Bündner Pizokel with Bacon and Cabbage — in 40 Minutes
A thick dough of flour, eggs and milk is scraped off a board in strips into boiling salted water. As soon as the Pizokel float, lift them out and toss in butter with fried bacon, cabbage and grated mountain cheese. No spätzle press needed — a board and a knife will do.
Pizokel are Graubünden's answer to spätzle: thicker, shorter, and always tossed in the pan with bacon and cabbage or spinach. A peasant dish from the Engadin that now costs 25 francs in every mountain hut — and lands on your table at home for a few francs a head. The dough takes five minutes to mix.
Ingredients
- 300 g Flour
- 3 pieces Eggs
- 1½ dl Milk
- 1 tsp Salt
- Nutmeg
- 150 g Diced bacon
- 400 g White cabbage (finely shredded)
- 1 piece Onion
- 3 tbsp Butter
- 120 g Mountain cheese (grated)
- Pepper
- ½ bunch Chives
Method
- 1
Mix the dough
Mix the flour, eggs, milk, salt and nutmeg into a thick, smooth dough and beat with a wooden spoon until it bubbles. Rest 15 minutes. It should tear off the spoon, not pour.
- 2
Bacon and cabbage
Finely chop the onion. Heat 1 tbsp butter in a large pan, fry the bacon 3 minutes until crisp, add the onion and cabbage and cook 8 to 10 minutes until soft. Set the pan aside.
- 3
Scrape the Pizokel
Bring plenty of salted water to the boil. Spread the dough on a wet board and scrape finger-length strips straight into the water with a wet knife. Work in batches so they do not stick together.
- 4
Cook
As soon as the Pizokel float, let them cook 1 more minute, then lift out with a slotted spoon and drain. Next batch.
- 5
Toss
Add the remaining butter to the bacon and cabbage, add the Pizokel and toss over high heat for 3 minutes until they take on a little colour. Stir in the cheese, pepper, and scatter with chives.
Tips
- Without a board, use a spätzle press or a ladle with large holes — the Pizokel come out thinner, which bothers no one.
- Cooked Pizokel keep two days in the fridge. Toss with a little oil so they do not stick, and fry in butter until crisp to serve — they are even better that way.
- In the Engadin, spinach often replaces the cabbage, or both go in. Add leaf spinach only in the last 2 minutes of tossing.
What can I substitute?
The vegetarian Pizokel. Fry the mushrooms hard until brown — they replace the bacon's roasted flavour.
Savoy is finer and needs 2 minutes less. Spinach just needs to wilt.
Any good melting cheese works. Appenzeller makes it the most pungent.
Nutrition per serving
Estimated from the ingredients.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Pizokel and spätzle?
The dough is practically the same. Pizokel are scraped thicker and shorter and always tossed in the pan with bacon, vegetables and cheese — they are a whole dish, whereas spätzle are usually a side. In Graubünden, Pizokel are also made with buckwheat flour.
Why do my Pizokel stick together?
Too many in the water at once, or the water was not at a full boil. Scrape them in batches into rapidly boiling water and toss the cooked Pizokel with a little butter straight away.
Can I make the Pizokel dough ahead?
Yes, it keeps covered in the fridge for a few hours and even improves as the flour swells. Beat briefly again before scraping.
How much do Pizokel cost per person?
About 2.50 CHF per person — flour, eggs, cabbage and bacon are all staples. A mountain hut plate costs ten times that.
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