This post is also available in: Deutsch (German)
German Cheese Noodles with crispy onions (Käsespätzle with fried onions)
German Cheese Noodles so called “Käsespätzle” are not only one of the famous classics of the German cuisine, they are also one of my favorite dishes. Today I share my family recipe with you. It has been passed on and cooked many times and by many generations. So you can’t go wrong, when you follow the instructions carefully.
How to make: German Cheese Noodles
Many of you might know the German cheese noodles (Käsespätzle) maybe from their skiing holidays in Germany, Austria or Switzerland. But in case not, let me explain what Käsespätzle are:
German Cheese Noodles or Spaetzle are little egg noodles with melted cheese and onions. Every region has its own version and peculiarities when it comes to their Käsespätzle. But the main character, the Spätzle, are always made from a similar dough. Which is eggs (many eggs), flour and water.
The Shape of the Käsespätzle is something very typical: You might think, that they’re quite ugly and not evenly shaped, but this is due to the traditional way of making them. Traditionally Spätzle (the dough to be clear) are scraped off a wooden board directly into a pot of simmering water. But of course you can find nowadays many tools that makes the whole process much easier and maybe less messy 😉
Ingredients (makes 4 -6 servings):
- 800 g flour
- 2 eggs
- Salt, pepper, nutmeg
- 1 1/2 cup sparkling water
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 250 g mature cheese, grated (e.g. Gruyere) Best. Is a mix of cheese variations
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp butter
- 1 tsp Olive oil
Topping: Crispy onions / fried onion
- 1 onion, yellow1/4 cup flour to dust onion rings
- Salt & Pepper
- Garnish: freshly chopped parsley
Instructions:
- Mix flour, salt, pepper, nutmeg and baking soda.
- Whisk/ beat eggs in a bowl.
- Add flour by the spoonful, alternating with sparkling water and mix/ beat thoroughly until smooth. Tip: The kneading process is more a beating of the dough to get air bubbles into the dough. This will make your Spätzle extra fluffy or „fluffig“ how we say it in German.
- Bring water in a pot to the simmer. And add some salt. You might want to taste the water. It should be slightly too salty. This will give your Spätzle some extra flavor. Note: You don’t want the water boiling, when you cook the Spätzle. The water must only simmer.
- How to make Spätzle: Traditionally you scrape the Spätzle dough off a wooden board directly into the simmering water. But there are easier ways too. You can use special Spätzle tools or you can use a potato press with medium-large holes. Put a few scoops of dough in the potato press and press the Spätzle directly into the simmering water.
- When Spätzle rise to the top (In German we they they swim on top of the water), take them out of the water using a skimmer and put them in a sieve or directly in a bowl.
- Repeat until there is no dough left.
- For the crispy onions: Cut Onions in half rings and dust them with flour.
- Heat up sunflower oil in a pot. As soon as the oil is hot enough, add the dusted onion rings and cook until they are crispy. Take them out with a skimmer and let them rest on a pair towel to absorb residue oil. Repeat until no onions left. Tip: To test if the oil is hot enough, simply use the handle of a wooden cook spoon. Hold the handle in the oil, when bubbles around the spoon handle appear, the oil is hot enough.
- In a pan heat up some butter and oil. Add Spätzle and grated cheese. Toss until cheese is melted. Ad 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Season with salt, pepper & nutmeg.
- Garnish with fresh, chopped parsley and Röstzwiebeln (crispy, fried onions).
Stay in touch and follow me
Just browse through my little blog world. In addition to a wide variety of recipes, you will also find articles on travel, lifestyle and other stories of life.
In addition: You can find more of me on Facebook, on my Instagram accounts @Pop.Up.Girl or @Popupgirl_food and now also on YouTube. Like it – Share it – Comment it
PS: If you have any questions or just want to say “Hello”, leave me a comment or write to me by email.
By the way: If you’ve tried one of my recipes, take a photo and share it with the hashtag #popupgirlandfood on your social network channels. Don’t forget to tag me @pop.up.girl or @popupgirl_food so that I can find you too ☺️
Cheers,
💕Cat 💕