CZECH POTATO DUMPLINGS RECIPES

Steps:

• Heat a large pot of water to boiling.
• Peel potatoes, and keep submerged in cold water to prevent browning. Grate potatoes, by hand or with a food processor, into a large bowl. Drain any excess water. Stir in flour and salt. With a teaspoon, form a test dumpling. If it doesn't hold together, Stir in more flour.
• Form dumplings with a teaspoon, and gently drop into boiling water. Allow dumplings to float freely. Gently stir with wooden spoon so dumplings don't stick together. Reduce heat to slow boil. Boil for 40 minutes.
• Drain in colander. Rinse with hot water. Serve with gravy or melted butter.

Steps:

• Trim crusts off bread and save them for another use.
• Cut bread into 1/2-inch cubes and fry in butter and oil mixture until golden brown, transfer to paper towel to dry.
• Cook scrubbed, unpeeled potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 45 minutes.
• Drain.
• Cool slightly.
• Peel.
• Cut potatoes into large pieces.
• Refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes.
• Mash potatoes with fork or run through ricer into large bowl.
• Mix in salt and nutmeg.
• Add 1/2 cup flour and cornstarch.
• Using hands, knead mixture in bowl until smooth dough forms, adding more flour by tablespoonfuls if dough is sticky.
• Mix in egg.
• Form dough into balls, using 1/4 cupful for each.
• Insert bread cube into center of each dumpling; roll dumpling between palms to enclose bread cube completely and form smooth balls.
• Working in batches, cook dumplings in large pot of nearly boiling salted water 10-15 minutes (or until dumplings rise to top).
• Using slotted spoon, transfer dumplings to large bowl.
• Keep covered with a damp kitchen towel as remaining dumplings are cooked.
• You should place no more than 4-5 dumplings in your pot at any one time in order to prevent them from sticking together or touching during cooking, which will cause them to fall apart.