Zwetschkenknödel mit Nussbröseln (vegan) (vegan plum dumplings with toasted nut breadcrumbs)
Units
Temperature
Servings
Ingredients
Potato dough
- 500 g floury potatoes, cooked the day before, cold, mashed rounded
- 120 g flour rounded
- 40 g potato starch rounded
- 8 g fine salt rounded
- 8 firm plums, stone removed via a small slit rounded
- 8 sugar cubes, one per plum rounded
Nut breadcrumbs
- 60 g vegan butter rounded
- 80 g breadcrumbs rounded
- 50 g walnuts, finely chopped rounded
- 40 g sugar rounded
- 20 g icing sugar, for dusting (optional) rounded
Method
Method
- Combine the cold mashed potato, flour, potato starch and salt in a bowl. Mix gently just until it comes together into a smooth, firm dough; overworking it makes the dough tough.
- Tuck a sugar cube into each pitted plum, closing the slit around it.
- Divide the dough into 8 portions. Flatten each into a disc large enough to wrap around a plum, enclose the plum completely, and roll gently between your palms to seal and smooth the seams.
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a bare simmer. Lower the dumplings in gently and poach 15 minutes, uncovered, until they float and feel firm when pressed.
- Meanwhile, melt the vegan butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs, walnuts and sugar, and toast, stirring constantly, for 4 to 5 minutes, until deeply golden; watch closely, since they scorch quickly once the butter browns.
- Lift the dumplings out with a slotted spoon, drain briefly, and roll in the warm nut breadcrumbs. Dust with icing sugar, if using, and serve warm.
Notes
- Use cold, day-old mashed potato, not warm freshly cooked potato. Warm potato holds too much moisture to bind properly with just flour and starch; cold potato has released enough water to give a workable, firm dough.
- Do not overwork the dough. Handled too much, the potato starches develop and the dumplings turn gluey rather than staying light.
- Watch the nut breadcrumbs constantly once they start toasting. Butter, sugar and nuts together scorch fast, and the gap between perfectly golden and burnt is a matter of seconds.
- They are best eaten warm, straight after poaching; they firm up and lose their character once fully cold.
Ingredient substitutions
- Plums should be a firm variety that holds its shape through poaching; very ripe or soft plums tend to fall apart.
- Walnuts can be hazelnuts, chopped the same way.
- Vegan butter should be a block-style baking margarine rather than a spreadable tub for the breadcrumbs to toast properly.