Fastenknödel (Tyrolean Herb Fasting Dumplings)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large wide pot for poaching
• •Small frying pan for onions
• •Large mixing bowl
• •Slotted spoon for lifting Knödel

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak the bread

   Place the bread cubes in a large mixing bowl and pour the lukewarm milk over them. Toss gently so the milk reaches every piece, then leave them alone for fifteen minutes. The bread needs to absorb the milk slowly, not drown in it. You want the cubes softened through but still holding their shape. If you squeeze a piece and liquid pours out, you've used too much milk. Stale bread is not a suggestion here. Fresh bread turns to paste. A two-day-old Semmel or a proper Knödelbrot from the bakery is what you're after.

   If your bread isn't stale enough, cut it into cubes and spread them on a baking sheet overnight. The drier the bread, the more flavor and milk it absorbs without falling apart.
2. 2

   Soften the onions

   Melt the butter in a small pan over medium-low heat. Add the diced onion and cook slowly, stirring now and then, until the pieces are soft and translucent, about five minutes. You don't want color here. Golden-brown onions would push a different, sweeter flavor into the Knödel that doesn't belong. The onions should melt into the background, not announce themselves. Take the pan off the heat and let the onions cool for a few minutes before they go near the eggs.

3. 3

   Build the Knödel mixture

   Beat the eggs lightly and pour them over the soaked bread. Add the cooled onions with their butter, the flour, all of your chopped herbs, a good pinch of salt, pepper, and that small grating of nutmeg. Now mix everything together with your hands. This is not a job for a spoon. You need to feel the mixture come together. Squeeze and fold it until the bread, eggs, herbs, and onion become one mass. It should be moist and hold together when you press it, but not sticky-wet. If it feels too loose, add another spoonful of flour. If it's too dry and crumbly, a splash more milk.

   The herb quantity matters. Don't be shy. You should see green flecked through every inch of the mixture. These are called herb dumplings for a reason. A timid scattering of parsley won't do.
4. 4

   Rest and shape

   Let the mixture rest for ten minutes. The flour and egg need that time to bind with the bread. Wet your hands with cold water and shape the mixture into round dumplings, about the size of a tennis ball. You should get roughly twelve from this batch. Don't pack them tight. A gentle, confident press is all they need. If you squeeze too hard, the cooked Knödel will be dense and heavy instead of light and giving. Set them on a floured board or plate while you bring your water to temperature.

   Test one Knödel first. Drop a single dumpling into the water and cook it through. If it falls apart, your mixture needs more egg or flour. If it holds together but tastes dense, you packed it too tightly. Adjust before committing the full batch.
5. 5

   Poach the Knödel

   Bring a large, wide pot of salted water to a gentle simmer. Not a rolling boil. A rolling boil will batter the dumplings and tear them apart. You want lazy bubbles, the surface barely trembling. Lower the Knödel in carefully, a few at a time so they aren't crowded. They'll sink to the bottom and then, after a few minutes, rise to the surface. Once they float, cook them for another twelve to fifteen minutes. They're done when a skewer pushed into the center meets soft, even resistance all the way through, with no raw doughy core.

6. 6

   Serve two ways

   You have two good choices. For the soup version, ladle hot broth into warm bowls and set two or three Knödel in each. The broth should come halfway up the dumplings, not submerge them. Scatter fresh chives on top. For the salad version, which is how the Tyrolean farmhouses traditionally served them, lift the Knödel out with a slotted spoon, let them drain briefly, then place them on a plate. Melt a tablespoon of butter and pour it over. Serve with a simple green salad dressed with pumpkin seed oil and cider vinegar. Both versions are right. Both are good Austrian home cooking. Mahlzeit!

Chef Tips

• •The bread is everything. Use a good white bread that's had two days to go stale, or proper Knödelbrot if your bakery sells it. Supermarket sandwich bread won't give you the right texture. The cubes should be firm and dry on the outside, ready to drink up that milk and hold their shape.
• •Fresh herbs only. Dried herbs won't work here. The whole character of Fastenknödel comes from the bright, green, almost grassy flavor of fresh parsley and chives. If you can find lovage, even a few leaves, add it. Lovage has a deep, savory quality that lifts the entire dumpling.
• •Gretel always said the water for Knödel should smile, not laugh. That means the gentlest possible simmer, with bubbles rising slowly from the bottom. A full boil will destroy bread dumplings. Keep the heat low and trust the process.
• •If you're making these for a weeknight dinner with the salad version, Styrian pumpkin seed oil for the dressing is worth tracking down. It's dark, nutty, and distinctly Austrian. A drizzle over the salad and a few drops over the Knödel themselves makes the whole plate sing.

Advance Preparation

• •The Knödel mixture can be made and shaped up to four hours ahead. Keep them covered on a floured tray in the fridge until ready to poach.
• •Cooked Knödel reheat beautifully. Place leftover dumplings in simmering broth for three to four minutes, or slice them in half and pan-fry the cut sides in butter until golden. The pan-fried version is a Tyrolean tradition in its own right, sometimes served with a fried egg on top.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 230g)