SPAETZLE: TINY GERMAN DUMPLINGS:

Spaetzle, "little sparrows," are very
like hornli, "little horns," and
knopfli, "little buttons." They are all
tiny dumplings, very popular in Germany
and Switzerland.

A plateful of these lovely golden
nuggets can be a meal in itself, with
salad and wine. Otherwise, serve them
with chicken, game, or meat.

The purchase of a spaetzle mill will
simply the procedure of make them,
although you can certainly make do with
a large-hole colander, or even a wooden
board and a sharp knife.

3 cups all purpose flour
4 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
Several grindings black pepper
1 cup warm water

Approximately 4 quarts of salted water

1/2 stick butter

In a large bowl, combine the flour with
the eggs, salt, pepper, and warm water.
Beat hard with a wooden spoon to form a
thick, smooth batter. Continue beating
for 5 minutes. 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.

Let the dough rest, covered, for 15 minutes.

Bring the salted water to a boil.

If you are using a spaetzle mill, simply push the dough through it into the boiling salted water. 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. Make sure that the water is at least 8 inches below the colander or the dough will simply congeal from the steam. Use a large wooden spoon to press thedough through the holes in the colander into the water.

A third alternative is to add a little
more flour to the dough (about 1/2 cup)
to stiffen it. 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.

Boil the spaetzle for 4 minutes. Drain
in a large colander, and rinse briefly
under cold running water. Drain.*

Melt the butter in an ovenproof skillet.
Saute the spaetzle for 3 to 4 minutes,
then place the skillet in a 350 F. oven
and bake for 10 minutes.

Serves 6 to 8.

NOTES AND VARIATIONS:

*You can make the spaetzle ahead up to
this point. Spread them out on a kitchen towel and cover them with a damp towel.
They will keep for several hours.

The Dumpling Cookbook

From Olga