Swiss-Style Cooking
This menu is very much like Zürich itself – a mix of classic and contemporary. It’s also something of a farewell to winter, since most of these dishes are rich, hearty and best enjoyed at home when it’s cold and windy outside. So, before the last bitter chills of March give way to the warm breezes of spring, prepare these traditional dishes for family and friends to toast the end of a season. Today, we share our spätzle recipe.
Spätzle Recipe
Spätzle is a dainty combination of dumpling and noodle, which is boiled and then sautéed in butter. Like roesti, spätzle is traditionally served as a side dish, but is absolutely delicious on its own. Due to its mild, nutty flavor, it provides a wonderful blank canvas for whatever fresh herb or aromatic you favor. It’s also usually a hit with children, so if your little ones aren’t adventurous and won’t feast on pork shank, you can be sure they’ll love spätzle.
Ingredients:
4 large egg yolks
1 large egg
1 ¾ cups whole milk
3 cups all-purpose flour
ground nutmeg, to taste
salt and pepper, to taste
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon parsley, minced
½ tablespoon chives, minced
Directions:
Combine egg and egg yolks into medium bowl, and whisk until well-mixed but not frothy. Stir in milk.
In another bowl, mix flour, salt, pepper, and pinch of nutmeg. Form a small well in middle of mixture. Add egg mixture to well and, using a fork, mix until combined. (There will still be a few lumps in mixture.) Cover with Saran wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours.)
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add salt to season cooking water. Place spätzlemaker or large-holed colander over pot. Working in batches, scrape one-third of dough through holes and into boiling water. Cook until spätzle rise to the surface, about 2 minutes. Strain, dunk in ice water, strain again and add to baking sheet. When last batch of spätzle has cooked, reserve ½ cup of cooking liquid.
In sauté pan over medium heat, melt butter. When foam subsides, add spätzle and sauté until slightly crispy, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add a few tablespoons of reserved cooking water to pan, shake and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Add parsley and chives. Adjust seasoning and serve immediately.
