Nokedli (Hungarian Spaetzle)

Affectionately called “Knuck-a-Knuck” by one of our families, these small egg noodle dumplings, Austro-Hungarian in origin, are the ideal comfort food. They are the perfect way to soak up pan juices or they can be tossed with loads of butter and cheese. The original version calls solely for all-purpose flour, but we suggest a combination of half all-purpose and half whole-wheat to make a heartier dish.

SERVES 6 AS A SIDE

5 extra-large eggs

¼ cup water

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup whole-wheat flour

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with a fork until smooth. Add the water and salt and beat to combine. Gradually beat in the flours ¼ cup at a time to make a soft, sticky dough. The dough will be very stretchy. If the dough is dull looking, continue beating until it shines. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.

Spoon half the dough onto a dinner plate. With a blunt knife, move some dough towards the edge of the plate and spread it until it is about ¼ inch thick. Use the knife to scrape tiny bits of the dough off and flick them into the pot of boiling water. Dip the knife blade frequently into water to help the batter slip off. The dough will grow as it cooks, so cut very small (about ¼-inch) rectangular pieces; this is just a guideline, you can experiment with the size and shape until you find the ones that you like best. (Or use a very simple inexpensive spaetzle maker; they are easy to find online and at gourmet kitchen stores.) Make sure the water stays at a boil. After cutting in about half of the dough, cover the pot partially and boil 10 to 20 minutes, until tender throughout, depending on the size you cut. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon, and drain in a colander. Repeat with remaining dough. Salt to taste.