large bowl.

 

To crack eggs:

Next in a separate bowl place 3 eggs, after you have cracked the eggs using the following steps.  Give the egg a firm tap on the flat part of the counter.  Then using your fingers and working over a bowl, pull apart the 2 pieces of shell on each side of the crack formed when the egg hit the counter and let the egg fall into the bowl below.   Remove any pieces of shell that may have fallen into the egg.  Use 2 spoons to remove the small piece of membrame that held the egg to the shell.  This membrane will look thicker than the rest of the egg white.  Pour this egg into a fresh bowl.  Next crack the next egg using the above procedure. Place it in its own bowl. Always place the newly cracked egg into a bowl by itself so that you can easily remove any pieces of shell if needed or discard the egg if anything is wrong with it.    Now pour this egg into the bowl with the other egg.  Finally crack the last egg and pour it into the bowl with the other eggs.  Mix the eggs well using a fork.

 

Measure out 1 cup milk using a measuring cup.  Place milk in bowl with eggs and mix together well using a whisk or fork.

 

 

Do not combine the milk and flour mixtures until you are ready to cook and serve the spaetzle. 

 

When you are ready to cook and serve the spaetzle, pour the milk and egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir well using a fork.  This batter will have the consistency of very thick pancake batter.

 

Cook the spaetzle.

 

Pot of boiling water

Strainer or slotted spoon

Potato ricer or colendar

 

Spaetzle batter

 

Place some of the Spaetzle batter  into the potato ricer or colander.  If using a potato ricer, Holding the potato ricer just over the water, press the batter through the potato ricer into the water.  If using a colander, place some batter into the colander, and using a spoon press the spaetzle batter through the colander holes directly into the water. Stir gently with a wooden spoon.

Let the spaetzle cook about 3 to 5 minutes until they float to the surface of the water.  When they float to the surface of the water, use a slotted spoon or strainer to scoop up the spaetzle and gently shake off any excess water back into the pot.  Place the spaetzle into a serving bowl.  Continue scooping until you have scooped up all the spaetzle that is on the surface of the water. 

 

Repeat the process of placing spaetzle batter into the potato ricer or colendar and pressing it into the water and cooking the spaetzle until all of the spaetzle batter is cooked.

 

Serve immediately. 

 

I like to serve spaetzle with sauerbraten, pretzel rolls, and sweet baby carrots.