Fresh peas with bread dumplings

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 kg pea pod(s), fresh, alternatively 250 g frozen peas
• 10 rolls from the previous day
• 250 ml milk, hot
• 2 onions
• 60 g butter
• 1 bunch of parsley
• 5 eggs, size M
• 50 g flour
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 10 minutes

after my grandmother from Swabian “Broggala ond Knepfla”

Shell the fresh peas from their pods (use frozen peas in an emergency) and place them in a saucepan. Fill with plenty of water, add salt, and simmer gently for about 10 minutes. When the peas are ready, strain them through a sieve, making sure to collect the cooking water! Meanwhile, cut the bread rolls (preferably from the day before) into small cubes. Place them in a bowl and pour over the hot milk. Mix gently, cover, and let stand for 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, peel the onion, cut into small cubes, and sauté with a little butter until translucent. Wash and finely chop the parsley, setting some aside for the sauce. Briefly add the rest to the onions. Add the eggs and a generous portion of salt to the bread rolls and mix. Stir in the parsley and onions. Mix gently with your hands and knead a little. If the mixture seems too dry, add a little more warm milk. With wet hands, form the dough into small dumplings (approx. 4-5 cm in diameter). Melt the butter in a large saucepan (mine is on the stovetop at the highest setting). Once the butter has melted and is foaming, sprinkle in the same amount of flour all at once and immediately mix well with a whisk. Wait a moment, then add a ladleful of the pea cooking water, stirring constantly until the mixture is smooth. Then add more pea cooking water until the sauce has the right consistency. Bring to a boil briefly. The sauce should be somewhat thick. Season with salt and pepper. Add the peas and dumplings and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes. This stew with a light sauce is a delicious summer meal, because that’s the only time you can have fresh peas. Note: This is a dish that I used to have often at home (in Swabia), and it is one of my favorites. We called it “Broggala ond Knepfla.” Translated as “shelled peas and dumplings,” “shelled” means freshly shelled peas, and “knepfla” means small bread dumplings. And… it’s a recipe from my dear Grandma Schuh (affectionately called Turnschuh), who provided me with her cooking tips until the ripe old age of 99.