Potato Dumplings

I recently did a post on beef and pork sauce, and mentioned that I had served it over potato dumplings.  Vicki rightly asked "How about a recipe for potato dumplins".  Pasta (any form) is my favorite starch, but I won't turn my nose up at a well shaped potato dumpling, especially with copious gravy, or halved and baked with cheese sauce (talk about gilding the lily).  My favorite way to eat potato dumplings is with sauerbraten.

I have made this recipe for potato dumplings a few times.  I like the crunchiness of the croutons in the middle.  If I am lazy, I will leave out the croutons, and the dumplings are still good.  If I am really, really lazy, I'll make some Panni German Potato Dumplings.  These easy  dumplings come either preformed, or come as a package that you add to water (smooth or shredded), mix and let it sit for a few minutes, before forming into dumplings and boiling in salt water.  They are really delicious, and are available at most grocery stores.

I got the following recipe from my Mom, but she tells me it originally came from a Time-Life book she had called The Cooking of Germany.

 

Without further preamble, here's the recipe for Potato Dumplings (Kartoffelklosse).

Makes 15-20 dumplings.

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter
1 cup fine dry white bread crumbs
2 or 3 slices fresh white homemade-type bread, crusts removed
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup regular farina, not the quick-cooking type
3 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
3 1/2 cups hot or cold riced potatoes, made from 4 or 5 medium-sized baking potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), boiled, peeled and forced through a ricer
2 eggs

In a heavy 6 to 8 inch skillet, melt 1/2 cup of the butter over moderate heat.  When the foam begins to subside, drop in the bread crumbs and cook, stirring constantly, until they are light brown.  Set the toasted crumbs aside off the heat.

With a sharp knife, cut the bread into 1/2 inch squares (there should be about 1 1/2 cups).  Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a heavy 8-10 skillet, add the bread and cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until the cubes are light brown on all sides.  Add more butter, a tablespoon at a time, if necessary to prevent the bread from burning.  Spread the croutons on a double thickness of paper towels to drain.

Combine the flour, farina, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, the nutmeg and white pepper in a small bowl.  Then, with a large spoon, beat them, a few tablespoons at a time, into the riced potatoes.  Lightly beat the two eggs with a fork and then beat them into the potato mixture.  Continue to beat until the dough holds its shape lightly in a spoon.  If it seems too think add a little more flour, a teaspoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached.

Lightly flour your hands and shape each dumpling in the following fashion.  Scoop off about 2 tablespoons of dough and form it into a rough ball.  Press a hole in the center with a fingertip, drop in 3 or 4 of the reserved croutons, then gather the outer edges of the opening together.  Gently roll the dumpling into a ball again.

Bring 4 quarts of water and the remaining 2 teaspoons of salt to a bubbling boil in a deep 6-8 quart pot.  Drop in all of the dumplings and stir gently once or twice to prevent them from sticking to one another or to the  bottom of the pan.  Simmer over moderate heat for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the dumplings rise to the surface of the water.  cook 1 minute longer, then remove the dumplings from the pot with a slotted spoon and arrange them on a large heated platter.  Serve at once, sprinkled with the reserved toasted bread crumbs.

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Note:  If you are worried about the butter, leave off the bread crumbs and leave out the croutons.  That's where the butter is.  Also, if you are putting gravy over them, you don't need the bread crumbs.

I have seen recipes where the binder was corn starch or semolina (gnocchi).

Now that you have dirtied every pot, pan and utensil in the kitchen, aren't you glad you have a deal where the person who cooks doesn't have to do the dishes?

What?  You don't?

[Dumpling photos from Imagine the Difference]

Comments

[Esme]

i was just in germany and i LOVE those dumpling,Ciao

[Esme]

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