Käsespätzle

Method

1. 1Make the batter: beat the flour, eggs, milk, a good pinch of salt, and the nutmeg with a wooden spoon until the batter is smooth, glossy, and forms blisters when you lift the spoon. Beating it hard develops the gluten that holds the spätzle together. Rest it for 15 minutes.
2. 2While it rests, slice the onions thinly and cook them in half the butter over medium-low heat until deep golden and sweet, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir now and then and don't rush it — the fried onions are half the dish, not a garnish.
3. 3Grate both cheeses and mix them together. Emmental brings the stretch, Gruyère brings the flavour; using only one gives you either rubber or grease.
4. 4Bring a wide pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Press or scrape the batter into the water in batches — through a spätzle press, a coarse colander, or off a wet board with a knife.
5. 5The spätzle are done about 30 seconds after they float, roughly 2 minutes. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and drain briefly; don't rinse them, since the surface starch helps the cheese cling.
6. 6Rub the warmed bowl or pan with a little of the remaining 30 g butter and keep the rest for dotting between the layers. Layer straight away in a warmed bowl or the pan: a layer of hot spätzle, a handful of cheese, more spätzle, more cheese, finishing with cheese. Cover for 2 to 3 minutes and let the heat of the noodles do the melting.
7. 7Fold once, gently, so the cheese pulls into strands without turning gluey. Top with the caramelised onions and chives, grind over black pepper, and serve immediately.