Käse Spätzle with Crisped Onions

Im really excited to be hosting a special blog post written by my friend Liz, who I went to Whitman College with... Liz and I have lived together when I was living in Washington and shared lots of wild times together.  Here is a bit about Liz and check out her blog.

Originally from Los Angeles, Liz currently lives in Spokane, WA with her fiancé Ian.  Liz and Ian travel often around the United States and spent two months exploring Europe together in early 2015. Liz created starship elizabeth as a means of chronicling her travels, as well as her inspirations, recipes and ideas for curating a life of humble luxury.  

///

I know what you're thinking.  What is a käse?  And what is a spätzle?  These are good questions.

I will spare you the etymological, cultural and geographical points of contention around this issue (although you can read about them here). Simply put: käse = cheese; spätzle = noodle or dumpling. So basically, käse spätzle = German Macaroni and Cheese.

While the exotic name and its long-held spot on alpine menus might make this dish sound intimidating, fear not. Käse spätzle is simple to prepare.  And the result–a doughy, chewy noodle baked with nutty Emmentaler cheese and balanced by savory onion.   It makes the perfect stick-to-your-bones meal.  And after just one bite, it's easy to understand why käse spätzle on the dinner table is the perfect resolution to a long day of skiing the Alps.  Or, if you're Morgan, exploring a chilly European city.  Or hiking in the woods, if you're me.

Heres how it works, from scratch:

INGREDIENTS:

For Spätzle

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

4 large egg yolks

1 3/4 cups whole milk

5-7 oz grated emmentaler cheese

Italian Parsley

Cooking-or-vegetable oil

For Crisped Onions

1 medium yellow onion

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Salt

SPECIAL EQUIPTMENT

Ricer 

HERE'S HOW

One: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, nutmeg and pepper.  In a smaller bowl, whisk together egg yolks and milk.  Pour the egg & milk into the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon, leaving a few lumps.  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or as long as overnight.

Two: While the dough chills, prepare the crisped onions.  Halve and slice the onion into 1/4 inch thick strings, using a mandolin if possible.  Transfer onions to a medium sized bowl and microwave for 5 minutes.  Transfer to a towel-lined baking sheet and dry thoroughly.  Once dry, heat onions and oil in cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until onions are golden brown in color, roughly 10-15 minutes.  Drain onions on freshly lined baking sheet and sprinkle with salt.

Three: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Prepare a large bowl of ice water.  Grease the insides of the ricer with cooking spray or oil.  Add about 1/2 cup of the batter to the ricer and press it into the simmering water, cutting away the dough once it is pressed through the ricer, and stirring to break up the individual noodles.  Repeat the process until all of the dough has been used, re-applying oil to the ricer as needed.  Once all the dough has been pressed through, cook for 1-2 more minutes. Drain spätzle and transfer to ice bath to cool.  Drain

Four:  Preheat oven to 400°. Oil a 9x13 baking dish.  Spread spätzle in the dish and layer with cheese and crisped onions.  Dot the top layer with butter, and sprinkle extra cheese, and crisped onions. Bake for abut 20 minutes, or until the spätzle is hot and the cheese is just melted. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve hot.

And there you have it... an authentic Käse Spätzle!

/ / / 

Thanks Liz for sharing! Check out more great articles by Liz here.