Seitan-Klopse nach Königsberger Art (seitan dumplings in caper cream sauce)
A vegetarian take on Königsberger Klopse, seitan and soaked bread standing in for veal mince, poached gently in vegetable broth and served in the classic caper cream sauce made with the poaching liquid itself. Poaching the dumplings rather than frying them is what gives the traditional pale colour and tender texture this dish is known for.
Prep30 min
Cook30 min
Servings4
Christoph's vegetarian Königsberger Klopse, seitan and soaked bread standing in for veal mince, poached rather than fried for the traditional pale colour.
Ingredients
Written for a 4 L pot
Units
Temperature
Servings
Dumplings
- 250 g minced seitan or vegan mince rounded
- 100 g stale bread rolls, torn, soaked in 100 ml milk rounded
- 1 egg rounded
- 60 g onion, finely chopped rounded
- 8 g fine salt rounded
- to taste freshly ground white pepper rounded
- 900 ml vegetable broth rounded
- 1 bay leaf rounded
Caper sauce
- 30 g butter rounded
- 30 g flour rounded
- 100 ml cream rounded
- 40 g capers, drained, roughly chopped rounded
- 10 ml lemon juice rounded
- to taste fine salt rounded
Dietary labels are a guide, not a guarantee. If you have an allergy, read the ingredients yourself.
Method
- Combine the minced seitan, soaked bread, egg, onion, salt and pepper in a bowl, mixing to an even mass. Shape into 12 balls with wet hands.
- Bring the vegetable broth and bay leaf to a bare simmer in a wide pot. Lower the dumplings in gently and poach 15 minutes, uncovered, until they float and feel firm when pressed. Lift out with a slotted spoon and set aside, reserving the poaching broth.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook 1 minute, stirring. Gradually whisk in 500 ml of the reserved poaching broth until smooth. Simmer 5 minutes, stirring, until thickened.
- Stir in the cream, capers and lemon juice. Season with salt.
- Return the dumplings to the sauce and warm through gently for 3 minutes. Serve with boiled potatoes.
Notes
- Poach the dumplings, do not fry them. Königsberger Klopse are traditionally pale, not browned; poaching in broth is what gives them their characteristic colour and tender texture, and also flavours the broth for the sauce.
- Use the poaching broth to build the sauce. It carries flavour from the dumplings themselves, which a fresh batch of plain broth would not.
- Add the lemon juice and capers off the heat or at a low simmer, not a hard boil, to keep the sauce’s brightness rather than cooking it flat.
- It keeps for 3 days in the fridge and reheats gently well.
Ingredient substitutions
- Minced seitan or vegan mince can be a mix of finely crumbled tempeh and extra soaked bread for a different but workable texture.
- Capers are essential to the character of this sauce; there is no good substitute if you want it to taste authentic.
- A pinch of sugar in the sauce is a traditional, subtle addition that rounds out the acidity from the capers and lemon.
From Christoph Mayer