Place flour in mixing bowl. Add salt and eggs and mix. Depending on size of eggs you may want to add another egg(s) or flour until a fairly consistent batter is produced (must not drip from spoon nor stick to spoon but sort of fall off in chunks).

Boil water in a big pot. Using a Spaetzle Maker, let the noodle like batter fall into the boiling water. Once you’ve put enough batter/dough into the water to cover the surface, let it cook for 1 minute and then remove with a sieve or perforated spoon. Rinse it under cold water until the cooked Spaetzle is cool. Then repeat the procedure until you’ve used up all your batter/dough.

Finally, place the cooked Spaetzle into a frying pan with butter and reheat. For extra taste, add some grated Parmesan and fry until the Spaetzle has a slightly golden colour – delicious!

If you don’t have a Spaetzle maker, you can try cutting the dough into small pieces with a knife or spoon, then dropping it into the boiling water. However, there are many on-line stores selling Spaetzle makers and they are well worth the investment in terms of saving time and giving a consistent result.

Spaetzle is originally from the south-west of Germany. This recipe is from my German wife, who grew up in the South-West of Germany. It doesn’t get more authentic than this! Some people suggest using water (or even milk) when making the batter. This is not necessary authentic, and I feel subtracts from the taste. However, if you want to save on eggs (and associated cholesterol) one can do this.

Spaetzle goes very well with many German meals. It also goes very well with Boeuf Bourguignon (from Burgundy, France) and Gulash. It is often used instead of potatoes or noodles, serving the same function but with more taste and elegance.

Spaetzle freezes very well. As one can produce a much larger quantity with only a moderate increase in time (e.g. 4 times as much in only double the time), it is time-efficient to make a large quantity and freeze it. After you have rinsed in cold water and allowed the water to drain off in a sieve, simply bag and freeze it. When you want to use it, simply take out a bag the night before and leave it to defrost. When you are ready to eat, simply warm it up in a frying pan with butter (as discussed above).