Where it comes from
Käsknöpfle is the Alemannic-Alpine cousin of käsespätzle, the consensus national dish of Liechtenstein and equally beloved in St Gallen, Grisons, and Vorarlberg.
On the plate
Take a forkful of käsknöpfle and the soft dumplings pull strings of melted Alpine cheese, the deeply fried onions adding sweet crunch on top. Bite: tender, eggy knöpfle wrapped in rich, nutty, salty cheese, the onions caramel-sweet, a spoon of tart applesauce on the side cutting through the richness. Hearty Alpine comfort — the whole table eating from one warm dish.
How it works
Scraping a wet egg batter into boiling water produces the soft, irregular knöpfle, which have rough surfaces that grip melted cheese. Layering the hot dumplings with cheese (rather than stirring) lets it melt into strings; slow-fried onions add caramelized sweetness, and tart applesauce balances the fat.
Variations
With a mix of cheeses (Emmental + Gruyère + a sharp mountain cheese). With chives. Baked au gratin on top. With a fried egg. Made as flatter spätzle. With more onions stirred through.
On the Palate
Ingredients
Serves 4
How it's made
8 steps · Show ↓40 min active · 10 min waiting
How it's made
8 steps · Show ↓- 112 min
Whisk 400 g flour, 4 eggs, 150 ml milk, and 1 tsp salt into a thick, sticky batter; rest 10 min.
- 214 min
Slice 2 onions thinly and fry slowly in 50 g butter until deep golden; set aside.
- 36 min
Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil.
- 45 min
Press the batter through a spätzle scraper (or colander) into the water in small bits.
- 53 min
Cook 2-3 min until the knöpfle float; lift out with a slotted spoon.
- 64 min
Layer the hot knöpfle in a warm dish with 250 g grated Alpine cheese, finishing with cheese.
- 73 min
Cover briefly so the cheese melts into strings; toss gently.
- 83 min
Top with the fried onions and serve with applesauce on the side.
