German Spätzle with Caramelized Onions and Melted Cheese
Recipe GLPR59c31f08791a82
A traditional German comfort dish of tender egg noodles served with three melted cheeses and sweet caramelized onions. Spätzle are hand-pressed into boiling water and finished in the oven until the cheese becomes creamy and golden.
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Ingredients
500g all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
6 large eggs, beaten
200ml sparkling water
2 tablespoons butter, divided
2 onions, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon caster sugar
150g Emmental cheese, grated
100g Gruyère cheese, grated
50g Romadur or Camembert cheese, rind removed and chopped
½ tablespoon fresh chives, finely chopped, plus extra for garnish
Directions
Combine flour and fine sea salt in a large bowl. Create a well in the center and pour in the beaten eggs. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until well incorporated. Gradually add the sparkling water while mixing to form a thick, viscous dough. Continue beating with the wooden spoon for approximately 5 minutes until the dough becomes smooth, elastic, and forms slow-falling ribbons when lifted from the spoon. Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and let rest for 10 minutes at room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 120°C (100°C fan/gas mark ½). Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced onions and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they become translucent. Sprinkle the caster sugar over the onions and continue cooking for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until they are deeply caramelized and golden brown. While the onions cook, lightly butter four 15cm ovenproof ramekins and place them in the preheated oven to warm.
Fill a large pot with salted water and bring to a rolling boil. Set up your spätzle maker by moistening it lightly with cold water, then position it over the pot. (Alternatively, use a potato ricer or colander if a spätzle maker is unavailable.) Place one-quarter of the dough into the spätzle maker. Using a spatula, press and scrape the dough through the holes directly into the boiling water. The spätzle will cook and float to the surface within 1-2 minutes. Once they rise, allow them to cook for 1 additional minute. Using a skimmer or slotted spoon, carefully lift the cooked spätzle and distribute equally among the four warm ramekins.
Evenly distribute one-quarter of each cheese (Emmental, Gruyère, and Romadur or Camembert) over the spätzle in each ramekin, layering them together. Place the ramekins back in the preheated oven to keep warm and allow the cheese to begin melting. Repeat steps 3 and 4 three more times until all dough has been cooked and all ramekins are filled and topped with cheese.
Once all ramekins are assembled, return them to the oven for 5-10 minutes until the cheese is fully melted and creamy. Remove from the oven carefully, as the ramekins and cheese will be very hot. Top each serving with a portion of the caramelized onions and a sprinkle of fresh chives. Season with freshly ground black pepper to taste and serve immediately.
