German cuisine · Dough, Pasta & Rice

Pinzgau-Style Cheese Spätzle

Soft spätzle dumplings with pungent gray cheese and mountain cheese, topped with dark fried onions.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 300 g flour
• 3 eggs
• 150 ml whole milk
• 120 g gray cheese (or substitute a pungent Harzer cheese)
• 150 g mountain cheese
• 3 onions
• 60 g butter
• 1/2 bunch chives
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Beat flour, eggs, milk, 1 tsp salt and nutmeg vigorously with a wooden spoon for 5 min. until the batter forms bubbles, and let it swell for 15 min.
2. Cut the onions into fine rings and fry in 30 g butter over medium heat for 8–10 min. until golden brown, then set aside.
3. Bring plenty of salted water to a boil and scrape the batter in batches through a spätzle sieve or off a board into the water.
4. Cook the spätzle for 2–3 min. until they rise to the surface, lift out with a slotted spoon and drain briefly.
5. Melt the remaining butter in a wide pan, add the spätzle and fold in the crumbled gray cheese with the grated mountain cheese in layers; toss for 3–4 min. until the cheese melts into strings.
6. Season with pepper, sprinkle with the fried onions and chives, and serve straight from the pan.