Flour dumplings: they taste like childhood
There is fast food, slow food and nostalgic food. In plain English: consolation or frustration food. These are the favorite dishes that can be used to instantly move back to childhood. Potato mousse, rice pudding, chocolate pudding ... For me these are just the flour dumplings, 'Kniddelen' in Luxembourgish. They often saved me as a child when I was sad. Most of all, I needed her when my mother traveled to Senegal with the landlord association in the 1960s. Before, she had never really missed me, I was more attached to Daddy. Until the tearful farewell, I did not believe for a second that the mother would really ride, and for 16 whole days! I was heartbroken.
We were taken care of by Aunt Maria, a kind hearted woman. I really liked her. Until the night she stubbornly refused to give me my beloved dumplings. As if we were not already punished enough by the absence of the mother! My disappointment was limitless. But you can not go to bed hungry and sad. And so I made the big decision to make my dumplings myself ...
A large pot of salted water was placed for cooking. And I started to stir: flour, eggs, milk and salt. Soon the dough was too stiff, so more milk into it. Promptly he was too liquid again ... He was correct only when I had processed about two kilograms of flour and at least 20 eggs!
But it happened a little miracle. I let everyone talk stupidly and went without fear with the dumplings in the dining room and distributed them to all who happened to be there. They were very pleased, found the dumplings wonderful and overwhelmed me with praise. I still love the dumplings today, and of course my son Louis too. Incidentally, he has been able to do it himself since he was eight years old, just as old as I was then.
Here is the recipe for the classic flour dumplings: 500 grams of flour are mixed with six eggs, 200 milliliters of milk, a little salt and 20 grams of melted butter to a semi-solid dough. Cut out and boil briefly in plenty of salted water until they float up, then infuse for two to three minutes. In order to make the dough more airy, I now add two slices of white bread (without bark) in 100 milliliters of milk and work them underneath, add one tablespoon of sour cream. If you take a teaspoon to cut out, the dumplings are quite appetizing and are also wonderful as a side dish to veal or roast beef. The dumplings taste and comfort with fine croutons of white bread or small sautéed lean bacon cubes. If you add cream to bacon and croutons and some finely chopped parsley, then you are guaranteed to be saved.
The following dumpling version is also available: the classic dough is mixed with white bread in milk and a lot of finely chopped herbs (smooth parsley, basil). Some butter and sliced Parmesan over it - and gnocchi pale with envy. If you make the dough a touch liquid, you can planets spaetzle from the board and serve to game. I prefer spätzle, however, when they cool off after cooling off (once in ice-cold water, so that they do not stick together) with clarified butter golden brown and fried nicely. There is also the very fast soul version for emergencies, I call 'Louis special'. Quickly make the classic dough, get the dumplings out of the water, and if they are still wet and steaming hot, it comes down to cold butter and Maggi on it. And you can not even remember what made you so sad.
Until next time - à bientôt!
