Vorarlberg Cheese Spaetzle Drop Noodles Recipes

GERMAN CHEESE-NOODLE CASSEROLE (KäSESPäTZLE)

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Start by making the caramelized onions about 1 hour before the casserole needs to go into the oven.
• Heat the butter and oil in a nonstick pan on medium. Turn heat to low and add onions. Stir every few minutes for about an hour, or until onions are lightly browned and sweet enough for your taste. Here is more information on caramelizing onions .
• Turn off the heat and set the onions aside.
• Gather the ingredients.
• Here is a step-by-step guide to making spätzle with a spätlebrett (wooden board used to make drop noodles). You may use a colander to form the noodles or a grater-like device with a hopper on it called a spätzle maker.
• Place a large pot of water on to boil. You can add salt if you wish.
• To make the dough, whisk together the flour and salt in a medium bowl. In a small bowl or measuring cup, beat the eggs with the water and add to the flour-salt mixture.
• Beat for several minutes or until dough is smooth. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes, then beat it again. Add water or flour to adjust consistency to a thick batter (a little thinner than brownie batter).
• Place half of the dough in the hopper of the spätzle maker which is placed over the simmering water. Push and pull the hopper back and forth, creating a dough wave inside the hopper. Little bits of dough will be pushed out the other side and drop into the water. They will be fatter and more teardrop-shaped than the spätzle you make with a board.
• The noodles drop to the bottom of the pot, then rise to the surface. Let them sit there for another 2 or 3 minutes, then scoop them out with a slotted spoon or small sieve. Rinse briefly in hot water, then drain well and set aside.
• Using the second half of the dough, make another batch of noodles. If the noodles stick to the bottom of the pan, give a quick stir to loosen. They should then rise to the top.
• Butter and line a 1 1/2- to 2-quart casserole dish with breadcrumbs .
• When noodles are done, add them to the (cooled) pan with the caramelized onions. Add the grated nutmeg and 3/4 of the grated cheese and stir to mix.
• Spoon noodles into the casserole, sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake, covered, at 350 F for 20 minutes, then uncovered for 15 minutes. If you like, brown the cheese topping with the broiler during the last 5 minutes.
• Serve hot.
• Enjoy.

GERMAN SPAETZLE DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Mix together flour, salt, white pepper, and nutmeg. Beat eggs well, and add alternately with the milk to the dry ingredients. Mix until smooth.
• Press dough through spaetzle maker, or a large holed sieve or metal grater.
• Drop a few at a time into simmering liquid. Cook 5 to 8 minutes. Drain well.
• Saute cooked spaetzle in butter or margarine. Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley on top, and serve.

GERMAN SPAETZLE WITH CHEESE

Steps:

• •Preheat oven to 325°F.
• •Heat butter (or oil) in skillet and sautee onions until tender, about 5 minutes.
• •Butter casserole dish. Begin by layering with 1/3 of the spaetzle, season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat, until you have layered 3 times.
• •Top with the sauteed onions.
• •Bake, uncovered, about 20 - 30 minutes, or until bubbly and slightly browned on top.

VORARLBERG CHEESE SPAETZLE (DROP NOODLES)

Steps:

• Mix together the flour, eggs, salt and milk into a rough and very thick batter. Don't over mix -- if you can see a little flour, that's okay. If the batter seems very wet, add another teaspoon of flour.
• Bring a very large pot of water to the boil.
• Use the spaetzle maker, colander, or other method to force the batter into the boiling water. Don't do more than enough to make a single layer on top of the water.
• The noodles will rise to the top. They need only about ten seconds, after which they are scooped out with a slotted spoon and put in a large bowl.
• Each layer of noodles should be sprinkled, liberally, with the grated cheese.
• Continue with the drop noodles, layer by layer, until you've gone through all the batter.
• Cover the last layer with what remains of the cheese.
• Cover the whole bowl with aluminum foil and put in the oven on the lowest setting to keep warm.
• Melt butter in a large, heavy skillet.
• When it's very hot, add the onions. Lower heat to medium low, and let the onions cook until they are crisp and brown.
• Remove the bowl of cheese drop noodles from the oven and pour the buttery, crisp onions over the top.
• Note that you can increase or decrease this recipe by using this formula: per serving, 1 egg, 100 grams flour, and 1/8 liter milk, with additional cheese to taste.