Mohnnudeln (Waldviertel Poppy Seed Noodles)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Potato ricer
• •Large pot for boiling
• •Wide pan or skillet (28cm)
• •Spice grinder or clean coffee grinder
• •Slotted spoon

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the potatoes

   Put the potatoes into a pot of cold salted water, skins on. Bring to a boil and cook until a knife slides through without resistance, about twenty to twenty-five minutes depending on size. Drain them and peel while still hot. Use a clean tea towel to hold them if you need to. You want the skins off while the potatoes are still steaming because the dough depends on dry, fluffy potatoes. Wet potatoes make a sticky, heavy dough and there's no rescuing it after that.

   Use a floury variety like Agria, King Edward, or Russet. Waxy potatoes hold too much moisture and your Nudeln will turn gluey. If you squeeze a cooked potato and it crumbles apart, you've got the right kind.
2. 2

   Rice the potatoes

   Press the hot peeled potatoes through a potato ricer onto a clean work surface. Spread them out and let them cool for five minutes. You need the excess moisture to escape as visible wisps before you add the flour. If you skip this step and trap all that heat inside a ball of dough, the Nudeln will be dense and sad.

3. 3

   Make the dough

   Scatter the griffiges Mehl over the riced potatoes. Make a small well and add the egg, melted butter, and salt. Work everything together with your hands, kneading gently until the dough just comes together. This is not bread. You're not developing gluten, you're binding potatoes. Knead for one minute, maybe two. The dough should be soft and slightly tacky but not sticky. If it clings to your hands, dust in a little more flour, a tablespoon at a time.

   Griffiges Mehl is an Austrian coarse-ground flour with less starch on the surface, which keeps the dough from getting pasty. If you can't find it, use a mix of half plain flour and half fine semolina. It's not identical, but it's the closest you'll get outside Austria.
4. 4

   Shape the Nudeln

   Dust your work surface with flour. Divide the dough into four pieces. Roll each piece into a rope about two centimeters thick, then cut into finger-length pieces, roughly five to six centimeters long. Roll each piece lightly under your palms to round the edges. They should look like small, plump fingers with slightly tapered ends. Don't obsess over uniformity. These are farmhouse noodles, not patisserie work. A little variation means some pieces get more caramelized edges in the butter and that's a good thing.

5. 5

   Boil the Nudeln

   Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle boil. Slide the Nudeln in carefully, don't drop them or they'll stick to the bottom. Stir once, gently, after thirty seconds. They'll sink. When they float to the surface, cook them one minute more, then lift them out with a slotted spoon. They should be tender all the way through but still hold their shape. If they're falling apart, your dough was too wet or you overworked it.

   Don't let the water boil aggressively. A vigorous rolling boil will batter the Nudeln apart. Keep it at a steady, calm simmer. They're delicate once they hit the water.
6. 6

   Grind the poppy seeds

   While the Nudeln cook, grind the poppy seeds. A spice grinder or clean coffee grinder works. Pulse in short bursts until the seeds are broken and fragrant but not turned to paste. You want them crushed enough to release their nutty, slightly sweet flavor, but with enough texture that you can still feel them on your tongue. Whole poppy seeds just slide off the noodles. Ground to dust, they turn to sludge. Find the middle.

   If you can find Waldviertel Graumohn, use it. Gray poppy seeds have a deeper, earthier flavor than the blue-black ones common in supermarkets. Austrian and Eastern European shops sometimes carry them. It's worth the search.
7. 7

   Toss in butter and poppy seeds

   Melt the 80g of butter in a wide pan over medium heat. Let it foam and just begin to smell nutty. Add the drained Nudeln and toss them gently in the butter for a minute or two, letting the edges pick up the slightest golden color. Take the pan off the heat. Mix the ground poppy seeds, sugar, and Vanillezucker together in a bowl, then scatter this mixture over the buttered Nudeln. Toss everything together so each piece is coated in a dark, fragrant crust of poppy and sugar. The butter is the glue. Without enough of it, the poppy seeds won't stick.

8. 8

   Serve immediately

   Pile the Mohnnudeln onto warm plates. Dust with powdered sugar at the table. Serve with Zwetschkenröster on the side if you have it, or a simple spoonful of apple sauce. Eat while they're warm, when the butter is still glistening and the poppy seeds are fragrant. Mohnnudeln that sit around lose their magic. Mahlzeit!

Chef Tips

• •Buy poppy seeds from a shop with high turnover. Poppy seeds go rancid faster than you'd think because of their high oil content. Smell them before you use them. They should smell clean and faintly sweet, like sesame. If they smell bitter or musty, throw them out and buy fresh.
• •A potato ricer is not optional. Mashing by hand leaves lumps, and lumps in a potato dough mean the noodles won't hold together evenly in the water. A ricer gives you a smooth, uniform base in thirty seconds. It's also the best fifteen euros you'll ever spend on a kitchen tool.
• •If you're serving Mohnnudeln as the main course, which is exactly how Austrians eat them, make a simple green salad to go alongside. A handful of lamb's lettuce with a pumpkin seed oil dressing is perfect. It's the Styrian touch, but nobody in the Waldviertel will complain.
• •Leftover Mohnnudeln can be reheated in a pan with a little fresh butter the next day. They won't be as soft as the first time, but the slightly crisped edges are their own reward.

Advance Preparation

• •The potatoes can be boiled, peeled, and riced up to a few hours ahead. Cover the riced potato loosely and leave at room temperature. Don't refrigerate, cold potato absorbs flour differently and the dough won't feel right.
• •The poppy seed and sugar mixture can be ground and combined ahead of time. Store in an airtight container for up to a day.
• •The shaped, uncooked Nudeln can rest on a floured tray for up to an hour before boiling. Longer than that and they start to get tacky.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 250g)