Nockerl / Spätzle (plain egg dumplings)

Method

1. Combine the flour, eggs and salt in a bowl. Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon for 3 to 4 minutes, adding water a little at a time, until a thick, sticky batter forms that falls slowly off the spoon in a ribbon.
2. Let rest for 20 minutes.
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Working in batches, scrape thin strips of batter directly off a wet cutting board into the water using a knife or spätzle scraper.
4. Cook until they float, about 2 to 3 minutes, then lift out with a slotted spoon.
5. Toss the cooked spätzle with the butter before serving.

Notes

• Beat the batter vigorously for the full time. This develops enough gluten structure to give the spätzle a slight chew and hold their shape in boiling water; an under-beaten batter falls apart.
• The batter should be thick and sticky, not pourable. It needs to hold a ribbon shape on the board long enough to scrape into strips; too thin, and it just runs off the board as a formless stream.
• Cook in batches, not all at once. Too much batter added at once drops the water temperature and the spätzle stick together instead of cooking evenly.
• Toss with butter immediately after draining, which stops them sticking to each other as they cool.

Ingredient substitutions

• This is a deliberately plain version, meant as a base for whatever sauce or dish you’re serving alongside, such as goulash, mushroom sauce, or simply grated cheese and fried onions (Käsespätzle).
• A pinch of nutmeg in the batter is a traditional addition.
• Leftover spätzle reheat well in a hot pan with a little butter.