Spaetzle With Kielbasa and Caramelized Onions
- 1 pound smoked kielbasa, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
- 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large red onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 large thyme sprig
- kosher salt
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1/2 pound Emmentaler cheese, grated (2 cups)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, lightly brown the kielbasa until golden, about 5 minutes.
- Transfer to a plate.
- Melt the butter in the skillet.
- Stir in the onion and thyme, and stir briefly to coat the onion with butter.
- Cook onion, without stirring, until dark brown, about 5 minutes.
- Add a pinch of salt and cook on low heat until very soft and caramelized, 20 to 30 minutes.
- Stir in 2 tablespoons water and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Transfer onion to a bowl.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, 1 teaspoon salt and the nutmeg.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk.
- Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir well.
- The batter should be fairly wet, with a consistency slightly thicker than pancake batter.
- Spread a clean dish towel flat on a work surface adjacent to the stove.
- Working over the pot of boiling water, press dough through a spaetzle maker or use a rubber spatula to push it through a colander with holes at least 1/4-inch wide.
- Drop dough into the water.
- When dumplings rise to the surface, use a slotted spoon to transfer to the towel.
- Heat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Toss the spaetzle and kielbasa in the bowl with the onions, and add 1 1/2 cups cheese and the pepper.
- Spread into a 2-quart gratin dish.
- Sprinkle the top of the casserole with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese.
- Bake until golden and bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes.
kielbasa, unsalted butter, red onion, thyme, kosher salt, flour, freshly grated nutmeg, eggs, milk, emmentaler cheese, black pepper
Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/12227 (may not work)