The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
LEON’S FULL SERVICE SPÄTZLE
This recipe from Jeff Sellers, executive chef of Leon’s Full Service, is a great introduction to homemade egg noodles. The noodles are formed when the loose batter is pressed through something with holes into boiling water. A traditional spätzle maker looks like a little metal box positioned over a cheese grater perforated with 1/4-inch holes. The box slides over the grater, the dough goes through the holes and you have noodles.
No spätzle maker? That shouldn’t stop you from trying this recipe. Sellers offers the suggestion of using a strainer with large holes. We experimented with a potato ricer. Worked great.
Who wouldn’t love homemade noodles prepared in just minutes?
You can dress this pasta with just melted butter, but Sellers recommends doing as the Germans do: use browned butter and a little whole-grain mustard to sauce the noodles. In our photo, he’s paired the spätzle with bratwurst, kale and cabbage, and garnished it all with pickled mustard seeds. Salt
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 cup cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 4 eggs
1/4 cup whole milk 2 tablespoons cold water 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Fill a large saucepan about halfway full with salted water. Bring to a boil.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, salt and nutmeg.
In a second bowl, whisk eggs, then add milk, water and oil.
Whisk the egg mixture into the flour mixture and continue whisking until batter is smooth.
Arrange a large mesh strainer over the boiling water. Put batter into the strainer and use a rubber scraper to press the batter through the strainer into the boiling water. Do not try to cook too much at one time. Cook spätzle 30 seconds, then use a strainer to move the spätzle to a colander. Continue until all noodles are cooked. Serve hot. Makes 4 cups.
— Adapted from a recipe provided by Jeff Sellers of Leon’s Full Service.
Per 1/2-cup serving: 182 calories (percent of calories from fat, 32), 7 grams protein, 25 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 6 grams fat (1 gram saturated), 107 milligrams cholesterol, 392 milligrams sodium.