Stuffed Potatoe Dumplings

Thüringer Klöße

These dumplings are a favorite side dish for meat recipes, but they can also be enjoyed simply served with some gravy.

  • 4 pounds starchy yellow potatoes (russet or Yukon Gold)
  • salt
  • ¼ to ½ cup hot milk
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 cup small, unflavored croutons
  1. A few hours ahead, scrub 1 pound of the potatoes with a brush and boil them in their skins in salted water until tender. Cool, and peel them only before processing them.
  2. Peel and finely grate the remaining raw potatoes. Drain them in a dishtowel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Save the liquid in a bowl. The grated potatoes should be very dry.
  3. Mash the cooked potatoes and mix them with the raw potatoes in a large bowl. Discard the potato liquid and add only the starch residue that has settled on the bottom. Add salt and as much hot milk as necessary to produce a smooth, but not liquid dough.
  4. Heat the butter in a skillet and toast the croutons until golden.
  5. Shape 12 dumplings with moistened hands and place a few croutons in the middle of each dumpling. Reshape the dumplings afterwards.
  6. Bring salted water to a boil in a pot that is large enough to hold the dumplings without touching each other. Reduce the heat and gently lower the dumplings into the water. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Make sure the water does not boil, or the dumplings will fall apart. Remove the dumplings with a slotted spoon and drain in a colander. Serve at once.

Source: Nadia Hassani: “Spoonfuls of Germany” (Hippocrene Books, 2004)