Buewespaetzle are Alsatian potato dumplings, rolled by hand into little finger shapes, poached and then fried golden in butter. The name comes from the Alsatian dialect and always makes people smile the first time they hear it. It is a true grandma dish: potatoes, flour, one egg and a bit of patience.
I tasted them at La Table Alsacienne in Farébersviller, here in Moselle, where they were served as a grandma’s recipe. It reminded me how generous the cooking of eastern France can be with almost nothing, and I wanted to make them at home right away.
Here is the traditional version, the way Alsatian families make it, topped with breadcrumbs toasted in butter. You can also serve them next to sauerkraut or a meat stew, they are delicious.
The story of that day: 🇫🇷 Moselle - Balkan food at the market and La Table Alsacienne
The recipe
Classic recipeThe traditional recipe for the dish, not the one from the restaurant where I tasted it.
Ingredients
Dumplings
- 1 kg floury potatoes (such as Bintje or Russet)
- 1 egg
- 220 g plain flour + a little for the work surface
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 pinch grated nutmeg
To finish
- 60 g butter
- 40 g breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
Method
- Wash the potatoes and boil them whole, skin on, in a large pot of salted water for 25 to 30 minutes. They are ready when a knife slides through without resistance. Drain and let them cool for a few minutes.
- Peel them while still warm and pass them through a potato ricer. Spread the mash in a large dish and let it cool completely, about 30 minutes. Cold, dry mash absorbs less flour and gives lighter dumplings.
- Add the egg, salt and nutmeg, then work in the flour little by little. Mix quickly by hand until you get a soft dough that no longer sticks to your fingers. Do not overwork it, or it will turn rubbery.
- On a floured surface, divide the dough into 4 and roll each piece into a rope 2 cm thick. Cut it into 2 cm pieces, then roll them between your palms into little spindles about 6 cm long with pointed ends. Set them on a floured tray.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle simmer. Drop in the Buewespaetzle in small batches and cook them for 2 to 3 minutes after they float to the surface. Lift them out with a slotted spoon onto a lightly oiled tray.
- Melt 40 g of butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Fry the Buewespaetzle for 8 to 10 minutes, turning them often, until crisp and golden on all sides.
- In a small pan, heat the remaining 20 g of butter until foaming and toast the breadcrumbs for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring. Scatter them over the dumplings with the parsley and serve straight away.
Tips and variations
- Use floury, dry potatoes. If the dough is too sticky, add flour one spoonful at a time rather than all at once.
- They go very well with sauerkraut, roast pork or onions slowly cooked with bacon.
- Once poached and cooled, they keep for 2 days in the fridge. You can also freeze them flat on a tray, then bag them, and fry them straight from frozen.
- For a sweet version, fry them in butter without the breadcrumbs and serve them with apple sauce.
Recipe shared for guidance only, adapt it to your equipment: times and temperatures may vary. Check for allergens (gluten, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, nuts, sesame…) and make sure ingredients are fresh. Raw or undercooked fish, meat and eggs are not recommended for pregnant women, young children, elderly or vulnerable people. Take care with hot oil, flambéing and alcohol. I am not a health or nutrition professional.