
Potato Dumplings
This is how my mother prepared and cooked potato dumplings. She would use both boiled and raw potatoes for this delicious homemade side dish. It will not only give the dumplings a great consistency, but is also pure enjoyment with no frills
These Potato Dumplings are light and fluffy, with Croutons or without them. You’d fill the dumplings with toasted bread cubes by pressing the potato mixture flat on your hand, place 2-3 bread cubes on top and then fold it up and shape into a dumpling.
To make Potato dumplings a very tricky, when you add too little starch, they tend to fall apart while cooking. I recommend to drop a test dumpling into the boiling water, cook and let float to the top. Remove and test the consistency, hopefully it has not fallen apart. Add more potato starch as needed to the mixture, and try again. Because of this difficulty I like to make Semmelknödel, bread dumplings. I have a fool proof recipe for Semmelknödel here
German Potato dumplings (half and half)
Ingredients
- 3.5 pounds Russet potatoes
- 1 egg
- dash of salt
- dash of Nutmeg
- 2 to 3 tbsp Potato starch (or substitute with cornstarch)
- 1 tbsp butter
- Stale roll or baguette bread (for croutons)
Instructions
- If you like, you can fill the dumplings with crispy croutons.
- Dice 1 roll from the day before.
- Heat 1 tbsp butter or oil in a pan and toast the bread cubes in it.
- Wash 1 ½ pound russet potatoes.
- Cook in water covered for about 20 minutes.
- Set aside and let cool.
- Place a clean cotton flour towel in a bowl so that it hangs over the edge.
- Peel and wash and additional 2 pound of potatoes and grate them directly into the cloth.
- Use the cloth to squeeze out the grated potatoes, catch the potato water in the bowl and set aside.
- Place the grated potatoes in another bowl.
- Peel and push the boiled potatoes through the potato press.
- Add the boiled potatoes to the grated ones.
- Carefully pour off the potato water, so that the lighter starch on the bottom remains (or substitute with cornstarch)
- Scoop out and add about 3 tablespoons of the starch
- Add the starch, 1-2 teaspoons of salt and freshly grated nutmeg, 1 egg to the potato mixture.
- Knead everything to get a good consistency with your hands to a smooth dough.
- Bring plenty of salted water to boil in a large saucepan.
- Form 1 sample dumpling and let it simmer in the boiling water for 15 minutes (do not boil bubbly!) until it floats on the surface.
- Then let it steep for another 5 minutes. If the test dumpling falls apart, knead more potato starch into the mass.
- Shape the mixture into approx. 10 dumplings, put 3 croutons in each center.
- Place carefully into boiling water, reduce heat to medium low.
- Let the dumplings boil on medium low for 15 to 20 min depending on size.
- Lift the potato dumplings out of the water one by one with a slotted spoon, allow them to drain and then serve.
Notes
Store in refrigerator up to 3 days or freeze. Can be sliced and fried in butter when eaten as leftovers