Spaetzle

Directions

1. 1
   Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it.
2. 2
   Combine the flour with the pepper and a large pinch of salt in a bowl.
3. 3
   Lightly beat together the eggs and milk and add the flour; stirring.
4. 4
   If necessary, add a little more milk to make a batter about the consistency of pancake batter.
5. 5
   Scoop a tablespoon or so of batter and drop it into the water; small pieces may break off but the batter should remain largely intact and form a disk; repeat, using about one-third to one-fourth of the batter, depending on the size of your pot.
6. 6
   When the spaetzle rise to the top, a couple of minutes later (you mave have to loosen them from the bottom, but theyll pop right up), cook another minute or so, then transfer with a slotted spoon into a bowl of ice water.
7. 7
   Repeat until all the batter is used up.
8. 8
   Drain the spaetzle (at this point you can toss them with a bit of oil and refrigerate, covered, for up to a day).
9. 9
   Heat the butter or oil in a large skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium-high heat.
10. 10
    When its hot, add the spaetzle, a few at a time, and quickly brown on both sides.
11. 11
    Serve hot, garnished with the parsley or chives.