3203. CHICKEN and DUMPLINGS with BACON and MUSHROOMS

makes six servings 


Chicken stew: 
6 ounces slab bacon, cut into 1/4" pieces 
1/4 cup all-purpose flour 
4 chicken legs (drumsticks with thighs; about 2 pounds) 
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper 
1 1/2 pounds mixed mushrooms 
1 medium onion, chopped 
6 garlic cloves, crushed 
1/4 cup dry white wine 
6 sprigs thyme 
2 bay leaves 
8 cups low-sodium chicken broth 

Dumplings and assembly: 
3/4 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more 
1 cup all-purpose flour 
2 teaspoons baking powder 
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
2 large eggs 
1/4 cup whole milk 

For chicken stew: Crisp bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat; transfer to a paper towel–lined plate. Place flour in a shallow bowl. Season chicken with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. Working in batches, cook chicken, skin side down, in same pot over medium heat until deep golden brown and crisp (do not turn), 12–15 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Working in 2 batches, cook mushrooms in same pot, seasoning with salt and pepper and stirring occasionally, until brown, 5–8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Add onion and garlic to pot; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and translucent, 5–8 minutes. Add wine to pot; simmer until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add chicken, bacon, thyme, bay leaves, and broth; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and gently simmer, partially covered, skimming occasionally, until chicken is falling off the bone, 2–2 1/2 hours. Add mushrooms and simmer until flavors meld, 10–15 minutes; season with salt and pepper. 

For dumplings and assembly: Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Whisk flour, baking powder, nutmeg, pepper, and 3/4 teaspoons salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in eggs and milk (batter will be slightly lumpy). Reduce heat until water is at a strong simmer. Drop teaspoonfuls of batter into water; cook until dumpling are cooked through and doubled in size, about 5 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon; add to stew just before serving.

bacon recipe courtesy of: The Bon Appétit Test Kitchen, Bon Appétit, February 2014

2657. BACON and CONFIT ONION BALLOTINE with GRIBICHE SAUCE and POTATO DUMPLING

500 grams ballotine shredded bacon
3-4 white onions, finely sliced
4 slices parma ham
pickled thyme 
100 grams butter (½ for sweating onions)
25 ml olive oil
teaspoon capers
chopped chervil + parsley
seasoning 
50 grams diced potato

Gribiche sauce: 
1 teaspoon diced gherkin 
1 teaspoon capers 
1 teaspoon chopped parsley 
1 teaspoon chopped chervil 
1 grated egg, hard boiled
1 teaspoon mustard
vinegar
sunflower oil

Potato dumplings: 
20 grams parmesan 
75 grams flour 
175 grams mash potato 
20 grams butter
chopped herbs
seasoning 
1 egg
breadcrumbs
oil for frying eggs

Sweat finely sliced onion and thyme in half the butter and olive oil. Add bacon and warm through. Season mix and add remaining ingredients, except for the parma ham. Allow to cool slightly. Lay the parma ham on a sheet of cling film, slightly over lapping the meat. Place the mix at one end, in line of Parma ham. Then roll the Parma around the mix, making sure to keep it tight. Roll the ham, filled with the mixture in cling film and place in fridge. Allow to chill.

Gribiche Sauce: Mix grated egg yolk and mustard. Then add the vinegar and whisk in oil slowly to make a type of mayonnaise. Finally add the remaining ingredients and serve.

