Spätzle

Schwäbischer Wald Tourismus presents this plain Spätzle recipe as a side for meat dishes with sauce. Its batter contains generic flour, five whole eggs, water and salt; the selected preparation scrapes it from a board rather than using a press.

All the batter ingredients enter a bowl and are beaten with a cooking spoon with a hole until bubbles form. The batter is ready when it flows thickly and continuously from the spoon. More water or flour may adjust its consistency.

Plenty of water comes to the boil in a large pot and is generously salted. A bowl and sieve are set out for draining. The board and scraper are dipped into the same boiling water to moisten them.

One or two spoons of batter go onto the board and are spread smooth. With the board tipped towards the water, its front edge is dipped and small pieces of batter are scraped into the pot. Once the Spätzle reach the surface, a slotted spoon lifts them into the sieve to drain.

The same procedure cooks the remaining batter. Between portions the board and scraper are cleared of dough scraps; more water may be added to the pot and brought back to the boil. The drained Spätzle serve as the plain side described by this recipe.