serves 6 to 8 as a side dish, 4 as an main course
When my ex-husband and I broke up, our annual beer-and-mulled-wine-fueled Oktoberfest parties ceased, and so I stopped making spaetzle, tiny egg-rich dumplings topped with browned onions and cheese. It was too much work anyway, I thought, requiring too many hands—one pair to hold the colander over the boiling water, one pair to pour the batter into the colander, and one pair to constantly stir the water receiving the spaetzle drips.
But then one day my cousins sent me a gift from their travels in Germany: a shiny stainless steel spaetzle maker, the kind that sits on top of the pot of boiling water. Now I could make the spaetzle all by myself, so I did.
While I caramelized the onions, I rifled through the fridge, looking for something to make into a salad. A dish this rich needs something green to eat alongside. There were no salad greens or cucumbers, but there was a bushy bunch of dark green Swiss chard. I could throw that into the pan with the onions and get my green and my gooey cheese in the same bite. And Swiss chard would surely go well with the Swiss Emmentaler cheese I was using.
I tried it, adding the chard to the pan to wilt with the onions, then stirring the mixture into the homemade spaetzle. Then I baked everything until the cheese was bubbling and browned on top.
Two friends and I devoured the spaetzle hot from the oven. And this time, instead of beer, we washed it down with crisp white wine.
1½ tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large Spanish onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 large fresh thyme sprig
1 teaspoon plus 1 pinch kosher salt, plus more as needed
1 small bunch Swiss chard or beet greens, stems removed and leaves cut into pieces
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
¾ cup milk
2 cups grated Emmentaler or Gruyère cheese (about 8 ounces)
1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter and add the onion and thyme, stirring briefly to coat with the butter. Cook the onion, without stirring, until it starts to get dark brown, then add a pinch of salt and stir occasionally until the onion is tender and caramelized, about 30 minutes total.
2. Stir in the Swiss chard or beet greens and cook until tender, 3 to 5 minutes, then transfer the mixture to a large bowl.
3. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
4. To make the spaetzle, combine the flour, nutmeg, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the egg mixture. Mix well with a wooden spoon.
5. Fill a large bowl with ice water and keep it nearby. Place the dough in a spaetzle maker over the pot of boiling water. Shave the dough into the water (alternatively, push the dough through a colander into the water). When the dumplings rise to the surface, use a slotted spoon to transfer them to the bowl of ice water.
6. Drain the spaetzle well and transfer to the bowl with the onions and greens. Sprinkle in three-quarters of the cheese and mix to combine.
7. Scrape the spaetzle mixture into a 2-quart gratin dish, sprinkle on the remaining cheese, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown and bubbling. Serve immediately.