Not far from Strasbourg, the capital of Alsace, lies the Moulin de Hurtigheim, a small familyrun flour mill and one of the last independently owned mills in the region. It was fascinating to learn about the different grains used to produce particular flours, and see the flour truck that goes around the villages selling flour directly to locals.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (125 g) spelt flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 egg, beaten
- ½ cup (125 g) fromage blanc or quark
- 1 red onion
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 oz (50 g) Munster cheese, sliced, or other strongly flavored soft cheese, such as Camembert or Brie
How to Make It
- In a bowl, mix together the spelt and salt in a bowl and make a well in the middle. Pour in the beaten egg and fromage blanc and mix together until you have a smooth dough. Place the dough in the piping bag.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment and pipe thick lines of dough across the paper. Place the sheet of piped dough in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- In the meantime, preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with foil. Peel the onion, then halve lengthwise and trim the root. Cut each half into thirds lengthwise. Carefully pull away the individual layers of the onion right up to the heart; you will be left with lots of little onion petals. Add them to the baking sheet; toss with the butter, brown sugar, and vinegar; and season with salt and pepper. Cook in the oven for 30 minutes.
- Remove the sheet from the freezer and cut the dough strips into ¼-inch rectangles to make your knepfles. A knife dipped in hot water may help.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Drop the knepfles into the boiling water; when they float to the top, they are cooked. Drain in a colander and toss with the red onion leaves. Top with a layer of cheese and serve immediately.