German Gypsy Goulash with Spaetzle

Instructions

FOR THE GOULASH: Wipe meat with damp cloth. cut in 1 1/2 inch pieces.

Slice onions. Heat butter in deep pot or Dutch oven and saute onions until transparent. Add meat and cook 10 minutes. Sprinkle with flour; stir. Add seasonings, water, and bouillon. Increase water if necessary to cover meat. Cover pot; bring to a boil and boil 5 minutes. Lower heat and let cook slowly 1 1/2 hours, or until meat is tender and liquid has cooked down to a thick sauce. Stir occasionally during cooking period. Serve garnished with Hot Cooked Noodles. Serves 6.

Luchow's German Cookbook

SPAETZLE: TINY GERMAN DUMPLINGS:

3 cups all purpose flour
4 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
Several grindings black pepper
1 cup warm water

Approximately 4 quarts of salted water

1/2 stick butter

In a large bowl, combine the flour with the eggs, salt, pepper, and warm water. Beat hard with a wooden spoon to form a thick, smooth batter. Continue beating for 5 minutes. This should be done rather energetically, by scraping the dough toward you with a regular rhythm, so as to incorporate as much air as possible.

Let the dough rest, covered, for 15 minutes.

Bring the salted water to a boil.

If you are using a spaetzle mill, simply push the dough through it into the boiling salted water. If you do not have a mill, balance a colander (the largest you own) on the rim of the pot in which the water is boiling. Make sure that the water is at least 8 inches below the colander or the dough will simply congeal from the steam. Use a large wooden spoon to press thedough through the holes in the colander into the water.

A third alternative is to add a little more flour to the dough (about 1/2 cup) to stiffen it. Remove the dough to a floured board and with a sharp knife slice it into strips about 1/4 inch wide and 1/2 inch long.

Boil the spaetzle for 4 minutes. Drain in a large colander, and rinse briefly under cold running water. Drain.*

Melt the butter in an ovenproof skillet. Saute the spaetzle for 3 to 4 minutes, then place the skillet in a 350 F. oven and bake for 10 minutes.

Serves 6 to 8.

NOTES AND VARIATIONS:

*You can make the spaetzle ahead up to this point. Spread them out on a kitchen towel and cover them with a damp towel. They will keep for several hours.

The Dumpling Cookbook

Author's Comments

Spaetzle, "little sparrows," are very like hornli, "little horns," and knopfli, "little buttons." They are all tiny dumplings, very popular in Germany and Switzerland.

A plateful of these lovely golden nuggets can be a meal in itself, with salad and wine. Otherwise, serve them with chicken, game, or meat.

The purchase of a spaetzle mill will simply the procedure of make them, although you can certainly make do with a large-hole colander, or even a wooden board and a sharp knife.

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