Potato Dumpling: Firstly warm up the potato. Then add flour, butter and other ingredients. Divide and roll into balls. To finish, flour and egg wash the balls before deep frying the dumplings.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Thomas Haughton, RTÉ Food, Raidió Teilifís Éireann (Ireland's National Public Service Broadcaster), Donnybrook, Dublin 4, Ireland

2354. SPECKKNODEL (BACON DUMPLINGS with WHITE CABBAGE)

serves four


500 grams floury potatoes, peeled
150 grams flour
1 small egg
salt
200 grams bacon
2 eggs
200 grams crème fraîche
2 tablespoons corn starch
nutmeg

For the cabbage salad:
1 large white cabbage
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
200 grams lean bacon, cut in tiny cubes
100 ml white wine or apple cider vinegar

For the dumplings, cook the potatoes (without peeling or cutting them) until tender. Peel and mash with a fork or potato ricer (don't be tempted to use an electric whisk, or you'll end up with a glue-like mass that is impossible to work). When the potatoes have cooled down just enough to be able to handle them with your bare hands, add the egg and flour, season with salt and knead into a smooth dough.

Divide the mixture into 12 equal portions, flatten them in your hands and put a ball of bacon bits in the middle. Roll the dumplings with floury hands, making sure that the bacon is well enveloped and the dough closes tightly around them. Sit the dumplings in a greased, oven-proof dish and bake in the oven for ca. 25 minutes at 200 C.

Whisk the eggs, crème fraîche and corn starch together, season with salt and nutmeg and pour over the dumplings. Continue to cook until the egg mixture has set.

While the dumplings are baking, cut the cabbage into thin strips (no more than 5 mm) and cook in salted water with the caraway seeds until tender. Drain and return to the pot. Cut the bacon into 1 cm dice and fry in a shallow pan until nicely brown. When the bacon bits are done, add them and the fat they released to the cabbage. Return the pan to the stove and add the vinegar, heat it up and add to the cabbage. Mix through and keep warm until serving.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Johanna Wagner, thepassionatecook, London, UK, August 22, 2004

2233. WILD BOAR RAGOUT with BACON DUMPLINGS

serves four


Wild Boar Ragout:
600 grams wild boar leg
250 grams onions
200 ml red wine
150 ml sunflower oil
50 ml hazelnut oil
10 grams juniper berries
20 grams sugar
5 grams cardamom whole
10 grams cinnamon sticks
150 grams frozen cranberries
15 grams fresh thyme
100 grams rose hip jam
salt, to taste

Bacon Dumplings:
200 grams bacon
300 grams flour (hruba mouka)
200 ml milk
250 grams white bread
100 grams onions
30 grams chopped parsley
30 grams butter
salt, pepper, nutmeg to taste

Wild Boar Ragout: Clean the meat and cut in cubes. Heat the casserole and add sunflower oil and hazelnut oil. Sauté the meat until it becomes very brown, then take out. Add sliced onions and all the spices, and sauté until golden. Deglaze the pan with red wine and water. Add the meat back and cook until soft. When ragout is ready, add frozen cranberries and rose hip jam.

Bacon Dumplings: Slice the white bread in small cubes and let dry over night. Slice bacon and onions in small cubes and sauté in same pan. Combine the bread with egg yolk, warm milk, flour, onions with bacon and chopped parsley. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. After all this, slowly mix a whipped egg white inside the mixture.

Brush a cake form with butter or lay out with baking paper, and place the mixture inside and bake at 140°C for 20 minutes. When slightly cooled, slice and serve with the ragout.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Chef Marek Fichtner, Le Grill at Kempinski Hybernská, Prague

2020. GROUSE DUMPLINGS wrapped in BACON with CARROT and PARSNIP PUREE, PARSNIP CRISPS, POTATO and ROSEMARY ROSTI in RED WINE SAUCE

serves two


For the grouse dumplings
large knob of butter
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
12 rashers rindless streaky bacon, 4 diced, 8 left whole for wrapping
6 chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped
2 skinless grouse breasts, finely minced
100ml/4fl oz red wine
4 juniper berries, coarsely crushed
2 tbsp green tomato chutney, from a jar
3 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped needles only
½ chicken stock cube
50g/2oz breadcrumbs
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the potato rösti
4 waxy potatoes, peeled and coarsely grated
1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
4 tbsp vegetable oil

For the carrot and parsnip purée
4 medium carrots, peeled, chopped
2 medium parsnips, peeled, chopped
50g/2oz butter

For the parsnip crisps
vegetable oil for deep frying
2 medium parsnips, peeled and very thinly sliced

For the sauce
50g/2oz butter
2 shallots, chopped
2 tbsp apple and rosemary jelly
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
200ml/7fl oz red wine
1 sprig fresh rosemary
200ml/7fl oz grouse or chicken stock

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.

