Canederli Trentini
Canederli Trentini are hearty Alpine bread dumplings flavoured with cured speck and pork, served in steaming beef broth. Known as Knödel across the border in South Tyrol.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 480 kcal
Equipment
- •Large mixing bowl
- •Frying pan
- •Large soup pot
- •Slotted spoon
- •Ladle
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- fat
- 22 g
- carbs
- 46 g
- fibre
- 3 g
- protein
- 24 g
- calories
- 480 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Place the diced stale bread into a large mixing bowl.
- 2
Whisk the lukewarm milk, beaten eggs, a pinch of salt, and nutmeg together in a jug.
- 3
Pour the milk mixture evenly over the bread cubes and toss gently to moisten.
- 4
Let the bread rest for 20 minutes, turning once or twice so it softens evenly.
- 5
Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat and sauté the onion until soft and sweet.
- 6
Add the diced speck and sausage, cook for 2 minutes until fragrant, then let cool slightly.
- 7
Add the cooled meats, chopped parsley, Grana Trentino, and flour to the soaked bread.
- 8
Knead gently with clean hands until a cohesive, slightly sticky dough forms.
- 9
Shape the mixture with wet hands into 8 smooth, compact round dumplings.
- 10
Bring the beef broth to a gentle simmer in a large pot over medium-low heat.
- 11
Gently lower the dumplings into the broth and simmer for 15 minutes until they float.
- 12
Ladle two dumplings per bowl along with hot broth and serve immediately.
Chef's tips
Do not over-knead the mixture or squeeze the bread dry, as gentle handling keeps the dumplings light. Test-cook one dumpling first; if it loosens in the broth, gently fold an extra tablespoon of flour into the mixture.
Ingredient substitutions
- lucanica → mild Italian pork sausage or finely diced unsmoked cured pancetta
- Grana Trentino cheese → Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano
- Speck → smoked bacon lardons, blanched briefly to temper saltiness
Storage
Store cooled cooked dumplings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, kept separate from the broth.
Reheating
Reheat the dumplings by gently simmering them in hot beef broth over low heat until warmed through to the centre.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Boiling the broth violently, which breaks the delicate dumplings apart.
- •Using fresh soft bread instead of dry stale bread, resulting in a soggy dough.
- •Compressing the dumplings too tightly, making them heavy and rubbery in the centre.
Serving suggestions
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