Erdäpfelknödel mit Sauerkraut

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Potato ricer or food mill
• •Large pot for boiling potatoes
• •Very large pot for poaching Knödel (6-liter minimum)
• •Wide saucepan with lid (for Sauerkraut)
• •Small saucepan (for browned butter)
• •Slotted spoon

Instructions

1. 1

   Boil the potatoes

   Place the potatoes, whole and unpeeled, in a large pot of cold salted water. Bring to a boil and cook until a knife slides through with no resistance, about 25 to 35 minutes depending on size. Don't cut them before boiling. The skins keep the water out, and waterlogged potatoes make gluey Knödel. This is the single most important thing I can tell you about potato dumplings.

   Choose the floury, starchy varieties. Waxy potatoes won't break down properly and your dough will fight you the whole way. If you press a cooked potato and it crumbles easily, you've chosen right.
2. 2

   Rice the potatoes

   Drain the potatoes and peel them while they're still hot. Use a kitchen towel to hold them if you need to, but work quickly. Press them through a potato ricer or food mill onto a clean work surface. Spread them out and let the heat escape for five minutes. You want dry, fluffy potato snow, not a steaming pile. The drier the potato, the less flour you'll need, and less flour means lighter Knödel.

   Never use a blender, food processor, or even a masher for Knödel dough. The blade or pressure activates the starch and turns your potatoes into wallpaper paste. A ricer is the only tool for this job.
3. 3

   Make the Knödel dough

   Once the riced potato has cooled just enough to handle but is still warm, sprinkle over the flour, semolina, salt, and nutmeg. Crack the egg into the center. Work everything together with your hands quickly and gently. Knead just until the dough holds together in a smooth mass. If you knead it like bread dough you'll develop the gluten and end up with rubber balls instead of dumplings. Thirty seconds of gentle pressing. That's all it needs. The dough should feel soft and slightly tacky, not sticky and not stiff.

   Gretel always said the dough should feel like a baby's cheek. If it's cracking, it's too dry. Add a few drops of water. If it's sticking to everything, dust your hands with flour, not the dough. You want the minimum flour inside the Knödel.
4. 4

   Shape the Knödel

   Dust your hands lightly with flour. Pull off a piece of dough about the size of a tennis ball and roll it gently between your palms until smooth and round. Set it on a floured board. Repeat until you have about twelve Knödel. Don't press too hard when shaping. You're coaxing the dough into shape, not compressing it. If the surface cracks, smooth it with damp fingers. A cracked surface lets water in during cooking, and that's how dumplings fall apart.

5. 5

   Start the Sauerkraut

   While you shape the Knödel, get your Sauerkraut going. Melt the lard or butter in a wide saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and just starting to turn golden, about five minutes. Add the caraway seeds and let them toast in the fat for thirty seconds until they smell warm and earthy. Add the Sauerkraut, bay leaf, sugar, and water or broth. Stir everything together. The sugar is not making this sweet. It's rounding off the sharp edge of the Kraut so the flavors sit in balance.

   If your Sauerkraut tastes aggressively sour, rinse it briefly under cold water and squeeze out the excess before cooking. Good barrel-fermented Kraut usually doesn't need this, but the stuff in jars can vary.
6. 6

   Braise the Sauerkraut

   Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and let the Sauerkraut simmer gently for 20 to 25 minutes. It should soften and mellow without losing its texture entirely. You want some bite left. Check once or twice that it hasn't dried out, adding a splash of water if needed. Taste and adjust with salt, pepper, or a drop more sugar. Remove the bay leaf before serving.

7. 7

   Poach the Knödel

   Bring a very large pot of generously salted water to a boil, then reduce to a steady simmer. The water should show gentle bubbles, not a rolling boil. A hard boil will tear the dumplings apart. Lower the Knödel in carefully with a slotted spoon, working in batches if your pot isn't large enough to give them room. They'll sink to the bottom. Don't touch them. After a few minutes they'll float to the surface on their own. Once they float, let them cook for another 12 to 15 minutes. That sounds like a long time, but the center needs to cook through. A raw center in a Knödel ruins the whole thing.

8. 8

   Brown the butter

   While the Knödel poach, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Let it foam, then watch closely. The milk solids will begin to turn golden and the kitchen will fill with a warm, nutty smell. The moment the butter turns a deep amber, pull it off the heat. This is Nussbutter, and the window between browned and burnt is about ten seconds. Trust your nose. If it smells like roasted hazelnuts, you're perfect. If it smells acrid, start over.

9. 9

   Serve the dish

   Lift the Knödel from the water with a slotted spoon and let them drain for a moment. Spoon warm Sauerkraut onto each plate or into wide bowls, nestle three Knödel alongside, and pour the Nussbutter generously over the dumplings. Scatter fresh chives on top. Serve immediately while everything is hot. Mahlzeit!

Chef Tips

• •The potato variety matters more than anything else in this recipe. Floury, high-starch potatoes (Agria, Russet, King Edward, or Mehlige Erdäpfel if you're shopping in Austria) crumble into light, dry flakes. Waxy salad potatoes will make your Knödel dense and sad. Ask your greengrocer if you're not sure.
• •Test one Knödel before you commit the whole batch. Shape a small one, poach it, and taste. If it falls apart in the water, your dough needs a little more flour. If it's heavy and gummy, you've overworked it or used too much. Adjust before you cook the rest. This test dumpling takes three minutes and can save your entire dinner.
• •Lard is the traditional fat for braising Sauerkraut, and it gives a depth of flavor that butter can't quite match. If you can find good-quality rendered lard, use it here. If not, butter is a perfectly honest substitute.
• •Leftover Knödel are a gift. Slice them in half the next day and fry the cut sides in butter until golden and crisp. Served with a fresh salad or more Sauerkraut, that's a second meal from the same dough.

Advance Preparation

• •The Sauerkraut can be braised up to two days ahead and refrigerated. Reheat gently. It often tastes better the next day.
• •The Knödel dough should be shaped and cooked the same day. Potato dough oxidizes and becomes grey if it sits too long. If you need a head start, boil and rice the potatoes up to two hours before you plan to make the dough, and cover the riced potato with a clean towel.
• •Cooked Knödel can be cooled and refrigerated overnight. Reheat by dropping them into simmering water for three to four minutes, or slice and pan-fry them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 500g)