For the grouse dumplings, melt the butter with one tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat then add the shallots and fry gently for five minutes until softened and translucent, but not browned.

Increase the heat to medium-high, add the diced bacon, mushrooms and grouse and fry for 3-4 minutes until the bacon and mushrooms are golden-brown in places. Stir in the red wine, juniper berries, chutney and rosemary and boil for 2-3 minutes until the red wine has reduced to about one tablespoon.

Crumble in the stock cube, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and scatter over the breadcrumbs. Stir everything together to form a stuffing-like mixture then remove from the heat and leave to cool for a few minutes.

Overlap two rashers of bacon on a board then shape a quarter of the grouse mixture into a rough ball and place at one end of the bacon. Roll up into a dumpling shape, so that it's wrapped in the bacon. Repeat with the remaining bacon and grouse mixture.

Heat the remaining oil in an ovenproof frying pan over a medium-high heat and sear the dumplings for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden-brown. Transfer to the oven for 10 minutes or until heated through and the bacon is crisp.

For the rösti, wrap the grated potatoes in a clean tea towel and squeeze firmly to remove as much excess moisture from the potatoes as possible. Tip into a large bowl, mix in the rosemary and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add spoonfuls of potato to the pan, pressing down with a spatula to form flat cakes. Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side or until crisp and golden-brown then transfer to a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining potato then transfer to the oven for 3-4 minutes, or until cooked through.

For the carrot and parsnip purée, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the carrots and parsnips and boil for 15-20 minutes until softened. Drain and return to the pan with the butter. Blend to a smooth purée using a stick blender, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and keep warm.

For the parsnip crisps, half-fill a deep, heavy-based pan with the vegetable oil and heat until a cube of bread dropped in sizzles and turns golden-brown in 30 seconds (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended). Fry the parsnip slices in small batches, for 1-2 minutes, or until crisp and golden. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

For the sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat and gently fry the shallots for five minutes until softened and translucent but not browned. Stir in the jelly until dissolved then pour in the balsamic vinegar and boil for 1-2 minutes until reduced slightly.

Pour in the red wine, add the rosemary, boil for three minutes then pour in the stock and boil for 15 minutes or until reduced to the consistency of double cream. Discard the sprig of rosemary and keep the sauce warm.

To serve, arrange the grouse dumplings on top of the rösti and spoon over the sauce. Places spoonfuls of the purée alongside and garnish with the parsnip crisps.


bacon recipe courtesy of: The Errington Family, The Hairy Bikers' Cook Off, BBC-Food

1863. TYROLEAN BACON-DUMPLING SOUP

serves eight


1 1⁄2 cups warm milk
6 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
3 eggs
1 cup finely chopped speck (Tyrolean bacon, about 5 oz.)
3 stale white bread rolls (about 1⁄2 lb.), cut into 1⁄4" cubes
3 tablespoons butter
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1⁄2 cup flour
salt
8 cups beef broth

Whisk together milk, 2 tbsp. of the parsley, and eggs in a large bowl. Add speck and bread; toss to combine. Let moisten for 30 minutes.

Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions; cook until softened, 8–10 minutes. Transfer to bread mixture. Mix in flour and salt to taste.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Using your hands, form bread mixture into 8 large dumplings. Drop into water; simmer until cooked through, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring broth to a boil in a large pot over high heat. Using a slotted spoon, divide dumplings between bowls. Ladle broth into bowls and garnish generously with remaining parsley.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Saveur, Issue #96

1681. BOILED BACON HOCK and CHICKEN with DUMPLINGS

serves eight


1 3/4 lb. bacon hock
2 1/2 lb. chicken
6 medium-sized potatoes, quartered
2 Spanish onions, quartered
6 medium-sized carrots, cut into chunks
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 small cabbage, cut into 8 wedges
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley, to garnish

For the cornmeal dumplings
2 1/2 oz. cornmeal
2 1/2 oz. self-raising flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 oz. butter
1/2 egg, beaten
4 - 5 tablespoons milk

Put the hock and the chicken into a heavy 8 pint saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Cover the pan, reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour.

Add the potatoes and simmer for a further 10 minutes. Add the onions and carrots and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper (the bacon may have made the stock already salty) and simmer for 15 minutes. Check the bacon and chicken; if they are cooked, remove them and keep them warm.

Meanwhile, prepare the dumplings. Sift the cornmeal, flour and salt into a bowl. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the beaten egg and milk to make a soft dough.

Add the cabbage wedges to the saucepan and push them down into the simmering stock.

Drop rounded teaspoons of dough into the simmering stock. Cover and cook gently for 10-15 minutes, or until the dumplings are fluffy and firm and the vegetables are tender.

Remove the bacon hock to a board. with a sharp knife, remove and discard the skin and fat and cut the meat into chunks. Place the chicken on the board, remove and discard the skin and cut into 8 portions. Divide the meat between 8 individual heated soup bowls.

Divide the vegetables, dumplings and broth between the bowls and sprinkle each one with finely chopped parsley. Serve immediately.


bacon recipe courtesy of: COOKITSIMPLY.com

1507. BEEF CONSOMME with BACON DUMPLINGS

yields about 8 servings


1/2 pound raw bacon, finely chopped
4 cups stale white bread cubes, (about 8 slices white bread)
1 egg yolk
3/4 cup milk
salt
freshly ground white pepper
1/2 to 1 cup all-purpose flour
8 cups rich beef or veal stock
1/4 cup red wine
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

In a skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy. Remove and drain on paper towels. Pour off all of the oil, except for 1/4 cup. Add the bread to the hot oil and pan-fry until slightly crispy. Remove from the heat. In a mixing bowl, combine the egg and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk well. Stir in the bacon and bread. Mix well. Cover and allow to sit for 30 minutes. Starting with 1/4 cup of flour, stir in enough flour to form the mixture into soft, smooth dumpling dough. Bring the stock to a boil. Add the red wine and caraway seeds and simmer for 15 minutes. Form the dough into balls, about 1 tablespoon each and drop into the hot liquid. Cook for about 8 to 10 minutes. To serve, ladle the soup into serving bowls. Garnish with parsley.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Emeril Lagasse, "Food of Austria," Emeril Live, 2000

1263. BEEF STEW with BACON and MARJORAM DUMPLINGS

serves four


Braised beef:
25 grams unsalted butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
900 grams chuck steak, trimmed and diced
sea salt, black pepper
1 Spanish onion, peeled, halved and sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 bay leaf
minute pinch each of ground cinnamon and cloves
400ml red wine

To serve:
25 grams unsalted butter
4 tablespoons marjoram leaves

Dumplings:
15 grams unsalted butter
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon fresh marjoram leaves
110 grams unsmoked back bacon, rind and fat removed, sliced
75 grams breadcrumbs
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon plain white flour, sifted
1 medium egg yolk

To make the stew, heat the oven to 170C fan oven/180C or 350F electric oven/Gas 4. Heat the butter and oil over a high heat in a medium-size flameproof casserole. Once it is sizzling, add half the meat and colour on all sides. Remove to a bowl and repeat with the remaining meat. Add to the bowl and season. Add the onion to the casserole, turn the heat down to medium and sweat for 10 minutes until soft and lightly golden, adding the garlic, bay leaf and spices towards the end. Return the meat to the casserole and pour over the wine. Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 1 1/4 hours, stirring occasionally. By this time, the meat should be tender and the sauce well-flavoured. The stew can be made in advance and reheated.

