Delicious side dishes on the fall plate

Autumn is also game season. Fine game dishes are served in the restaurants. Usually with spaetzli, red cabbage and caramelized chestnuts. If you would like to conjure up a delicious game dish for yourself, your family or your guests, here are the instructions for the two classic "side dishes".

Spätzli/ Knöpfli for 4 people
Spätzli and Knöpfli differ only in their shape. Spätzli are long and narrow, while Knöpfli have a round, spherical shape. Mix 300g flour (or 200g flour and 100g Knöpfli flour) and 3/4 tsp salt in a bowl. Add 1.5dl water, 1.5dl milk and 3 eggs and beat until you have a smooth dough with bubbles. Leave to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Pass 1/3 of the dough through a sieve into the boiling water (the more liquid the dough, the longer the Spätzli will last. A thicker dough is more likely to produce a dumpling shape). When the spaetzli float to the surface, you can lift them out with a slotted spoon. Rinse the spaetzli with cold water and place them in a bowl. Repeat this process with the remaining dough. If you don't want to use the spaetzli straight away, add a little oil and mix everything together well. This will prevent the spaetzli from sticking together in a lump.
To eat, fry the spaetzli in butter until golden brown.

• If you don't have a spaetzli sieve to hand: Pour some dough onto a wet wooden board and scrape thin strips of dough from the board directly into the boiling water.
• You can make colorful spaetzli by adding chopped spinach, saffron, beetroot juice or curry powder to the dough.
• As a stand-alone dish, you can also place the spaetzli in a gratin dish, mix with cheese, ham and a little cream and gratinate in the oven until the spaetzli is hot and the cheese has melted.

Red cabbage for 4 people
Cut or slice 500g red cabbage into thin strips. Cut 1 apple into thin slices or grate on a grater. Finely chop 1 small onion and sauté in a little butter . Add the red cabbage and apple and sauté for a few minutes. Add 0.5dl red wine and 2.5dl stock (only 3dl stock if children are also eating) and bring everything to the boil. Cook the red cabbage for at least an hour. Add 3 tablespoons of light vinegar and season the cabbage with salt, pepper and clove powder. Continue cooking the red cabbage until it is soft.

• Red cabbage takes a long time to soften. It also tastes better once it has cooled and then reheated. Prepare the cabbage a day in advance. This gives it a little more air on the day of eating.

Enjoy your meal!