Canederli-dumplings or bread gnocchi

A comforting dish on a winter cold day!

Canederli are famous as bread dumplings in north of Italy and commonly found in Central European and East European cuisine.

They are mostly popular in Central European countries (Austria, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Czechia) where they are known as knödel.

Canederli are best served in a warm homemade broth or sautéed with butter and sage. If you really are hungry they are delicious served with Gulash as well.

Cooking time: 20 mins

Prep time: 30 mins

Ingredients for 8 people

What do you need?

• 400g of stale bread, diced

• 1 liter of warm milk

• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

• 1 pinch of nutmeg

• 1 leek or white onion

• 2 garlic gloves

• 150g of mortadella or speck

• 80g of Emmental, cheese finely grated

• Grated parmesan cheese

• 100 to 120 gr of flour

• 1 handful of parsley, chopped

• Salt to taste

• Pepper to taste

How to proceed?

• Cut the bread into small squares and combine with the milk.

• Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg and leave to soak. squeeze the bread well and set aside in a mixing bowl.

• In a pan over medium heat add some bUtter, cook the leeks or onions, whichever you are using, and cook until the onions are soft 3 to 5 minutes, add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.

• Cut the mortadella or speck and add to the pan. Cook for additional few minutes.

• Add the mixture to the bread, along with the beaten eggs, grated Emmental cheese, flour and parsley.

• Mix together using your hands then leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

• Divide the mixture and form soft balls around 2–3cm in size and place on a flowered surface.

• Bring some water to a boil or the homemade broth. Cook in batches for around 10 minutes until it rises to the top.

• Remove balls carefully with a slotted spoon.

• Serve in bowls of warm beef broth with grated parmesan cheese. Garnish with some parsley.

Notes:

• The secret to manipulating the sticky dough and giving it the shape of a perfect dumpling is having wet hands .

• The dumplings can also be frozen. Place them raw on a tray in the freezer fore few hours. Then they can be put in the freezer bags.

• To cook frozen dumplings, you do not have to defrost them, immediately dip them in boiling salted water.