While the stew is cooking make the dumplings. Melt the butter in a frying pan and sweat the onion with the marjoram until it is nicely scented and soft. Place the bacon in a processor and reduce to a coarsely chopped mass. Add the breadcrumbs, garlic, Parmesan, flour and the sweated marjoram, and whizz to a crumb-like mixture. Add the egg yolk to bind. Shape into balls a little smaller than a walnut, place on a plate, cover with clingfilm and chill until required.

About 20 minutes before the stew is ready, bring a pan of water to the boil. Turn it down to a simmer, lower the dumplings into the water using a slotted spoon and poach for five minutes, taking care that the water doesn't boil vigorously. Just before they're cooked, heat the 25g of butter in a frying pan and sweat the marjoram leaves until they turn crisp. Remove the dumplings to a plate, using a slotted spoon. Serve the stew with the dumplings on top, scattered with the marjoram.


courtesy of: the Independent, Independent House, 191 Marsh Wall, London E14 9RS, UK, Saturday, December 8, 2001

1262. CARROT SOUP with BACON and DILL DUMPLINGS

yields 4 servings


for Dumplings
4 bacon strips, cut small
1 onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1 boned chicken breast, cut into chunks
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 large potato, peeled, boiled and riced
1 egg
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1/2 cup minced fresh dill

for Soup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 onions, sliced
2 teaspoons salt
4 cups chicken stock
3/4 lb carrots, peeled
1 cup milk

Prepare the dumplings: Cook bacon in a skillet over low heat until tender, not crisp. Add onions, salt, and pepper. Cook over low heat until onions are soft, about 7 to 10 minutes. Reserve. Place chicken in a food processor fitted with the metal blade, along with the allspice, potato and egg. Process until chicken is ground, about 2 minutes. Add the cream and process until mixture is thick and sticky. Stir in the reserved sauteed onion and bacon, along with the dill. Place mixture in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the soup: Melt butter over medium-low heat in a large stockpot or Dutch oven. Cook onions with salt and pepper until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and cook over moderate heat, uncovered, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, finely chop carrots in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Add carrots to soup. Bring to a boil, return to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, until the carrots are soft, about 10 minutes. Puree soup in a blender or food processor until smooth. Strain back into pot, pressing with the back of a ladle to extract all the juices. Shape dumplings with 2 oval soup spoons dipped in hot water or with slightly wet hands. They should be ovals or balls, about 1 1/2-inches in diameter. Drop dumplings carefully into simmering soup and cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until they float to the surface. Add milk, bring to a boil and remove from heat. Serve immediately.


courtesy of: Too Hot Tamales World Tour, with Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken, Food Network

1016. CHICKEN and BAKING POWDER DUMPLINGS with SWEET POTATOES and BACON

serve 6 to 8


1 large roasting chicken (6 to 7 pounds), rinsed, patted dry, and cut into 8 pieces
2 slices bacon
1 large onion, cut into large chunks (not necessary to peel)
2 bay leaves
Salt
3 celery stalks, trimmed and cut into 1-by-1/2-inch pieces
2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 tablespoons butter or chicken fat skimmed from strained stock
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 tablespoons dry sherry or vermouth
1/4 cup heavy cream (optional)
1 recipe Baking Powder Dumplings, shaped (recipe follows)
3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
Pepper

Heat a 5- or 6-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the hacked-up chicken pieces (wings, neck, and back), bacon, and onion chunks, sauté until the onion softens and the chicken loses its raw color, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and continue to cook until the chicken pieces give up most of their liquid, about 20 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high, add 6 cups of hot water, the chicken legs, thighs, and breasts, bay leaves, and 3/4 teaspoon salt, then bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat, continue to simmer, partially covered, until the broth is flavorful and the chicken parts are just cooked through, about 20 minutes longer. Remove the chicken parts and set aside. When cool enough to handle, remove the meat from bones in 2 to 3- inch chunks. Strain the broth, discarding the hacked chicken pieces and the bacon. Skim and reserve the fat from the broth and set aside 4 cups of broth, reserving extra for another use. Wipe the Dutch oven clean with a paper towel.

