Käsespätzle

Mix the flour, eggs, water, salt and nutmeg and beat the dough with a spoon for a good five minutes, until bubbles rise and it starts to string off the spoon.

While the dough rests, fry the onion in butter over medium heat until deep gold. That is twenty minutes, not five — the sugars need the time to caramelise.

Press the dough into boiling salted water through a spätzle grater or a wide-holed colander. They float within a minute; lift them out with a slotted spoon.

Layer them into a warm dish: spätzle, cheese, spätzle, cheese. The heat of the noodles melts it; no oven is needed.

Bury it under the fried onion and serve at once. The classic side is a green salad with a vinegar dressing, and it is a counterweight rather than a garnish.