German Spaetzle Dumplings

Ingredients

• 3 c unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 - 3/4 c water
• 3 quarts water
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp olive oil ((optional))

Instructions

1. 1

   In a medium bowl, mix together flour, salt, and nutmeg.

2. 2

   Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and add eggs. Scramble the eggs slightly with a fork, mixing them with the flour mixture. Add the water, a little at a time, mixing until a soft dough forms. (Your dough should be somewhere between a drop biscuit dough and a stiff muffin batter. It should be spoon-able, but not pour-able.)

3. 3

   Cover the dough loosely with a tea towel and set it aside to rest for 15 minutes.

4. 4

   While dough is resting, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil with 2 tsp salt. (You can add 1 Tbsp of oil to your water if you would like, to keep the cooked Spaetzle from sticking together. If you will be sautéing your Spaetzle after boiling, this is not necessary.)

5. 5

   Scoop your rested batter into your Spaetzle pressing tool. (Any metal kitchen gadget with holes roughly the diameter of a pencil will work well. Don’t have anything? Grab a cutting board and a spatula and check out this recipe for making Spaetzle using the board cutting method.)

6. 6

   Press the Spaetzle dough through the press into the boiling water. Once the Spaetzle bobs to the top of the water, it is done. Remove it using a slotted spoon. (But, not the one you’re using to press the Spaetzle dough!)

7. 7

   Place the boiled Spaetzle into a bowl and continue with the rest of the dough.

8. 8

   Serve immediately.