Fresh Cheese Spaetzle Recipes

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with the milk, cottage cheese, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper.
• Stir in the flour until a smooth, thick, sticky batter forms.
• Spoon the batter into a colander with 1/4-inch holes.
• Set or hold the colander 1 inch above the boiling water and scrape the batter through the holes, using a rubber spatula.
• Stir the spaetzle once or twice to separate them.
• As soon as they rise to the surface, use a slotted spoon to transfer the spaetzle to a clean colander and drain well.
• Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet. Add the boiled spaetzle and cook them over moderately high heat, stirring and shaking the skillet occasionally, until the spaetzle are browned and crisp in spots, about 5 minutes.
• Add the quark and snipped chives, reduce the heat to moderately low and cook, stirring, until the sauce is creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Season the spaetzle with salt and pepper and serve right away.
• MAKE AHEAD:.
• The boiled cheese spaetzle can be covered in plastic wrap and kept at room temperature for up to 2 hours before sautéing.
• NOTES.
• INSTEAD OF COTTAGE CHEESE: Farmer cheese.
• INSTEAD OF QUARK: Crème fraîche, fromage blanc, lebneh or mascarpone.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. In another mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the egg-milk mixture. Gradually draw in the flour from the sides and combine well; the dough should be smooth and thick. Let the dough rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Bring 3 quarts of salted water to a boil in a large pot, then reduce to a simmer. To form the spaetzle, hold a large holed colander or slotted spoon over the simmering water and push the dough through the holes with a spatula or spoon. Do this in batches so you don't overcrowd the pot. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until the spaetzle floats to the surface, stirring gently to prevent sticking. Dump the spaetzle into a colander and give it a quick rinse with cool water.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat and add the spaetzle; tossing to coat. Cook the spaetzle for 1 to 2 minutes to give the noodles some color, and then sprinkle with the chopped chives and season with salt and pepper before serving.

Steps:

• 1. Prepare the spätzle: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it until it tastes like sea water (about 2 teaspoons per quart). Whisk the quark, eggs, and yolks together in a large bowl. Use a rubber spatula to stir in the flour until smooth. Season with the salt, nutmeg, and white pepper.
• 2. Using half of the spätzle dough at a time and working quickly, push the dough through the holes of a colander (or spätzle maker) into the boiling water. Stir the spätzle and cook until the water returns to a simmer, about 1 minute. Then, using a skimmer or a large slotted spoon, transfer the spätzle to another colander. Run cold water over the spätzle to stop them from cooking further. Set that batch of spätzle aside. When the water returns to a boil, make the rest of the spätzle, repeating the procedure.
• 3. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons of the butter and then the onions. Season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and light brown, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until tender, another 2 minutes. Raise the heat to high and add the spätzle. Fry, stirring frequently, until the spätzle begin to turn golden, about 10 minutes. Season with the nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
• 4. Add the cheese and fry, stirring, until it begins to brown, about 10 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the beef stock and cook, stirring often, until it is absorbed. Add more stock until a thick, soupy consistency is achieved.
• 5. Meanwhile, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, season with salt and pepper, and fry until they are brown and slightly crisp.
• 6. Serve immediately, garnished with the fried shallots and chives.
• Note: Hoch Ybrig is made in Zurich from cow's milk. It is a buttery, nutty, pungent cheese, similar in flavor to Gruyère. It is available at specialty cheese stores.

Steps:

• Make the spaetzle dough about thirty minutes to an hour before cooking; the dough needs time to rest.
• To make spaetzle dough: In a large bowl whisk the eggs, salt and water together. Gradually add flour, beating well. Let rest, then beat again. Let rest, then beat. You want a batter that is shiny and elastic and a little runny, but slightly stiff. (For instance, it should be thicker than pancake batter, but runnier than mashed potatoes. More like pudding, sort of. You'll get the hang of it, and it doesn't have to be !00% perfect.).
• About 40 minutes before serving: Preheat oven to 325°F Also, put a big pot of water over high heat; this needs to come to a boil.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until onions are dark caramel colored, about 30 minutes. The trick is to stir the onions enough to keep them from burning, but not so often as to interrupt the browing process.
• While onions are slowly cooking, make the spaetzle. When the water is boiling, place the spaetzle maker across the top of the pot, add dough to the metal cup of the machine, and starting sliding the cup back and forth across grater-like flat part of the machine. Gravity will pull the slightly runny dough through the holes at the bottom of the cup, and eventually little drops of dangling dough will fall into the water. These are the spaetzle. Continue sliding the cup until all the dough has emptied. Let the spaetzle cook for a few moments. When the batch is floating on the surface, scoop them out with a slotted spoon, place in a baking dish, and set aside. Repeat the process until all the dough is used.
• (Note: if you don't have a spaetzle maker, roll out small amounts of the dough on a cutting board until about 1/4-inch thick. Then use a knife to cut into pieces about 1/4-inch wide by 1-inch long -- about the size of elbow macaroni, were it straight. Scrape the pieces into the boiling water.).
• When all the spaetzle is made and in the baking dish, add the grated cheeses and use a wooden spoon to stir and distribute cheese evenly throughout the spaetzle. Sprinkle onion over top.
• Place in oven for 5 to 10 minute, just enough to melt cheese and reheat some of the early spatzen that may have cooled down.

Steps:

• Sift together flour, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Beat eggs in a medium bowl. Alternately mix in milk and the flour mixture until smooth. Let stand for 30 minutes.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Press batter through a spaetzle press into the water. You may also use a potato ricer, colander, or a cheese grater. When the spaetzle has floated to the top of the water, remove it to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Mix in 1 cup of the cheese.
• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, and cook until golden. Stir in spaetzle and remaining cheese until well blended. Remove from heat, and serve immediately.

Steps:

• Blend flour, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in large bowl. Whisk in eggs and milk, forming soft batter. Mix in half of herbs.
• Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Butter large bowl. Working with 1/3 cup batter at a time and using rubber spatula, press batter directly into boiling water through 1/4-inch holes on coarse grater, strainer, or wide ladle. Stir spaetzle to separate and boil 2 minutes. Using fine sieve, scoop spaetzle from pot, drain well, and transfer to buttered bowl. (Can be prepared 3 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter with 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms; sauté until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add onion; sauté until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon oil, and spaetzle. Sauté until spaetzle begin to brown, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add 3/4 cup broth. Simmer until broth is absorbed, adding more broth if dry. Mix in remaining herbs; season with salt and pepper.