Bread Dumplings
By America's Test KitchenPublished on April 17, 2020
Time
2¼ hours
Yield
Serves 6
Italian Name:
Canederli
Ingredients
Broth
4 cups chicken broth 1 onion, halved1 ounce speck 5 parsley stems Salt and pepperDumplings
6 slices hearty white sandwich bread, cut into ½-inch pieces1 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 small onion, chopped fine4 ounces speck, chopped fineSalt ⅛ teaspoon pepper Pinch nutmeg ¾ cup whole milk 2 large eggs 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsleyBefore You Begin
You can find speck at most well-stocked deli counters, but you can also substitute an equal amount of plain bacon.
Instructions
- For the broth: Combine the chicken broth, onion, speck, and parsley in small saucepan and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Strain broth through fine-mesh strainer into bowl, pressing on solids with rubber spatula to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. (Broth can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.) Return broth to now-empty saucepan, cover, and keep warm over low heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- For the dumplings: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Spread bread into even layer on rimmed baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, until dried and crisp throughout, about 45 minutes; let bread cool completely.
- Melt butter in 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add onion, speck, ¼ teaspoon salt, and pepper and cook until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in nutmeg and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds; let cool slightly.
- Whisk milk and eggs in large bowl until well combined. Stir in bread, onion mixture, 1 tablespoon chives, and 1 tablespoon parsley until well combined. Let bread mixture sit until softened, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.
- Using your dampened hands, firmly pack bread mixture into rounded 2 tablespoon–size dumplings (about 18 dumplings) and transfer to large plate. (Dumplings can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)
- Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt, then carefully drop dumplings into water and simmer gently until tender and cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer dumplings to paper towel–lined plate and let drain briefly. Transfer dumplings to individual bowls, spoon warm broth over top, and sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon chives and 1 tablespoon parsley. Serve.
Time
2¼ hoursYield
Serves 6Italian Name:
CanederliIngredients
Broth
Dumplings
Ingredients
Broth
Dumplings
Ingredients
Broth
Dumplings
Why This Recipe Works
There aren't many dishes more humble and rustic than canederli, a typical dish of Trentino–Alto Adige in which stale bread is soaked in a flavorful egg, milk, and speck custard; formed into balls; and then boiled in broth. Remarkably similar to the classic German and Austrian dish knödel, the Italian riff features speck, which is arguably the region's most beloved addition to Italian cuisine. The cured-then-smoked ham lends richness, salinity, and a touch of smokiness to the dish. Waiting for bread to stale didn't sound very practical so we employed a shortcut: We baked sandwich bread in a 250-degree oven for 45 minutes to mimic the crisp, dry texture without the wait. Soaking the bread in a moderate amount of custard proved important (too much and the dumplings fell apart during cooking), as did allowing the bread enough time to soften (otherwise the bread wouldn't cohere into dumplings). We loved the idea of serving these dumplings in broth, but didn't want to spend hours creating one from scratch. Instead we fortified store-bought broth with more speck, parsley stems, and onion, giving it homemade flavor without all the hassle.
Before You Begin
You can find speck at most well-stocked deli counters, but you can also substitute an equal amount of plain bacon.
Instructions
- For the broth: Combine the chicken broth, onion, speck, and parsley in small saucepan and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Strain broth through fine-mesh strainer into bowl, pressing on solids with rubber spatula to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. (Broth can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.) Return broth to now-empty saucepan, cover, and keep warm over low heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- For the dumplings: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Spread bread into even layer on rimmed baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, until dried and crisp throughout, about 45 minutes; let bread cool completely.
- Melt butter in 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add onion, speck, ¼ teaspoon salt, and pepper and cook until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in nutmeg and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds; let cool slightly.
- Whisk milk and eggs in large bowl until well combined. Stir in bread, onion mixture, 1 tablespoon chives, and 1 tablespoon parsley until well combined. Let bread mixture sit until softened, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.
- Using your dampened hands, firmly pack bread mixture into rounded 2 tablespoon–size dumplings (about 18 dumplings) and transfer to large plate. (Dumplings can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)
- Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt, then carefully drop dumplings into water and simmer gently until tender and cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer dumplings to paper towel–lined plate and let drain briefly. Transfer dumplings to individual bowls, spoon warm broth over top, and sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon chives and 1 tablespoon parsley. Serve.
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