spaetzle spaetzle spaetzle
I've made spaetzle a few times since we ate at The Bavarian at Taos. I've had mixed results, and this time I think I can blame it on the equipment.
First I have to figure out what kind of spaetzle maker to get, and the decision is NOT easy:
Spaetzle-Hex for junkies who need a quick fix
Spaetzle.de for purists - brush up on your German
Sliding or rotary spaetzle makers, one of which looks suspiciously like a Foley food mill
Nana's Spaetzle Maker - I can't quite figure out how it works
Then I have to decide which recipe works the best. There are more recipes for spaetzle than there are for Canadian butter tarts.
1.
1 1/2 cups all-purpose Flour (375ml)
3 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt (2.5ml)
2/3 cup water (157ml)
2.
2-1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
3.
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 pinch freshly ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
4. (from Tyler Florence)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
5. (from Wolfgang Puck, who should know)
4 egg yolks
1 egg
1 3/4 cups milk
1 pound (about 3 cups) all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 ounces unsalted butter, melted
Everyone seems to agree that eggs and flour are present, and most recipes have nutmeg. I have made them with water - I used the Joy of Cooking recipe:
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup water
small grating of nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of baking powder (I don't bother with it)
Just in time, I got The Swiss Cookbook by Nika Standen Hazelton (Atheneum NY: 1967) for $2.50 at Jeanne's Attic in Laconia; this spatzli version has:
2 1/2 to 3 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup water
But now I'm wondering about what milk would do. I'll just have to make them again, and again and again.....
10 Comments:
My family loves spaetzle and I make them often now that I own a spaetzle maker. My spaetzle maker is designed like a food mill, but with bigger holes; it works very well. I've also used the model that slides back and forth; it works equally well, but the spaetzle weren't as long (perhaps if I moved the dough reservoir more slowly...)When I made the spaetzle by cutting them off the spaetzle board I would often get impatient and cut them too thick, ending up with heavy, doughy dumplings. The recipe that works best might depend on the method that you use to make them.
So the rotary type works for you - that's helpful. It sounds like the longer strands are the goal, but mine have been less like strands and more like dumplings. Not that they taste bad, but I would like to make them more delicate. Where did you find your spaetzle maker? Is it a family heirloom, or did you find one at a kitchen store?
Thanks for your comment!
oh yum yum yum ... I use a spaetzle board and spatula for making spaetzle. Just got done eating a batch of them: http://flickr.com/photos/elkit/12592148/
I can smell the onions and the cheese sizzling in that pan....
Soon after we got married, my wife and I visited her family in Heilbronn, Germany--now, these folks are Swabian. My brother-in-law said to me, "If you will now be in our family, you must learn the right way to make spaetzle." He taught me how to prepare the dough using about one egg per cup of flour, plenty of salt in boiling water, and a little salt in the dough. He was not at all insistent about proportions. He explained to me, "Using the board and the knife to cut the dough provides a finer and varied shape (length and thickness) noodle." And so it does. My brother-in-law, prepared spaetzle to serve 8 using only a thin, narrow board, tapered on one edge, and a butter knife. I could never get the knack with the knife. Intermittently, he'd dip his knife in ice water before cutting a batch of noodles from each ladle full of dough he'd place on his spaezle board. This prevents the dough from sticking to the knife, he said. I prefer to use a metal cutting tool with a broad angled and blunt edge; my wife inherited it from her mother. Moreover, I've been told it was the tool her mother used to make spaezle with when they were growing up. It fits nicely into my hand and with two flicks of my wrist I can smooth a plop of dough onto my board, cut, and drop a prepared noodle into the boiling water. Admittedly, I've not done test to compare the texture of spaezle made with the traditional way and spaezle made with a "modern" tool, but I would like to believe that the traditional method results in a noodle (or dumpling, if you will) with a courser texture ready to capture a tasty sauce. As my wife frequently reminds me, Der Schwab der brauct sai Soss -- The Swabian needs his sauce.
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Thank you so much for sharing your memories - I really enjoyed reading your comment!
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I wanted to see a phot of the spaetzle hex and find out about cost, but was unable to get anything from the link on your post. I tried a link from another site, but it was all in German, and unfortunately, I coul dnot understand it.
JB
You're right, JB, the site appears to be down. All other sites referring to a spaetzle-hex link to the site - if I come up with a new one, I'll post it.
Thanks for letting me know -
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