Spätzle

Käsespätzle

The signature comfort dish of southern Germany: soft, irregular egg noodles layered with melted cheese and crowned with crispy fried onions. The dough is traditionally scraped off a wooden board into boiling water, though a colander works well at home.

Prep

20 min

Cook

25 min

Total

45 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •300 g (10½ oz) all-purpose flour, or 200 g spätzle flour / 00 flour
• •4 whole large eggs, room temperature
• •125 ml (½ cup) whole milk, room temperature
• •60 ml (¼ cup) sparkling water, adds lightness; flat water works
• •10 g (2 tsp) fine salt
• •1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• •40 g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter, for the dough water
• •2 l (8 cups) water, for boiling, lightly salted
• •60 g (¼ cup) unsalted butter, for the pan
• •250 g (9 oz) Emmentaler cheese, traditional; Gruyère or a mix works, grated
• •150 g (5 oz) Aged Alpine cheese (e.g. Bergkäse), for sharper flavor, grated
• •2 whole medium onions, halved and thinly sliced
• •30 g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter, for frying onions
• •2 tbsp neutral oil, for frying onions, prevents burning
• •1 pinch salt, for onions
• •freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• •chives or parsley, to taste, optional garnish

Steps

1. 1 Make the dough: whisk eggs, milk, sparkling water, salt, and nutmeg in a bowl. Add flour and stir with a wooden spoon until you have a smooth, thick but pourable batter that slowly drops from the spoon in ribbons. If too stiff, add milk 1 tbsp at a time; if too runny, add flour 1 tbsp at a time. Let rest 15 minutes.
2. 2 Meanwhile, prepare the onions: heat butter and oil in a skillet over medium-low. Add onions and a pinch of salt and cook slowly for 12–15 minutes, stirring often, until deep golden brown and crisp. Transfer to a plate; reserve the flavored fat.
3. 3 Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F. Butter a 2-liter / 8-cup gratin dish.
4. 4 Bring the 2 liters of water to a rolling boil in a wide pot, add salt and the 40 g butter. Hold a wooden spätzle board (or a colander with large holes) over the pot. Ladle batter onto the wet board and scrape thin strips into the water with a bench scraper or long knife; alternatively press batter through the colander with a spatula.
5. 5 Cook the spätzle for 2–3 minutes once they float to the surface. They are done when they look slightly translucent and bounce back when pressed. Scoop out with a slotted spoon, drain briefly, and transfer to a bowl. Repeat with remaining batter, tossing the cooked spätzle occasionally with a little of the reserved onion fat so they do not clump.
6. 6 Melt the 60 g butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add about one third of the spätzle, top with a generous layer of mixed cheeses, then another third of spätzle, more cheese, and finish with the last third and remaining cheese. Toss gently so cheese melts evenly and threads form.
7. 7 Transfer to the prepared gratin dish and bake for 8–10 minutes until bubbling and lightly golden on top. Alternatively, finish directly under the broiler 3–5 minutes for a crispier top — watch closely.
8. 8 Scatter the crispy fried onions over the top, finish with pepper, and garnish with chives. Serve immediately while the cheese is molten and stringy.