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23 February 2021

The Egg Store - Spaetzle

Today’s Family Recipe is Spaetzle from our friends at The Egg Store in Abbotsford. Organic farmer Becky Siemens has shared the lovely story below.

My opinion is that once you become a grandmother, you become a legend, and your recipes become immortal, no matter how simple (or not) they are. At least, that is how it is in my family, as there is nothing that provides me as much comfort as the memories of preparing and enjoying food in my Oma’s kitchen. To master her recipes would be, as they say, #goals.

One of her recipes, in particular, makes me grateful to be a farmer, where eggs are always on hand in case the craving strikes: our beloved “spaetzle”, a fairly famous character in German cuisine, despite being made from a few humble ingredients.  And even if the kids decide to “help”, the mess is an afterthought because, let’s be honest, there isn’t anything much better than homemade noodles.

My husband, usually a stranger to the kitchen,  also contributes to this simple side dish, as his grandmother often prepared spaetzle with “ketchup sauce”. Traditional or not, it is so delicious. The toppings are endless as well! As simple as plain butter, fried bacon and onions, eaten in soup… whatever your whim! It’s so satisfying that our traditional family favourites have merged to allow our children to experience love through people they never had the pleasure of spending time with.

Spaetzle

Ingredients:

 

2 cups flour

2 eggs

1 tsp salt

¾ cup liquid (traditionally milk, but since I personally don’t eat dairy, water or alike, substitute also works well.)

 

Directions:

 

STEP 1

 

Mix all the ingredients well in one bowl. 

 

 

 

STEP 2

 

Boil a large pot of water, and add a little salt to the water. Once it's bubbling, add the dough to a strainer-like contraption: This picture is a traditional spaetzle maker, but a colander or cheese grater has also been known to work. As I said, it can get messy!

 

 

STEP 3

 

Once the dough is added, let the noodles boil until they are firm and floating.

 

 

STEP 4

 

Then simply strain, and add your favourite ingredients and toppings. Plain melted butter and salt is an easy favourite!

 

 

STEP 5

 

As for the ketchup sauce, I never got the chance to get this recipe in person from my husband’s grandmother, as she passed before we started dating. Therefore I had to use the guess and check method, and he says it’s pretty close to hers. I’m thinking there is probably some secret ingredient that I’m missing, but this sauce is pretty tasty…

 

 

Ketchup sauce:

 

½ cup butter or to taste

1 cup ketchup or to taste

Salt

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

 

Water to thin as needed

 

 

 

Note:

 

And this is how not to make spaetzle:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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