Place eggs, salt and milk, melted butter in a mixing bowl. Sift flour over the top and immediately beat into a loose dough using a wooden spoon or a hand or stand mixer until it bubbles.
3 eggs, 100 ml milk, ½ teaspoon salt, 250 g flour, 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Leave the dough to rest for about 10 minutes, this will allow the gluten to develop. (in the meantime you can get started with the onions - see below)
In a large saucepan bring water to boil. Add a little salt to it.
Using your spätzlemaker of choice, slowly pour in the dough and press the strands into the boiling water.
The spätzle will rise to the top once they are cooked. Try to fish them out with slotted spoon. Do not try to make too many spätzle at once, otherwise the dough might end up sticking to your saucepan.
Alternative: using store-bought spätzle
Prepare your dry spätzle according to packet instructions
250 g shop-bought spätzle
To make the caramelized onions
Peel and slice the onions into thin stripes.
2 onions
Mix them with the flour - this will make them nice and crispy.
2 tablespoon flour
Place the butter with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a frying pan on medium heat and let it melt. Fry the onions on low to medium heat until they are browned and nice and crispy.
2 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Leave to drain on a piece of paper towel.
To assemble
Reduce the heat of the frying pan (the same one you fried the onions in) and add your cooked (still warm) spätzle. Alternatively, sprinkle with the grated cheese and little swigs of the cream. Keep on stirring until the cheese has melted. Lastly season with a little nutmeg (optional) and salt and pepper.
125 g grated cheese, 100 ml cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper
Before serving sprinkle with some chives. Tastes great with a side salad
The homemade spätzle can be prepared up to 2 days in advance. Just store in the fridge and reheat in a pan by gently turning them in 2 tablespoons of melted butter. The onions can be prepared ahead of the day. However, they taste best on the day they are made. Assemble the dish just before you want to eat it.
Storage
The cheese spaetzle will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Store in an airtight container. I would not recommend freezing the käsespätzle as they might get mushy when defrosting. However, you can freeze the homemade späetzle (without the cheese) for up to three months and then assemble with the cheese when you are ready to eat it.