Contributed by Shirley
I don't know if spaetzle is really a German dish or if it's an Amana dish (the Amana Colonies in Iowa were founded by a religious sect from Germany). It is yummy, though. It's great winter comfort food.
Easy! Start the water or broth (or soup) boiling. Mix one egg with 1/2 cup of water (or milk), good pinch of salt and a cup of flour. You want a dough that is about as thick as soft bread dough--add more flour or liquid as needed (varies with humidity and all that good stuff).
If you have a colander with large-ish holes (rather than mesh), push the dough through the holes into the boiling liquid, using a knife to cut the spaetzle as wanted. If you don't have such a colander, you can use two knives to sort of cut the dough into little pieces on a cutting board before sliding them into the boiling water. Depending on the size of your pot, you may be able to cook them all at once or you may have to do them in several batches.
The spaetzle is done when it floats (which can be practically instantly for tiny noodles and maybe two minutes for larger ones). Use a slotted spoon or strainer to lift them out of the liquid.
Serve immediately, either as a soup (add the spaetzle back to the broth or soup) or by adding butter and serving as a side dish, sort of like mashed potatoes. Another variation is to add both a little butter and a squirt of lemon juice (this is particularly good as a side dish for meat or fish).
This page last updated 08/192003/