Speckknödel
Speckknödel, called canederli di speck in Italian, are South Tyrolean bread dumplings studded with cured Speck, served in hot beef broth or with sauerkraut.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 480 kcal
Equipment
- •Large mixing bowl
- •Sauté pan
- •Large stockpot
- •Slotted spoon
- •Chef's knife
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- fat
- 18 g
- carbs
- 54 g
- fibre
- 3 g
- protein
- 22 g
- calories
- 480 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Place the diced stale bread into a large mixing bowl.
- 2
Melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat and cook the onion until soft and translucent.
- 3
Add the diced Speck and fry gently for two minutes until fragrant without turning crisp.
- 4
Tip the warm onion and Speck mixture over the bread cubes.
- 5
Whisk the lukewarm milk, eggs, salt, nutmeg, parsley, and chives together in a jug.
- 6
Pour the milk mixture over the bread and toss gently with your hands until evenly moistened.
- 7
Dust with the plain flour and leave the mixture to rest for fifteen minutes.
- 8
Dampen your hands with cold water and compress the mixture firmly into eight smooth round dumplings.
- 9
Bring the beef broth to a gentle simmer in a large pot over low heat.
- 10
Lower the dumplings into the simmering broth and cook uncovered for fifteen minutes until they float.
- 11
Ladle two dumplings per bowl with hot broth and scatter with fresh chives.
Chef's tips
Do not squeeze the dough aggressively or the dumplings will turn dense and rubbery. Wet your hands frequently with cold water when rolling to produce smooth, seamless surfaces that hold together during simmering.
Ingredient substitutions
- Südtiroler Speck PGI → smoked pancetta or prosciutto crudo with a touch of smoked paprika, though mountain cure aroma will differ
- Beef broth → simmer in salted water, drain, and serve dry with melted brown butter, grated mountain cheese, and warm sauerkraut
Storage
Store leftover cooked dumplings submerged in broth in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.
Reheating
Gently warm the dumplings in simmering broth over low heat until heated through to the centre.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Boiling the broth violently, which tears the delicate bread dumplings apart.
- •Using soft, fresh bread instead of dry, stale bread cubes, making the dumpling dough unpleasantly gummy.
- •Failing to compact the dumplings smoothly, leaving surface fissures that let water penetrate.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Speckknödel?
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