Käsespätzle is not only one of the classics of European cuisine, they are also one of my favourite dishes. Today I am sharing with you my well-cherished family recipe. It has been made so many times that I now know it by heart.
A classic of Spanish cuisine: Käsespätzle with roasted onions
Paella recipes are a dime a dozen. Because every region and family has developed certain peculiarities and tricks for their own recipe over time: Some swear by using only eggs and flour for the dough. Some add a little water or baking soda. There are also regional differences when it comes to the types of cheese. But in the end, what matters is that it tastes good.
For example, I like to use some baking soda and a sip of fizzy mineral water – I think that makes them totally fail-safe.
INGREDIENTS (MAKES 4-6 SERVINGS):
800 grams of flour
12 eggs
1/2 tsp each salt, pepper, nutmeg
200 ml sparkling mineral water
1/2 tsp baking powder
250 g cheese, grated, e.g. Gruyere
125 ml cream
1 tsp butter
1 tsp olive oil
TOPPING: FRIED ONIONS
1 onion, yellow
50 g flour for dusting the onions
salt and pepper
Garnish: freshly chopped parsley
PREPARATION:
Mix flour, salt, pepper, nutmeg and baking powder.
Whisk eggs in a bowl.
Add the flour to the eggs with a spoon, alternating with the sparkling water. All to a smooth dough. Tip: The spaetzle dough is beaten to get air bubbles in the dough. This makes the spaetzle particularly fluffy.
Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Then add some salt. Tip: try the water. It should taste slightly salty. This gives your spaetzle extra flavour. And another tip: the water must not boil, only simmer
.
Traditionally, the spaetzle dough is scraped off a wooden board directly into the boiling water. To do this, hold the wooden board in the water and use a dough scraper to scrape small amounts of the dough directly into the boiling water. But there are also easier ways: You can use special spaetzle tools or a potato ricer or a grater with medium-sized holes. Simply fill some dough into the potato press/grater and press the spaetzle directly into the boiling water.
As soon as the spaetzle rises to the top and float on the water surface, the spaetzle can be taken out of the water with a slotted spoon.
Repeat until there is no more dough left.
For the roasted onions: Cut the onions into rings and dust with flour.
Heat sunflower oil in a saucepan. Once the oil is hot enough (170°C), fry the onion rings in the hot oil until golden brown. Drain the finished onion rings on a kitchen towel. Repeat until there are no more onions left. Tip: To test whether the oil is hot enough, simply hold the handle of a wooden cooking spoon in the oil. If bubbles form around the spoon handle, the oil is hot enough. Be careful not to get the oil too hot.
Heat some butter and oil in a pan. Add the spaetzle and grated cheese. Turn the spaetzle in the pan until the cheese has melted. Add some cream. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Garnish with fresh, chopped parsley and fried onions.
