600. AUSTRIAN BACON DUMPLINGS

a.k.a. Speckknoedel

yields 3 servings

6 slices slightly stale white bread
5 slices thick cut bacon
1/3 cup light cream
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon (heaping) caraway seeds
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
yolk of one large egg
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup sliced white onions
1/2 lb sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Trim the bread slices and cut them into 1/2 inch cubes.

Cut the bacon slices into 1/3 inch squares. Saute them over moderate heat in a large skillet for about 5 minutes. Stir frequently. Transfer them to paper towels with a slotted spoon, and pat dry.

Pour water to a depth of 3 inches into a wide bottomed pot and bring it to a simmer (in preparation for step 8).

Brown the bread cubes in the hot bacon fat for 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer them to a large bowl.

Add the cream to the bowl. Gently toss the bread until it absorbs all the cream. Add to this mixture the bacon, flour, baking powder, caraway seeds, thyme, pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Beat the egg yolk and add it to the bowl. Gently blend all the ingredients.

Shape the mixture into 1 1/4 inch spheres with your hands. (If your mixture is too dry, moisten it with a little more cream.) Place the dumplings on a plate as you make them, arranging them in one layer so they do not touch each other.

Melt the butter to moderate heat in a clean large skillet. Add the onions and saute for 2 minutes. Add the sauerkraut and the remaining salt and blend the mixture. Cover, and cook for 12 minutes.

Cook the dumplings in the simmering water for about 10 minutes (start this step as soon as you cover the onion-sauerkraut pan.) You need not turn the dumplings as they will do that by themselves.

Transfer the cooked 'speckknoedel' to a warm bowl and cover them with the onion-sauerkraut mixture. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

Note: The ingredient listing does not show any butter, but the instructions do. One tablespoon would do adequately.



courtesy of: Great Peasant Dishes of the World, by Howard Hillman. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1983