“Knödel, that’s just at home, those are childhood memories,” says Paula Langmayr. The 65-year-old runs the Landgasthof Dieplinger in Brandstatt on the Danube and is widely known for her round creations. “What is now called, in a very modern way, ‘from nose to tail’ was completely normal in the past – if a sow was bitten, to use everything from her,” she says. Grease and hash dumplings were a logical consequence of this, because the dumpling was one thing above all: a quick dish for which a lot of what would otherwise have been left over could be used.
Dumplings are something Upper Austrian through and through: because the oldest dumpling find is around 4000 years old and can be viewed in the Mondsee Lake Dwelling Museum. The first pictorial records of dumplings date back to the 12th and 13th centuries respectively. A fresco in the high chapel of Hocheppan in South Tyrol shows a person eating – Maria in childbirth with a pot of dumplings.
Especially when stale bread was at home, the round shapes were served, a so-called “dumpling day” has a tradition in many places. Restaurateur Langmayr has now proclaimed “Tuesday for Knedltag”. “People are good at dealing with the fact that they have to plan. They prefer a smaller menu and fresh dishes instead.”
The rush of guests proves her right. “It was like this with the innkeepers this season: Those who were open were always full to the brim,” says Langmayr. Using local produce is very important to the landlady: “We have the right to fish in the house, so we created white fish dumplings.”
The tricks of the dumpling master: “Be sure to use floury potatoes for the dough, let them evaporate after cooking. Press the dumplings well, do not leave any air inside and make sure that there is no flour around the closure and that no filling escapes – otherwise they will burst later. A bit of cornstarch in the water keeps the dumplings together better. It is also advisable to roll the dumplings in cornstarch before cooking. Then pour it into the boiling water, then immediately reduce the heat. Put the lid on – but leave a peephole. When the dumplings stick to the bottom of the pot, carefully lift them up. When they are done, they turn up and down – then the dumplings dance.”
Blunznnödel with caramelized cider cabbage
(Recipe by Paula Langmayr)
ingredients
Dough:
- 50 dag Eferdinger Landl potatoes
- 25 dag non-slip flour
- 3 days brown butter
- 2 yolks
- Salt
- nutmeg
abundance:
- 2 pieces Bluzn
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 small onion
- ½ bunch of fresh marjoram
- Salt
- freshly ground pepper
Caramelized Mustkraut:
- 1 onion
- 2 tsp sugar
- salt, pepper, cumin
- 60 dag white cabbage or pointed cabbage
- 6 tsp oil
- ¼ l bacon pear must
preparation
Peel the potatoes, boil and allow to cool, then pass through a sieve. Add the remaining ingredients and knead into a dough. For the filling, sauté the finely chopped onion and garlic in oil. Add the skinned blunts that have been mashed with a fork. Season with marjoram leaves, salt and some pepper. Form dumplings, press flat, place the filling in the middle and form into dumplings again. Boil lightly in salted water, when the dumplings come to the surface (dance) they are done.
Peel and finely chop the onion. Finely chop the cabbage, mix with salt and caraway, leave to stand for 20 minutes, then squeeze out well. Fry the chopped onion in the sugar and oil until golden. Add the cabbage, pour in the must and simmer for about 30 minutes until soft.
- Tip: If you use pointed cabbage, the cooking time is reduced to around 15 minutes.
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Source: Nachrichten
