Beef fillet with cheese spaetzle

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 4 slices of beef fillet, approx. 180 g each
• 8 eggs
• 400 g flour for spaetzle
• Salt
• some water
• 400 g mountain cheese (this amount is suitable for cheese lovers)
• 1 large onion(s)
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 15 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 5 minutes

To make the spaetzle, whisk the eggs in a large mixing bowl. Then gradually stir in the flour using a wooden spoon, ideally one with a hole in the middle. Add a little salt and a splash of cold water to the batter. Beat the batter vigorously until it bubbles and becomes shiny, about 5 minutes. Then let it rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, slice or grate the onions and fry them in a pan with a little olive oil until golden brown. Grate the cheese. Beat the batter briefly again before further processing. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and press the batter in batches through a spaetzle press or add it to the boiling water using a spaetzle slicer. As soon as the spaetzle float to the surface, remove it with a slotted spoon. Then alternate layers of spaetzle and cheese in a baking dish. Finally, spread the fried onion rings and a final layer of cheese over the spaetzle. Bake in an oven preheated to 200°C (top/bottom heat) for about 10 minutes on the middle rack, until the cheese is completely melted. While the spaetzle are in the oven, rinse the meat, pat dry, and fry in hot oil for 4-5 minutes on each side. Turn the meat over, season with salt and pepper. Finally, wrap the meat in aluminum foil and let it rest for about 5 minutes; depending on its thickness, it should be medium-rare. Note from the chef’s recipe editor: If you don’t want to use aluminum foil, use parchment paper or baking paper for the parcels. If you use lemon juice and salt, this is recommended for health reasons.