Housewifery - Spätzle

Yesterday at church we had our monthly communal meal. This one was a meal of German sausage, in this case bratwurst, with kraut and purple cabbage. We also had two bowls of German potato salad and a wonderful dish of spätzle.

As you know, Raf and I are both German Americans, and many of the German foods are favorites of ours, but it had been many years since I had enjoyed home made spätzle and was it ever good! These were made by my friend, Judy Dunsworth.

Spätzle is a noodle originally from Northern Germany. There are other regional noodles. Knopfle is from Southern Germany and Austria; knopfli in Switzerland. In Hungary they are called csipetke, nokedli, galuska, while in Slovakia they are known as halušky,

And what are these delicious morsels I am raving about? Why, they are a type of egg noodle or small dumpling, of course.

The geographic origin of spätzle is not precisely known; various regions claim to be the originators of the noodle.
Written mention of Spätzle has been found in documents dating from 1725, although medieval illustrations are believed to place this noodle at an even earlier date. Noodles more generally have a history extending back 4000 years.
Today, in Europe spätzle are largely considered a "Swabian speciality" and are generally associated with the German states of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria.

Swabia consists of much of the present-day state of Baden-Württemberg (specifically, historical Württemberg and the Hohenzollerische Lande), as well as the Bavarian administrative region of Swabia. In the Middle Ages, Baden, Vorarlberg, the modern principality of Liechtenstein, modern German-speaking Switzerland, and Alsace (now in France) were also considered to be a part of Swabia.

The leading German producer of spätzle is Herrman, which produces approximately 13,000 tons per year. The estimated annual commercial production of spätzle in Germany is approximately 40,000 tons, which does not include spätzle made by individual households. and restaurants. Premade spätzle are also available internationally from companies such as Maggi, a division of Nestlé.

Spätzle is pronounced [SHPEHT-sluh; SHPEHT-sehl; SHPEHT-slee]. Literally translated from German as "little sparrow," spätzle is a dish of tiny noodles or dumplings made with flour, eggs, water or milk, salt and sometimes nutmeg. The spätzle dough can be firm enough to be rolled and cut into slivers or soft enough to be forced through a sieve, colander or spätzle-maker with large holes. The small pieces of dough are usually boiled (poached) before being tossed with butter or added to soups or other dishes. In Germany, spätzle is served as a side dish much like potatoes or rice, and is often accompanied by a sauce or gravy. The cooked spätzle can also be pan-fried with a little butter and onions (usually a good left-over idea).

Here are a couple of recipes:

4 cups flour
4 eggs
1 tsp salt
1/2-3/4 cup water

On a clean work surface or pastry board, measure out 4 cups flour in the shape of a mountain. Make a well in the center of the flour and add the eggs, salt, and water. Using the tips of your fingers, quickly work small amounts of the flour from the inner walls of the well, stirring flour into the center and mixing until a stiff dough (paste, for "pasta") is achieved. If dough is too sticky, add a little flour.

Knead dough until smooth. Sprinkle with a few drops of water, if needed. Place dough under a bowl on work surface and allow to rest for 20-30 minutes.

Clean work surface (a dough scraper works nicely, or you can use the straight edge of a spatula). Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt when boiling starts.

Sprinkle clean work surface lightly with flour. Roll dough out thinly and cut slice dough into small bits using a sharp knife. Or use a pasta roller and noodle slicer, if desired. Sprinkle dough lightly with flour before rolling.

Drop spätzle into boiling salted water. When they are done , they will rise to the surface. Scoop them off the top with a slotted spoon or skimmer. Serve with melted butter. Add a dollop of sour cream, if desired. Sprinkle with parsley flakes and a dash of paprika.
Variations: If you add less water for a stiffer dough, you can use the coarse side of a grater to to make spätzle bits (just grate the dough) Spätzle bits are especially good in chicken broth or soups! If you add more water to the dough and make a very soft or liquid dough, you can use a colander with very large holes or a special spätzle maker to drop dough into the boiling water.

Here is another recipe:
4 eggs
2 c. flour
Little water
3 or 4 tablespoons melted butter
Salt
Celery salt
Onion powder

Beat eggs; add flour and just a little water to make a very stiff but smooth batter. Push batter through spätzle press or small colander into boiling water. Boil gently for a few minutes. Lift out of boiling water and rinse, under hot water; drain. Put in large bowl. Pour 3 or 4 tablespoons of melted butter over spätzle; season with salt, celery salt and onion powder.

Do you have family recipes or ethnic recipes you would like to share...with a story? Let us hear from you.

©2009 Sue Seibert