This is a Swabian delicacy which has spread thru out Germany and the over most of the world. Years ago the noodles where hand made in Oma's (Grandma's) Swabian kitchen. Nowdays, most of Oma's granddaughter's and grandnieces very seldom scrape their spätzle from a board, and they wouldn't do without their shiny new "spätzle presses" and "spätzle slicers," even though the dough is still likely to be handmade.Some say that these dumplings reminded someone of fat-bodied little sparrows (Spatzen in South German dialest); others derive the word from the Italian spezzare, "to cut into pieces." Germany's proudest culinary traditions, in what is its purest and most ancient form, has only to follow this recipe.
Spätzle are served on all sorts of occasions and in variety of different forms and "presentations", the more prominent of which are listed below; they go best with a roast or other robust meat dish that has ample amounts of rich-tasting gravy-with game, braised beef or Bifflamot, or sauerbraten.
Spätzle
3 cups flour
4 eggs
1 quart water
1-2 teaspoons salt
Stir together the flour, eggs, and salt in a bowl with 1/2 cup of cold water, then beat this mixture until bubbles start to appear and you have a smoth batter that no longer adheres to the spoon. Add just as much water-a little at a time-as is necessary to achieve this consistency.
Next bring salted water to a boil in a large pot. To cut the spätzle dough (called schaben, or "shaving", in Swabia), you will need a wooden cutting board-ideally, a "spätzle board" (Spätzlebrett), which is shaped like a little cutting board with a broad handgrip and front edge that tapers to a point like a knife blade. Moisten the board with a little of boiling water, take a very little bit of dough, and press it out flat with a broad knife (a special implement called Spätzleschaber can be used), then while repeatedly dipping the knife blade in water, cut off fine stripes of dough and push off the edge of the board and into the pot of boiling water with the knife.
When the spätzle bob back up to the surface, remove them with a skimming spoon (or, if you prefer, with a customized spätzle-skimming spoon), breifly (and gentle) swish them around in a pan of cold water to remove the flourly film from the surface, then leave them in hot water to keep warm.
Makes 4 serveing
Spätzle in Clear Broth (Spätzle in der Brühe)
1 recipe of spätzle (see above)
2 cups clear beef stock
1 tablespoon finely chopped
fresh parsley or chives
Make the spätzle as described above; heat in the broth and serve garnished with parsley of chives.
Makes 4 servings
Combine ingredients and stir until the dough is smooth. Place a strip of bacon into pan and use the drippings. Put dough into pan and spread. Cool dough and cut into thin strips. Pour hot boullion over them and let stand a few minutes. Put some fresh chives just before serving.
Flädlesuppe-Pancake soup*
In southern Germany, Flädle are little pancakes; the same recipe is also quite popular in Austria, where is goes by the same of Fritattensuppe "fritter soup". Flädlesuppe is another of those unpretentious regional delicacies that has recently been taken up in serious gourmet circles.
Flädlesuppe
1 cup flour
2 eggs
1 1/2-2 cups milk
Pinch of salt
Bacon drippings or butter to grease pan
1 quart rich, clear broth
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Whisk together the flour, eggs, 1 1/2 cups milk, and salt to a smooth Flädle batter. Allow to sit for at least 30 minutes. Check the consistency; you may need to add cup to 1/2 cup more milk. Take a medium-size skillet and grease the bottom very lightly with bacon fat. Pour 2 to 3 tablespoons of batter onto the hot skillet, using the back of the spoon to spread out the batter if necessary. The pancakes should not be too thick. Roll them up or simply stack them on top of one another when they're done.
Slowly bring the broth to a boil. Cut the Flädle into thin strips and allow these to heat up in the broth. Garnish each serving with finely chopped chives.
Makes 4-6 servings
Rheinischer Sauerbraten*
Here is one version of a dish that's very popular throughout Germany, and all over the world. The raisins are often omitted, though thy'er one of main things that distinguish this "Rhenish" sauerbraten from other varieties. Normally starts out with beef that is very tough. Saubraten is customarily accompanied by potato dumpings or by a kind of crispy potato pancake called Reibekuchen, or Rievekooche.
Marinade:
1 carrot, peeled and finly chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1/2 leek, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
2 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
6 peppercorns
6 juniper berries
1 1/2 cupes red wine
1/4 cup wine vinegar
Beef:
1 3/4 pounds beef houlder or rump
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons raisins
Gravy:
l tablespoon lard
1 tablespoon flour
In a stainless steel or non-reactive pot combine all the marinade ingredients. Bring the marinade to a boil; allow it to cool.
Wash the beef and place it in a bowl small enough that the meat is totally immersed when you pour the liquid (including the spices and chopped vegetables) over it. Marinate for 3 to 5 days, turning the meat occasionally in the marinade.
Remove the beef from the marinade, dry off with paper towels, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Melt the butter in a large casserole pot and brown the beef on all sides. Pour in the marinde (still including the solid ingredients), cover, and stew over low heat for 1 1/2 hours. Then remove the beef from the casserole and pour the sauce through a fine strainer. Return both beef and sauce to the casserole. Wash the raisins and add these to the casserole.
Melt the lard in a small skillet saucepan; add the flour and cook the roux until brown; stir in 1 cup of the cooking liquid to make a smooth sauce. Pour this sauce back in with the beef, mixing it with any remaining cooking liquid in the casserole. Cook over low heat for an additional 15 minutes. Cut the beef into slices and serve on a platter with a little of the sauce poured over it; serve the rest of the sauce in a gravy boat or a separate bowl.
Makes 6 servings
Pete & Floyd Hill's Sauerbraten
1-beef top round roast (about 4 pounds)
2&1/2 cups cider vinegar
2&1/2 cups boiling water
1-sliced onion
2-bay leaves
2-tablespoons mixed spices
2-tablespoons sugar
Gingersnap cookies
Put roast in a deep dish. Sprinkle with salt. Cover meat with
equal parts water and vinegar. Add the other ingredients. Cover and
refrigerate at least 2 days, turning several times.
Take meat out of the liquid. Brown and cook like a pot roast, using
1 cup of the strained liquid. Add more liquid as the meat cooks.
Thicken the gravy with the gingersnap, rolled fine.
Potato Dumplings
Brown 1 tablespoon minced onion in 2 tablespoons butter; add 1
slice of bread, cut into small cubes, and brown. Prepare 2 envelopes (1
box) instant mashed potatoes as directed; but use only the amount of liquid
indicated for 1 envelope. Beat in 1/4 cup flour and 2 beaten eggs. Season
and add a few sprigs of chopped parsley. Flatten a spoonful of the mixture
on your hand and put a few cubes of the bread on the dumpling. Roll into a
ball. Repeat until the mixture is used. Drop into boiling water and cook
until dumpling rise, 5 to 8 minutes.
Makes 8 dumplings.
Sweet-Sour Red Cabbage
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 head of red cabbage, shredded (10 cups)
2-bacon strips, diced
1medium tart apple, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
In a large bowl, stir the cider vinegar and the sugars until sugars are
dissolved. Add the cabbage; toss to coat. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until
crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon, reserving drippings.
In the drippings, sauté the apple and the onion until tender. Add water
and the cabbage mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for
30 to 35 minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Simmer, uncover, for
5 minutes or until tender. Sprinkle with reserved bacon just before
serving.
Yields 8-10 servings.
