Czech - POTATO DUMPLINGS

[Olga Drozd]

Czech - Potato Dumplings

Czech love dumplings every which way--made with potato, bread, flour, or a combinations; boiled or baked; plain or filled.  Serve these with a pot roast or a beef or chicken stew.

Serves 4-6 as a side dish.

2 cups packed riced boiled potatoes, at room temperature
1 cup all purpose flour
1 heaping teaspoon uncooked farina or cream of wheat
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon salt

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 slices white bread, made into fresh breadcrumbs

By hand on a lightly floured board, or in the bowl of a food processor, mix the potatoes, flour, farina, egg, and salt together to form a stiff dough.  Pinch off 1/2 cup of the dough and shape it into a ball.  Continue until all of the dough has been used.

Bring a large pot of salted water or, if you like, beef stock or chicken stock, to a boil.  Drop in the dumplings and cook them, partially covered, for 12 minutes.

While the dumplings are cooking, melt the butter in a skillet and saute the breadcrumbs until they are golden brown.  When the dumplings are done, transfer them to plates, top with the fresh breadcrumbs, and serve hot.

VARIATIONS:  Press a small pitted prune, a dried cherry, or a dried apricot into the dough as you make the balls.  Seal the fruit in the dough.  The cooking time will be the same.

To make fresh breadcrumbs: Put bread in a food processor and blend until crumbs form.

Prairie Home Cooking