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Potato dumplings stuffed with cubes of juicy Prague ham and accompanied by zesty sauerkraut give a whole new dimension to that classic pub side dish, bramborové knedlíky. Chef Libor Baďura of Prague pub Lokál has shared his tried-and-true recipe for a Czech comfort food classic.
Potato dumplings with smoked meat and sauerkraut (Bramborové knedlíky s uzeným masem a kyselým zelím)
Ingredients
For the dumplings:
- 1.2 kg potatoes
- 0.5-0.6 kg coarse flour (use more if potatoes are watery)
- 1-2 eggs
- generous pinch salt
For the meat filling:
- 1 kg of Prague ham
- 0.25 kg lard (half a package)
- 6-8 small onions, finely chopped onion
- 1 heaping tsp salt
- pepper, to taste
For the cabbage:
- 2 kg sauerkraut
- 3-4 small onions finely chopped onion
- 5 tablespoons of lard
- 2 tablespoons whole cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 0.5 l broth or water
For thickening and seasoning:
- 0.25 kg fat (lard or butter)
- 1/4 standard package of plain flour
- Sugar or vinegar (depending on the acidity of the cabbage)
Instructions
Dumplings
- Cook the meat until tender, about 30 minutes. Cool and cut into cubes.
- In a saute pan, melt the lard. Add the onion after a while. Fry everything until golden brown.
- Refrigerate until chilled and pliable, then form into balls (about 25-30 g each) and return to the fridge.
- Meanwhile, boil the potatoes in their skins. Then peel and grate on a grater with large holes.
- Add flour, eggs, and salt. Shape into a roll. When you slice into the roll, the dough should not stick to the knife.
- Bring a large saucepan of salted water to boil. Cut slices from the roll of dough and flatten into pancakes. Wrap a ball of meat in each one. You can also roll out a sheet of dough, then use a cup to cut out rounds and wrap a meatball in each.
- Cook the filled dumplings for 20-25 minutes. Note that the cooked dumplings will not float to the surface on their own when finished.
- After 20 minutes, pull out one dumpling, cut it open and check that it is cooked inside. If so, take the dumplings out of the water and serve with cabbage.
Cabbage
- Squeeze out liquid from the sauerkraut and place on a cutting board. Give it a rough chop so that the strands aren't too long.
- Fry the onions in the lard. When translucent, add the caraway seeds, cooking until they become fragrant.
- Once the onions are golden brown, add the cabbage and cover with water or stock. Cook until cabbage is soft.
- In the meantime, make the roux. When the cabbage is cooked, thicken with roux and boil for 10 minutes.
- Salt the cabbage to taste, acidify with cabbage juice or vinegar, or sweeten with sugar. If the cabbage is too thin, add the rest of the roux.
Chef's tip
You can also thicken the cabbage with finely grated raw potato or simply dust it with coarse flour to the desired thickness.
In the Czech Kitchen is a weekly column written in cooperation with the culinary experts from Ambiente. Established in 1995, the Prague-based collective of pubs, restaurants, and fine-dining outlets has transformed the Czech culinary landscape and lent to the widespread awareness of quality food service and production in Czechia. Follow their socials or book your table at www.ambi.cz.
