Kasspressknödel (Tyrolean Fried Cheese Dumplings)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large mixing bowl
• •Heavy-bottomed pan or skillet (28cm)
• •Coarse grater for cheese
• •Small frying pan for onion

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak the bread cubes

   Place the bread cubes in a large bowl and pour the warm milk over them. Toss gently so the milk reaches every piece. Let them sit for fifteen minutes. You want the bread soft enough to hold together but not waterlogged. If you squeeze a cube and milk streams out, you've added too much. The bread should feel damp and pliable, like it could be pressed into shape without crumbling apart.

   Day-old Semmeln are best. If your bread is fresh, cut it into cubes and spread them on a tray the night before. Fresh bread holds too much moisture and the Knödel will fall apart in the pan.
2. 2

   Fry the onion

   Melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook slowly, stirring now and then, until soft and translucent. This takes about five minutes. You're not looking for color. Golden-brown onion would fight the cheese instead of supporting it. Pull the pan off the heat and let the onion cool for a few minutes before adding it to the bread.

3. 3

   Mix the Knödel mass

   Add the grated Bergkäse, fried onion, beaten eggs, flour, chives, parsley, a good pinch of salt, pepper, and nutmeg to the soaked bread. Mix everything together with your hands. Get in there. You need to feel when the mixture comes together, when it's wet enough to hold its shape but not so wet it sticks to everything. If it feels too loose, add a little more flour, a teaspoon at a time. If it's too dry and crumbly, a splash more milk. The Bergkäse should be in visible pieces throughout, not vanished into the dough.

   Let the mixture rest for ten minutes before shaping. The flour hydrates, the bread absorbs the egg, and the whole mass becomes easier to work with. Skipping this rest is why people's Knödel fall apart.
4. 4

   Shape the patties

   Wet your hands slightly. Take a generous handful of the mixture, about the size of a tennis ball, and roll it between your palms. Then press it flat into a patty roughly two centimeters thick and eight centimeters across. The "press" in Kasspressknödel is the whole point. These are not round dumplings. They're flat so they develop a proper crust on both sides. Set each patty on a board and repeat until you have about eight.

5. 5

   Pan-fry until golden

   Heat a generous amount of clarified butter in a wide, heavy pan over medium heat. You need enough that the patties sizzle when they go in, but they shouldn't be swimming. Lay the Knödel in without crowding. Four at a time in a 28cm pan is right. Fry for four to five minutes on the first side. Don't touch them. Don't nudge them. Let the crust form. When the edges turn deep golden and the cheese near the surface starts to melt and catch, flip them carefully. Another three to four minutes on the second side. The outside should be crisp and golden, the inside soft and warm with pockets of melted Bergkäse.

   If the Knödel stick, your pan wasn't hot enough or you didn't use enough butter. Both problems have the same solution: more heat, more butter.
6. 6

   Serve with salad or broth

   You have two choices, and both are correct. For the Almhütte way, serve two Knödel on a plate with a simple green salad dressed in pumpkin seed oil and cider vinegar. The cool, sharp salad against the warm, cheesy Knödel is one of the best contrasts in Austrian cooking. For the soup way, float one or two Knödel in a bowl of clear, hot beef broth. The broth softens the crust just slightly on the outside while the inside stays rich with melted cheese. Either way: Mahlzeit!

Chef Tips

• •The cheese matters here more than anywhere. Bergkäse, a firm Alpine cheese aged at least four months, gives the Knödel their character. If you can't find Austrian Bergkäse, a good Gruyère or Comté will work, but stay away from anything pre-shredded or mild. You want a cheese that announces itself.
• •Grate the cheese on the coarse side of the grater. Fine shreds melt away and disappear. Coarse pieces hold their shape just enough that you get pockets of melted cheese inside each Knödel, which is exactly what you want.
• •Gretel always said that the best Knödel are made by feel, not by measuring. If the mixture holds together when you press it in your palm, it's ready. If it crumbles, add a splash of milk. If it's wet and sticky, a dusting of flour. Trust your hands.
• •These reheat well in a hot pan with a little fresh butter. They don't reheat well in a microwave. The crust goes soft and sad. Don't do it.

Advance Preparation

• •The Knödel mixture can be made several hours ahead and refrigerated. The flavors develop nicely and the mixture firms up, making it easier to shape. Bring it to room temperature for twenty minutes before forming the patties.
• •Shaped, uncooked patties can be layered between parchment paper and refrigerated for up to one day, or frozen for up to a month. Fry from frozen, adding a minute or two per side.
• •If serving in broth, have your clear beef broth hot and ready before you start frying. The Knödel should go from pan to bowl without waiting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 195g)