Spaetzle (or Spätzle, or German Dumpling) is somewhere between gnocchi and pasta. Originating from southern German and Austria area, it is delicious as a simple side dish just covered with a little butter, salt and pepper. Traditionally, it is served with a meat dish that is prepared with a sauce or gravy.

I can’t even begin to describe how excited I was to make these. It is actually great fun, even if a little messy. To produce the little dumplings, the batter can be pushed through either a large-holed colander with a flexible spatula, a potato ricer, or even a foil tray with holes punched through.

I am sure these would be just as delicious served on their own with a pasta sauce, but I chose to serve mine on the side of Pork Schnitzel.

Spaetzle

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Ingredients

• 400g Plain Flour
• 4 Large Free-range Eggs
• 200ml Milk
• ½ teaspoon Grated Nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 60g Unsalted Butter
• 2 tablespoons Fresh Parsley (optional)

Directions

1.	Mix the flour and the spices together then add in the beaten eggs
2.	Gradually add the milk until it is all fully incorporated and you have a thick and smooth batter. Leave to rest for 10 minutes
3.	Meanwhile, half fill a large pan with salted water and bring to the boil. Alternatively, you could add a stock cube to the water instead of salt.
4.	Once the water is boiling, pour some of the batter through a large-holed colander, allowing droplets of the batter to land in the boiling water. Do this in batches so as not to overcrowd the water.
5.	After about 30 seconds to a minute, the little dumplings should float to the surface. When this happens, scoop them out with a slotted spoon or spider sieve
6.	Once the water is boiling again, process the next batch
7.	Once all the dumplings are boiled, melt the butter in a large frying pan or skillet and add the dumplings, stirring until they just start to turn golden
8.	Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with some chopped parsley and serve