Directions: |
Directions:Step 1
COOKING THE POTATOES
First you'll have to cook your potatoes. Make sure they have about the same size and don't peel them yet. Put them in a pot with some water and salt and let them cook until they're soft. That takes about 30 minutes but the cooking time can vary depending on how big the potatoes are. You can always test if they're ready by poking one with a fork and lifting it. If it glides off your fork, they're cooked.
Step 2
PREPARING THE PLUMS
During this easy step you'll have to clean the plums by rubbing them with a paper towel until they're all shiny. You can leave the stone inside, removing it may lead to the plum leaking and destroying the dough around it, but if you want to you can get rid of the stone and replace it with a cube of sugar (that's what my grandma did and it adds an extra kick of sweet inside, this is best done when using half ripe/harder plums).
Step 3
PREPARING THE DOUGH
When your potatoes have cooled down to room temperature, you can peel and mash them. Ideally the mashing is done with a potato ricer/masher, but you might as well use a fork for that. (It will just take a bit longer) Spread your mashed potatoes on a clean table and add the semolina, the flour, a pinch of salt and the egg. Then knead it with your hands until it's well combined. If you can't combine the ingredients properly, just add another egg. It's normal that the dough is a bit sticky!
Step 4
MAKING THE DUMPLINGS
Now you can finally make the Zwetschkenknödel: Spread some flour on the table and make sure to cover your hands in it. Take a bit of dough and start wrapping it around a plum. If it's not enough to cover the whole fruit just take some more until the plum is fully covered. When you're finished put them in slightly salted cooking water and let them simmer for 7-10 minutes. You know that they're ready when they're starting to float. Make sure there is enough space for all of them so only cook about 7-10 dumplings at a time.
Step 5
FINISHING TOUCHES
As soon as the dumplings are cooking, melt the butter in a big pan and put the breadcrumbs. When the dumplings are ready, let them drain, put them in the pan and cover them in the breadcrumbs-butter-mix. We always made them with a mix of cinnamon and sugar. |
This recipe for Austrian Zwetschkenknödel is from