Date: Wed, 04 Aug 93 06:21:44 EDT
From: Tom Molnar (molnar@utcc.utoronto.ca)
I'm going to try the Hungarian equivalent of that Gnocci recipe -- just
potatoes and flour, no eggs. We (Hungarians) eat potato dough a fair
bit. My favorite is tough to translate -- it's a big fat dumpling stuffed
with a plum, a sugar cube (but now I tend to drop the sweetener), and
cinnamon.
POTATO PLUM DUMPLINGS
My parents make this, and I'll try to describe the process as best I
can. My apologies for the lack of exact measures and techniques.
I hope you get an idea of what the process is from the description.
All you do is boil up potatoes, peel them, and mash them. Mix with
enough flour to make a dough (add the flour slowly, a bit at a time).
Then roll the dough out in a big sheet on a tabletop covered with flour
so it won't stick. Then cut into squares, about 4 inches by 4 inches --
basically big enough to wrap completely around a nice ripe plum. Make
the squares according to the size of the plum you want to use -- smaller
if you use 1/2 plum (pitted of course) or larger if you use a whole plum.
Fill the plum with sweetener (like sugar or sucuanat, or whatever you like
to use) and a big dolop of cinnamon. Roll up the dough square to make
a ball, and seal it as best you can.
Put on a big pot of water to boil, you'll need it after the next step.
Now, after you have made as many balls as you want, set them aside and
toast some breadcrumbs in a frying pan. Traditionally this is done using
a huge gob of butter, but I think you'll do fine without a single drop if
you use a non-stick frying pan. Toast a lot of breadcrumbs because you
will roll the cooked dough balls in them and coat the doughballs completely.
After you've finished toasting enough breadcrumbs, Then you pop the
ball in boiling water and cook it until the plum gets a bit soft.
Don't overcook because the ball will fall apart. Usually a few minutes
is enough. Carefully remove the balls from the boiling water and gently
roll the balls in the toasted breadcrumbs. Set aside.
My biggest problem with these is I can't seem to let them cool. I usually
ask my parents to limit the quantities they leave around in the kitchen
because my brain shuts off the minute I am in the presence of these things.
When it turns back on, they're usually all gone.
Those people who don't like sweet taste too much can go easy on the sugar
in the filling, those who like sweet taste can top them with maple syrup
or whatever they like.
It's really pretty good.
We also make patties out of the dough and cook them (I guess you
can bake, fry, boil these things, whatever you prefer). Great source of
complex carbs.
kwvegan vegan