There has been a dearth of good German food in Albuquerque for too long, but now the Heimat House is in the old Assets location on Montgomery. The food is terrific, as is the service. But how can we bring the flavors of Germany to our own tables?
One way is to make the traditional German noodles known as spaetzle. Spaetzle (German for “little sparrows”) can be found next to nearly any German entrée. They are perfect for soaking up the sauce from meat dishes and are wonderful when lightly sautéed in butter and herbs. The ingredients are similar to those in pasta, and the tiny, irregularly shaped noodles have the same light flavor that pairs so well with savory sauces.
The recipe and cooking method vary from region to region, but essentially the dough is forced through some sort of perforated tool and dropped into salted-boiling water. Depending on what equipment is available, there are two basic methods.
Spaetzle (German noodles)
- Dough Method
- 4 cups all-purpose flour (or whole wheat flour)
- ½ teaspoon salt (plus salt for boiling water)
- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ½ to 2 cups milk
Equipment needed:
- Stand mixer with dough hook or hand mixer
- A pot, at least 6 quarts
- A skimmer or perforated spoon
- Large bowl for cold shock water
- Small metal spatula or knife
- Rubber spatulas
- Wooden spoon
- Potato ricer or cheese grater
Set the pot with at least a gallon of water to boil. Dump all dry ingredients in mixing bowl and blend well.
Beat together the eggs and 1 ½ cup of milk.
While mixing, add the liquid and mix until smooth. If needed, add more milk, a tablespoon at a time.
To get properly textured spaetzle, the gluten in the flour needs to be well developed or the noodles will dissolve when cooking. The mixture will be much thicker than a batter, but much looser and stickier than dough.
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Let the dough rest for at least 10 minutes while cleaning up any spilled dough and washing all utensils. The mix will set like cement if allowed to dry.
Once the water is boiling add at least a teaspoon of salt per quart. To use a potato ricer, spoon dough into the ricer and force it through the holes.
Use a steel spatula or a paring knife to cut the dough and let it drop into the boiling water. If using a cheese grater, rub the dough through the holes with a rubber spatula. The dough will likely sink to the bottom of the pot and stick in one piece.
Let it sit for about 30 seconds, and then break up the mass with a wooden spoon. The individual pieces will come apart and will stretch to give a point on each end. The “beaks and tails” are what gave spaetzle their name.
Once the noodles are separated, let them boil for five to seven minutes. Using a skimmer or slotted spoon, remove the noodles and place them into a cold water bath. This will “shock” the spaetzle to cease cooking, as well as rinse off starch so they will not stick together.
After about two minutes, skim the spaetzle out and lay on a plate or cookie sheet. Continue cooking the spaetzle in batches until done. You will likely have to add more boiling water, as well as replace the cold water bath several times.
Spaetzle: Batter Method
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour (or whole wheat flour)
- ½ teaspoon salt (plus salt for boiling water)
- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 5 large eggs
- 2 to 2½ cups milk
This can be done more easily with the tools and equipment found in most kitchens, but the spaetzle will be much more irregular in size and shape.
Equipment needed:
- A pot, at least 6 quarts
- A skimmer or perforated spoon
- Large bowl for cold shock water
- Rubber spatula
- Large mixing bowl
- 2 wooden spoons
- Metal or plastic colander with large round holes
Mix dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Beat the eggs and 2 cups of milk together and add to the flour. Beat well for at least 15 minutes, adding more milk if necessary. The texture should be like that of waffle batter.
Let the batter rest for at least 30 minutes while the water comes to a boil.
Salt the water and let come back to a boil. Spoon a cup or so of batter into the colander and force it through the holes with a spatula into the boiling water. Stir with a wooden spoon to prevent sticking.
Cook for six to eight minutes and then shock as described above. Continue cooking in batches.
Spaetzle will stay fresh in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for several months.
To serve, simply sauté in a bit of butter, or as Mikal Blanchard, morning sous chef at Marcello’s Chophouse recommends, schmaltz (chicken fat), bacon fat or any other animal fat. Adding a pinch of fresh or dried thyme makes this a great side dish.
Rocky Durham, executive chef and co-founder of the Santa Fe Culinary Academy, adds wild mushroom powder to his spaetzle batter and then serves them in a sage brown butter sauce.
To make the brown butter, melt a tablespoon of butter per 1 ½ cup of spaetzle and allow the butter solids to start to brown.
Add ¼ teaspoon of minced fresh sage and let the herbs cook briefly.
Add the spaetzle and toss to coat.
Finely minced fresh or dry herbs can be added to the spaetzle batter before cooking, or added when sautéing.