Meanwhile, bring 1/2 inch of water to a simmer in the cleaned Dutch oven fitted with a steamer basket. Add the celery and sweet potatoes, cover and steam until just tender, about 10 minutes. Remove and set aside. Wipe the Dutch oven dry.

Heat the butter in the empty Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour and thyme, cook, whisking constantly, until the flour turns golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Continuing to whisk constantly, gradually add the sherry, then the reserved 4 cups of chicken stock, simmer until the gravy thickens slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the optional cream, the chicken, and the steamed vegetables, return to a simmer.

Lay the formed dumplings on the surface of the chicken mixture, cover and simmer until the dumplings are cooked through, about 10 minutes for strip dumplings and 15 minutes for balls and biscuit rounds. Gently stir in the peas and parsley. Adjust the seasonings, including generous amounts of salt and pepper. Ladle portions of meat, sauce, vegetables, and dumplings into soup plates and serve immediately.


Baking Powder Dumplings

makes enough dumplings for 6 to 8 servings

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 cup milk

Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Heat the butter and milk to a simmer and add to the dry ingredients. Mix with a fork until the mixture just comes together. Form the dough into the desired shape:


courtesy of: The Cook's Illustrated Complete Book of Poultry, the Editors of Cook's Illustrated

729. AYRSHIRE BACON DUMPLINGS

6 oz self raising flour
Salt and Pepper
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried
1/2 teaspoon dried mixed herbs
3 oz shredded suet
3 oz smoked bacon rashers, finely chopped

In a bowl, mix the flour and seasoning. Add the mixed herbs and parsley and mix well. Rub in the suet, adding just enough water to make a firm but pliable dough. Shape into approx. 12 balls. Make a small indentation into each ball with your thumb and push in a little chopped bacon.

Dampen the edges, pinch together (sealing the bacon inside) and re-roll the ball. The finished dumplings should then be boiled in a saucepan for approx. 45-50 minutes. They should then be added almost at the end of cooking time for the dish to which it is being added.

Another alternative would be to add it to the stew, soup etc approx 45-50 minutes before the end of the cooking time for that dish.


courtesy of: Scotland for Visitors

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

589. GRUIBE-KNEDL or BACON DUMPLINGS

makes4 servings

Cracklings:
2 lbs fresh pork bacon (the fatty layer right underneath the skin)
1/4 cup milk or water

Dumplings:
1 cup cracklings
2 eggs
2 tablespoons flour
125 g plain bread crumbs (4.5 oz)
greens (chopped parsley and/or chives)
seasonings (pepper, paprika, marjoram)

Cracklings: Cut the bacon into 3/4-inch cubes and put into a tall pot which must not get filled more than halfway up (to prevent the large amount of foam during the rendering process from running over and spilling). Heat up slowly, else the bacon will stick to the bottom and scorch. As soon as there is a little liquid fat covering the bottom of the pot, add milk or water, and heat up more, constantly stirring. Let the cracklings brown a little bit more, then pour off the liquid lard, through a sieve, into an earthenware pot. Warm cracklings are very popular in-between meal.

Dumplings: Mix the cracklings, eggs, seasonings, and greens into a pliable mass. Add flour and breadcrumbs. Let the dough rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Then shape dumplings, and slip into barely boiling water, and let steep. Transfer to hot beef broth and serve.


courtesy of: Harald Pleiner, Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, PO Box 3148, 55021 Mainz, Germany, (+49) (0)6131 379 246