Vorarlberger Käsknöpfle-Salat (Cheese Spaetzle Salad)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large pot for boiling (6-liter minimum)
• •Knöpfle board or cutting board with palette knife
• •Wide heavy pan (28cm) for onions
• •Slotted spoon
• •Large mixing bowl

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the Knöpfle dough

   Combine the flour, eggs, cold water, and salt in a large bowl. Beat the mixture vigorously with a wooden spoon until the dough is smooth, elastic, and pulls away from the sides of the bowl in long, sticky strands. This takes a good five minutes of real effort. Your arm will know when you're done. The dough should be thicker than pancake batter but too soft to knead. Let it rest for fifteen minutes. The gluten needs to relax so the Knöpfle hold together in the boiling water instead of dissolving into paste.

   Griffiges Mehl gives Knöpfle their slightly rough, sauce-catching texture. If you can't find it, use a mix of half plain flour and half semolina as a reasonable substitute.
2. 2

   Cook the Knöpfle

   Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Hold a Knöpfle board or a cutting board at an angle over the pot. Spread a portion of dough on the board and use a palette knife or bench scraper to shave small, irregular pieces directly into the water. They'll sink, then float. Once they float, give them another thirty seconds. Fish them out with a slotted spoon and let them drain. Work in batches. The Knöpfle should be small, stubby, and uneven. This isn't precision work. Rustic is correct.

   No Knöpfle board? Use a colander with large holes. Press the dough through with the back of a spoon. The shapes will be different but the taste won't care.
3. 3

   Fry the onions

   While you work through the batches, melt the butter in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and cook them slowly, stirring now and then, until they turn a deep, even golden brown. This takes a solid fifteen minutes. Don't rush it. Pale onions taste like nothing. Brown onions taste like everything. Season lightly with salt.

4. 4

   Layer the Käsknöpfle

   In a warm serving dish, layer the drained Knöpfle with the grated Bergkäse, starting with Knöpfle and finishing with cheese. The heat from the freshly cooked spaetzle will melt the cheese into sticky, golden threads. Spoon half the fried onions over the top. Toss gently so the cheese pulls and stretches through every layer. This is your Käsknöpfle. Set aside two-thirds of it for the salad. Eat the rest now. You've earned it.

5. 5

   Cool the Käsknöpfle

   Spread the reserved Käsknöpfle on a baking sheet or wide plate and let it cool to room temperature. Then cover and refrigerate for at least two hours, or overnight. The cheese will firm up and bind the Knöpfle into clumps. That's exactly what you want. The vinaigrette will break them apart.

6. 6

   Make the vinaigrette

   Whisk together the Apfelessig, sunflower oil, mustard, sugar, and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Taste it. The dressing should be sharp and vinegar-forward. The cheese in the Knöpfle is rich and fatty, and the dressing needs to cut through that. If it doesn't make you wince slightly on its own, add more vinegar. Austrian salad dressings are not shy.

   Hesperidenessig, a Viennese citrus vinegar, works beautifully here if you can find it. It adds a floral sharpness that apple cider vinegar can't quite match.
7. 7

   Dress the salad

   Break the cold Käsknöpfle apart into a large bowl, pulling the cheese-bound clumps into smaller pieces with your hands. Pour the vinaigrette over and toss thoroughly. Add the finely diced raw onion and most of the chives, reserving some for the top. Season with pepper. Let it sit for at least twenty minutes before serving. Thirty is better. The vinegar needs time to soften the cheese and pull flavor from every crevice. Toss once more, then finish with the remaining chives and chopped parsley.

8. 8

   Serve at the right temperature

   Serve the salad cool but not fridge-cold. Pull it out fifteen minutes before you plan to eat. The cheese loosens slightly as it warms, and the flavors open up. Pile it generously into bowls with some of the remaining fried onions scattered over the top. A thick slice of dark bread alongside is all it needs. Mahlzeit!

Chef Tips

• •The whole point of this salad is leftovers done right. If you're making Käsknöpfle for dinner, double the batch deliberately. You want enough left over that the salad feels generous the next day, not like you're scraping the bottom of the pan.
• •Vorarlberger Bergkäse is a raw-milk mountain cheese with a nutty, slightly sharp flavor that holds up to vinegar without disappearing. Aged Gruyère is the closest substitute most people can find. Don't use mild cheese. It won't contribute anything once it's cold.
• •The vinaigrette ratio matters. Austrian Marinade leans heavily on vinegar, much more so than French vinaigrette. Two parts vinegar to one part oil is correct here. If you make it the French way, the salad will taste flat against all that cheese and starch.
• •This salad travels perfectly for picnics. Pack it in a sealed container and it will be even better after an hour in your bag. The marinating never really stops, and the flavors only deepen.

Advance Preparation

• •The Käsknöpfle base can be made a full day ahead and refrigerated. In fact, it works better that way. The cheese sets properly and the pieces hold their shape when dressed.
• •The vinaigrette can be whisked together up to two days ahead and stored in a jar in the fridge. Shake well before using.
• •The finished salad keeps in the fridge for up to two days. The texture softens slightly but the flavor improves. Add fresh chives just before serving to keep them bright.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 310g)