Älplermagronen

Älplermagronen, alpine herders' macaroni, is what lands on the table in mountain huts and family kitchens across central Switzerland once the weather turns cold. The name tells you where it comes from. Up on the summer pastures the cheesemakers cooked with what they had: pasta, potatoes, cheese, cream and onions. It comes with apple sauce. That sounds odd at first, but after the first mouthful it makes sense, because the tart apple makes the creamy pasta feel lighter and fresher.

For a properly creamy sauce you need a full-flavoured mountain cheese that melts well. Gruyère, Appenzeller or a good alpine Bergkäse are ideal. Grate it coarsely and only stir it in once the pan has stopped boiling, so the sauce stays smooth instead of stringy. The potatoes and pasta cook in the same pan, with the potatoes going in a few minutes earlier. That saves time and washing up.

The fried onions are the bit everyone looks forward to. Let them turn golden slowly in butter over medium heat. It takes a quarter of an hour and is worth it, because they end up sweet and crisp at the edges. Make the apple sauce with sharp apples, which are everywhere in autumn, and crush it roughly. It tastes far better than anything from a jar.

Älplermagronen is a filling lunch for cold days and quick to make. Drink a glass of Chasselas from Valais or cold cloudy apple juice with it. Leftovers are lovely fried in a little butter the next day until they have a golden crust underneath.