Some people might also know this dish as „Nockerl“, some call it „Spaetzle“ while others are not familiar with it at all. It is typical for the Austrian/ German/Swiss kitchen and basically teeny-tiny dumplings. You’ll find it in recipes as side for stews or as main dish with either lots of cheese or scrambled eggs. These wild garlic dumplings are perfect for spring with their vibrant green color!
It is so beautiful seeing the nature coming back to live again. The trees start to grow leaves again, the flowers make their way through earth towards the sunlight and the air smells crisp and refreshing.
When you go for a walk into the forest, you might notice that every now and then a distinct, garlicky breeze (depending on where you live, of course!) reaches your nose. Wild garlic, or “ramps”, is one of the first plants to announce spring. It looks similar to spinach, though feels more fragile and silky. As the name already says, the taste reminds very much of garlic, but is a bit milder and can be used as salad, in soups, dips, pesto and other main dishes.
Growing up, “Nockerl” had always been one of my favorite sides or component for a main dish. So I decided to give them a little twist, by adding wild garlic to the batter and they turned out delicious!
About these wild garlic dumplings
Making thesewild garlic dumplings could not be any simpler! All you need to do is blending or pureeing water with fresh wild garlic. Then the mixture will be added to a blend of flour and corn- or tapioca starch (which assures that the batter sticks together!). Finally you have to bring a pot with salted water to a boil, drop in the batter with a spoon or by using a tool called “Spaetzlehobel” and cook for a few minutes on medium heat. You will know they are ready as soon as they float on top of the water. Remove the finished dumplings with a slotted spoon, rinse under cold water and they are ready to go!
I used spelt flour, but feel free to use wholewheat or regular flour. You could also try a gluten free flour mix- however I cannot guarantee that this will work too! In case you have no acess to fresh wild garlic, just swap it with spinach. It will not have such a strong flavor tough, so you may want to add 1-2 crushed garlic cloves to the batter. Or you are just no great garlic enthusiast and are happy with the milder result!
Wheter this recipe reminds you of holidays spent in Europe, your childhood or favourite dish- or you just discovered it, I hope you will enjoy it. And I hope that spring brings you all the positive energy and sunshine you need!
ALL THE BEST
wild garlic dumplings
Ingredients
- 180 g spelt flour
- 60 g corn- or tapioca starch
- 1/2 Tsp salt
- 100 g wild garlic
- 200-250 ml water
Instructions
- In a Mixing Bowl, combine the flour, starch and salt.
- Blend or purée 200 ml of the water with the wild garlic until smooth.
- Mix the wet with the dry ingredients in the bowl to form a thick batter. If the mixture should be too try and not all the flour can be incorporated, add around 50ml more. Allow it to rest for 15-20 minutes.
- Heat a pot filled with salted water and bring it to a boil.Form little dumplings by letting the batter drip off your spoon into the wateror using you „Spaetzlehobel“. Cook them on medium heat for 3-5 minutes.
- The dumplings are ready as soon as they start to float onthe surface of the water. Remove them with a slotted spoon and rinse under coldwater to assure they don’t sticktogether. Enjoy!
