Potato and pork dumplings (Hascheeknödel)

Dumplings are a typical Austrian dish. The ones filled with meat are always made with potato dough, but the exact filling depends on the region that they’re from. In upper Austria, Hascheeknödel, filled with sausage, bacon and smoked pork, are very popular. In my family, my grandmother is the master of dumplings and recently she showed me how to make the best Knödel ever.

Credit: Susanne Zimmel

• makes

  10

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 250 g speck
• 250 g fatty bacon
• 250 g ham
• 250 g Vienna sausage (see Note)
• sauerkraut or salad, to serve

Potato dough

• 600 g floury potatoes
• 150 g (1 cup) plain flour
• 30 g semolina
• 2 eggs
• ½ tsp salt

Cooling time 10 minutes

Instructions

To make the filling, put the speck, bacon, ham and sausage through a meat grinder. That's it – nothing else is added! (Don't use a food processor or the meat will stick together and the filling won’t have the right consistency). Roll the mixture into 10 balls.

To make the potato dough, cook the potatoes in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until tender but still intact (or they will absorb too much water). Alternatively, cook in a steamer. Drain, then peel the hot potatoes and puree with a potato ricer. (Don’t use a food processor or the potatoes will become sticky). Cool slightly.

Add the flour, semolina, eggs and salt to the potatoes and, using your hands, knead until a dough forms (don’t knead too long or the dumplings will be too chewy).

Divide the dough in half and form each portion into a thick roll on a lightly floured work surface. Cut each portion with a knife into 5 thick slices. Flatten 1 slice with your fingers to about 1 cm thick and top with a meatball. Enclose in the dough, ensuring the dumpling is well sealed, then roll into a ball. Repeat with remaining dough and meatballs.

Cook the dumplings in lightly salted boiling water, in batches, for 20 minutes or until they float to the surface. Make sure to turn occasionally so they don't stick to the bottom.

Serve with sauerkraut or salad.

Note

• Vienna sausage is available from selected delis and online.

Recipe from ziiikocht by Susanne Zimmel with photographs by Susanne Zimmel.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.