Swedish Kroppkakor Recipes

KROPPKAKOR (SWEDISH DUMPLINGS)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 160C/140C Fan/Gas 3. Bake the potatoes on a tray for 1 hour until cooked through. (Test by piercing a small knife or fork into the centre of the potato. When soft they are done.)
• Meanwhile, to make the mushroom duxelle filling, heat the butter in a pan. Gently fry the mushrooms, shallots, garlic, thyme and allspice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the liquid that comes out of the mushrooms has evaporated and the mixture is almost dry. Set aside and leave to cool.
• Once cool enough to handle, roll into 2cm/¾in balls. Chill in the fridge until the potatoes are cooked.
• Once the potatoes are cooked, peel them and pass through a potato ricer or use a potato masher to create a smooth mash.
• Add the flour, egg, egg yolks and salt, and mix. Divide the dough into walnut-sized portions. Place the prepared mushroom filling into the centre of each dough ball. Cover your hands in flour, and carefully work the dough around the mushroom mixture until it is completely encased within the dough. Each dumpling should be about the size of a golf ball.
• Cook the dumplings in a large pan of boiling water. Simmer until they start to float to the surface. This can be a little tricky if some of them have air pockets, but they should be ready in around 6-8 minutes. Once cooked, strain the dumplings and leave to cool slightly.
• Heat a knob of butter in a large pan and carefully sear the dumplings. Remove from the pan and set aside.
• Mix the defrosted lingonberries with the sugar and set aside.
• Heat a little more butter in a pan and gently fry the mushrooms for a couple of minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
• In the same pan, melt 50g/1¾oz of butter over a high heat until it starts to smell nutty and turn brown. Turn off the heat and remove from the pan so it doesn't burn.
• Divide the dumplings between 4 plates, garnish generously with the wild mushrooms and lingonberries, and pour the brown butter over to finish.

KROPPKAKOR

Steps:

• Place potatoes in a large saucepan, and cover with cold water by about 2 inches. Add 1 tablespoon salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain, and immediately return to pan. Return to stove (with burner off), and let dry for 15 minutes. Peel potatoes, and pass through a ricer or a food mill, into a large bowl. Let cool completely, at least 2 hours (or cover and refrigerate overnight).
• Meanwhile, cook bacon in a medium skillet over medium-high heat for 2 to 4 minutes. Add onion and allspice, reduce heat to medium, and cook until onion is soft, about 4 minutes. Add ham, and cook until both bacon and ham are lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Let cool.
• Toss cooled potatoes with flour and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Gradually add egg yolks, stirring until incorporated. Using your hands, gather mixture in a mound.
• Place about 1/4 of the potato mixture on a lightly floured work surface. Shape into a log that is 1 1/4 inches in diameter, then cut it crosswise into five 2-inch pieces. With floured hands, roll each portion into a ball, and use 2 fingers to make a deep indentation in center. Place 1 heaping tablespoon bacon filling in center, pinch to enclose filling, and press to seal. Flatten slightly into a disc. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Repeat with remaining dumplings.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add 5 dumplings. Cook, stirring occasionally, until dumplings rise to the surface, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a clean kitchen towel to drain. Repeat.
• Heat 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet until foamy. Fry dumplings in batches, being careful not to overcrowd them, until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Cover loosely with parchment and then foil to keep warm. If butter browns between batches, wipe out skillet, and add more butter. Meanwhile, fry bacon slices for serving on the side if desired. Serve immediately.

KROPPKAKOR - SWEDISH POTATO DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Fry salt pork with onion in a skillet until the salt pork is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Drain fat and set salt pork and onion mixture aside.
• Mix mashed potatoes, egg, salt, black pepper, and nutmeg together in a bowl; stir 1 cup flour into potato mixture. Sprinkle 1 cup flour onto a work surface and turn the dough out onto the flour. Knead the flour on the work surface into the dough.
• Cut dough into 12 equal pieces and roll into balls, dusting your hands and sprinkling work surface with remaining 1/2 cup flour. Press your thumb into each dumpling to make an indentation, and fill with a small amount of salt pork-onion mixture. Pinch the dumplings closed and roll in flour.
• Bring water to a boil in a large pot. If desired, replace half the water with beef broth. Drop dumplings into the boiling water and broth and reduce heat to low. Simmer until cooked through, about 25 minutes. Drain and transfer to a serving bowl.

SWEDISH KROPPKAKOR

Steps:

• Mash the potatoes.
• Stir in egg and flour making a smooth dough.
• Fry onion and bacon in some butter.
• Add allspice or white pepper to taste, set aside.
• Shape the dough into a log with floured hands cut into 12 pieces.
• Make a little pocket and fill with about 1 tablespoon of filling.
• Close and shape into a ball.
• Put about 4-5 at a time in simmering salted water, big pot, and let simmer for 5 minutes.
• kakorna will sink and when they have floated to the top they are ready.
• Serve with a thin béchamel sauce or melted butter.
• A must is lingonsylt.

KROPPKAKOR - SWEDISH POTATO DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Wash, peel and cut up potaotoes. Cook about 20 minutes in enough salted water to cover the potatoes. Potaotes are done when they can be pierced with a fork. Drain.
• Mash or rice potatoes well. Whip in the egg yolk and 1 1/2 tsp salt. Set aside while you prepare filling.
• Put onions in a cold skillet and fry with a little oil or butter until soft. Remove from pan. Add meat to pan and cook until crisp and evenly browned. Add back in onions. Drain off excess fat.
• To make dough: Add the flour 1 cup at a time and mix well. Add as much of the flour to make a soft dough. Once dough has formed, turn out onto a floured surface and knead like bread dough. Pat out dough to 1/2 inch thickness. cut into 2 inch rounds, a biscuit cutter works well. Spoon about 2 teaspoons of the filling into the centre of one of the rounds. Cover with another round. Seal edges well, and shape into a ball.
• Bring the 2 quarts of water and 2 tsps salt to t boil in a heavy saucepan. Once the water is boiling add dumplings one at a time, so that boiling does not stop. Cook only as many dumplings at one time that will float uncrowded, one layer deep. Cook 15 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon. Put in a warm dish and serve with melted butter and jam. A simple salad goes nice along side.