Dumplings are one of the most famous starters of the Trentino cuisine
The dough of dumplings is made of stale bread, milk, eggs and usually flavoured with speck, ham, spinach, cheese, parsley, chives, mushrooms, beetroot and more. With the obtained dough you can form balls with a diameter of 7-8 cm which are then cooked in boiling salt water. Dumplings can be served with or without broth and seasoned with melted butter, chives and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
Dumplings look back on a long tradition and it seems that they were already well-known in the 13th century. The Appiano Castle in South Tyrol houses in fact some Romanesque frescoes depicting a woman while she is eating dumplings. The recipe for this dish is no secret. In German-speaking areas dumplings are also known as Knödel. This nourishing dish is perfect for cold winter days.
Hereafter we describe a typical recipe of the Val di Sole:
- Ingredients*
- Stale, diced bread (three rolls)
- warm milk
- 2 eggs
- 3 table spoons of flour
- 100 g of diced bacon
- 300 g of luganega (a typical sausage)
- 200 ml of milk (should be added to the dough)
- salt
- minced parsley or chives
- meat broth
Preparation:
- Put the diced bread in a bowl and pour the warm milk over it. Cover and let it rest for some minutes.
- Add the eggs, flour, bacon, luganega and milk. Flavour with a pinch of salt and parsley (or chives).
- Blend all the ingredients well.
- Form balls with a diameter of about 5 cm.
- Cook the dumplings in a boiling meat broth for about 20 minutes.
- Serve them in a broth or with sauerkraut, melted butter or stewed meat.
Enjoy!
Interesting: Dumplings can also be served as a dessert. In this case the dough is made of potatoes or ricotta and the balls are stuffed with strawberries, apricots, prunes or even gianduia.
