Tiny German Dumplings Spaetzle

Total Time: 35 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 grindings black pepper
• 1 cup warm water
• 4 quarts salt water, approximately
• 1/4 cup butter

Recipe

• 1 in a large bowl, combine the flour with the eggs, salt, pepper, and warm water.
• 2 beat hard with a wooden spoon to form a thick, smooth batter.
• 3 continue beating for 5 minutes.
• 4 this should be done rather energetically, by scraping the dough toward you with a regular rhythm, so as to incorporate as much air as possible.
• 5 let the dough rest, covered, for 15 minutes.
• 6 bring the salted water to a boil.
• 7 if you are using a spaetzle mill, simply push the dough through it into the boiling salted water.
• 8 if you do not have a mill, balance a colander (the largest you own) on the rim of the pot in which the water is boiling.
• 9 make sure that the water is at least 8 inches below the colander or the dough will simply congeal from the steam.
• 10 use a large wooden spoon to press the dough through the holes in the colander into the water.
• 11 a third alternative is to add a little more flour to the dough (about 1/2 cup) to stiffen it.
• 12 remove the dough to a floured board and with a sharp knife slice it into strips about 1/4 inch wide and 1/2 inch long.
• 13 boil the spaetzle for 4 minutes.
• 14 drain in a large colander, and rinse briefly under cold running water.
• 15 drain.
• 16 *melt the butter in an ovenproof skillet.
• 17 saute the spaetzle for 3 to 4 minutes, then place the skillet in a 350°f.
• 18 oven and bake for 10 minutes.
• 19 serves 6 to 8.
• 20 notes and variations:*you can make the spaetzle ahead up to this point.
• 21 spread them out on a kitchen towel and cover them with a damp towel.
• 22 they will keep for several hours.
• 23 the dumpling cookbook.