Fried spaetzle with honey-mustard sauerkraut and crispy bacon
Until the establishment of newer preservation methods, sauerkraut was one of the main processed ingredients in Germany, the Netherlands, and Poland during the winter. It also found its way into Jewish cuisine. Sauerkraut is eaten in large quantities, especially in Eastern European countries. Due to its high vitamin content (especially vitamin C), it helped prevent deficiencies during the winter. Therefore, it was also used year-round as provisions on ships after it was discovered in the 18th century that consuming sauerkraut prevented scurvy.
Preserving vegetables through lactic acid fermentation is a very old technique practiced in various parts of the world. White cabbage fermented in this way was known in ancient Greece and the Roman Empire, as well as in China.
Kimchi, the Korean version of sauerkraut, originated as early as the 7th century. It differs from European sauerkraut, which is called "Togil Kimchi" there, through the use of Chinese cabbage and other Asian ingredients.
Spätzle is the Swabian diminutive form of Spatz and likely refers to a sparrow. Spätzle and Knöpfle have a centuries-old tradition of production in the Swabian region and are of great importance to Swabian cuisine.
25 min
Total Time
20 min
Cooking Time
5 min
Preperation Time
Ingredients
| 500 g | fresh Spätzle |
| 6 slices of bacon | |
| 1 x | red onion |
| 1 bunch | Thyme |
| 20 g | Butter |
| 314 ml | Sauerkraut |
| 40 g | Honey |
| 20 g | Mustard |
| Additionally | |
| Salt, pepper | |
| 1 tbsp | Olive oil |
Instructions
Step 1 of 7:
Bring water to a boil in a pot for the spaetzle.
Step 2 of 7:
Simmer the sauerkraut in a pot with 3 tbsp of water over low heat for 15 minutes. Cut bacon slices into 3 cm wide pieces.
Step 3 of 7:
Fry the bacon in a pan without oil over medium heat for about 3 minutes until crispy and brown all around. Then drain on paper towels. Meanwhile, peel and finely chop the onion.
Step 4 of 7:
Set aside a few thyme sprigs for decoration, pluck the remaining thyme from the stems. Add the spaetzle to the boiling water with 1 tbsp of salt and cook for about 2 minutes until they float to the surface of the water. Then scoop them out.
Step 5 of 7:
Reheat the previously used pan with 1 tbsp of oil and sauté the onion and thyme leaves over medium heat for 2 minutes. Then add the sauerkraut, honey, and mustard and mix well.
Step 6 of 7:
Add the spaetzle and butter to the pan and mix well. Season with ½ tsp of salt and pepper to taste.
Step 7 of 7:
Serve the spaetzle with honey-mustard sauerkraut on a plate and garnish with bacon and the remaining thyme sprigs.
