Herbed Spaetzle with Curry-Lime Butter

Prepare Curry-Lime Butter; chill.

Bring 6 quarts of water and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt to a boil in a large Dutch oven.

Meanwhile, whisk together flour and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Whisk together milk, eggs, and crème fraîche until blended. Add to flour mixture, stirring until smooth (batter will be thick). Force batter, in batches, through a spaetzle maker or colander into boiling salted water. Cook each batch 1 minute. Quickly remove each batch from boiling water with a slotted spoon, and plunge into ice water. (Set a clean colander down into the ice water to separate the spaetzle from the ice cubes so you won't have to pick out unmelted cubes after draining.) Drain well, and place in a large bowl. Add oil, and toss gently.

Cut 1/4 cup Curry-Lime Butter into pieces; melt in a large skillet with straight sides over medium heat. Add spaetzle to pan. Cook 15 minutes or until golden, turning with a large spatula every 2 minutes.

Cut remaining 1/4 cup Curry-Lime Butter into pieces, and add to spaetzle along with parsley, chives, nutmeg, pepper, and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt. Toss gently.

Tip: If you don't have the equipment or patience for homemade spaetzle, you can buy it prepared. But don't skimp on the Curry-Lime Butter; it's worth the effort.