Gaby
600 g potatoes
12 tablespoons flour
1 egg
salt
bacon for frying
cottage cheese
sour cream
This wonderful dish was made by my grandmother.
I’ve never encountered such dumplings anywhere else, only in our family.
Now, let me describe the cooking process in detail.
1. First, peel the potatoes and grate them finely (I had about 600 g, which is enough for 4 large servings). Also, chop the bacon finely and fry it until crispy. I like to use a lot of it.
2. Add 1 egg and about 12 heaping tablespoons of flour. The dough should be quite thick, thicker than sour cream, so you’ll need to adjust based on the type of flour you’re using. I added salt to taste. Sometimes my grandmother would also add leftover boiled mashed potatoes if she had any; it makes the dumplings softer, but I never do that.
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Dip a tablespoon into the boiling water, then scoop a bit of the dough from the bowl and drop the dumpling into the boiling water. It should easily release from the spoon and sink to the bottom. The water should be kept boiling throughout. Repeat this with the remaining dough. The dumplings should go in one at a time, not in clumps or layers (I usually do two layers, but that’s the maximum).
4. When the dumplings float to the surface, stir them gently with a spoon (they might stick together sometimes) and let them simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes. The cooking time depends on the size of the dumplings. After about 5 minutes, I take one out and cut it in half on a plate to check if it’s cooked through. If they’re ready, you can scoop them out with a slotted spoon or drain them in a large colander. Transfer them to a deep bowl and drizzle with the bacon fat (I also cover the bowl with a lid and shake it a few times to ensure the dumplings are well coated with the fat and don’t stick together).
Sometimes, when I drop the dumplings into the water, it stops boiling, and then it starts boiling again, but before that, it threatens to overflow, so keep a close eye on it; cleaning the stove afterward can be a hassle.
5. Prepare the sauce. I make a lot because these dumplings need to be served with plenty of sauce and crispy bacon bits.
I take 2 packages of cottage cheese and about half a liter of liquid sour cream (store-bought), mix it all together, and season with salt to taste. Serve with the crispy bacon.
