Austrian meat dumplings (fleisch knödel)

  • Portion size: Makes 20
  • Hands-on time 35 min, simmering time 20-30 min, plus chilling
  • Difficulty: easy

Lizzie Kamenetzky’s recipe for Austrian meat dumplings, or fleisch knödel, uses potato dough and breadcrumbs for a crunchy finish.

adslot-recipe-1
lock
Join Extradelicious to unlock Cook Mode

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 500g mixed cooked and cured meats (leftover roast pork, lamb or chicken, cooked sausages or cured salami)
  • Freshly grated nutmeg
  • Handful fresh flatleaf parsley, finely chopped
  • 500g medium floury potatoes (such as maris piper), unpeeled
  • 25g plain flour
  • 70g rice flour
  • 15g fine polenta
  • 1 medium free-range egg
  • 100g unsalted butter, melted
  • 150g fine dry breadcrumbs
  • Vegetable oil for frying
  • Mayonnaise, mixed with grated horseradish from a jar, to serve

You’ll also need

  • Food processor
  • Digital probe thermometer
adslot-recipe-3
lock
Join Extradelicious to unlock Cook Mode

Method

  1. Heat the oil in a small frying pan and fry the onion until soft and lightly golden. Leave to cool, then put into the bowl of a food processor with the meat, a good grating of nutmeg and the parsley. Whizz to a coarse mixture. Shape into about 20 small walnut-size balls. Cover and chill.
  2. Put the potatoes in their skins in a pan of cold salted water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 20-30 minutes (depending on size) until tender when pierced with a small knife. Drain and, when cool enough to handle, peel off their skins, then mash the flesh into a bowl using a potato ricer (or push through a large-holed sieve or strainer). Mix with the flours, polenta, egg and butter, then season. Once you have a smooth dough, shape into a log. Wrap in cling film and chill for 2 hours.
  3. Put the breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl, then cut the dough into 20 even pieces (about 60g each). Flatten each piece of dough a little, then wrap around each of the meatballs and coat all over with the breadcrumbs.
  4. Recipe continues after advertising adslot-recipe-4
  5. Pour oil into a large pan to a depth of 6cm and heat to about 170°C when tested with a digital probe thermometer. Fry, in batches, for 4-5 minutes, turning, until golden brown and crisp all over. Serve with horseradish mayonnaise.

Nutrition

  • 87kcals Calories
  • 10.3g (4g saturated) Fat
  • 8.2g Protein
  • 14.9g (1g sugars) Carbs
  • 0.9g Fibre
  • 0.3g Salt

Quick wins & tips

If you want to boil the knödel in the traditional manner, don’t coat them in breadcrumbs in step 3. Bring a large pan of water to the boil, then simmer them for 10 minutes until puffed up

To Drink

An easy-going, good-value côtes du rhône villages red.

adslot-recipe-5

Rate and review

Rate

Leave a comment, question or tip

adslot-recipe-6