Chicken ragout with Vinschgau dumplings

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 chicken, ready to cook without giblets (approx. 1.2kg)
• 1 bunch of soup vegetables
• 1 onion(s), cut into large rings
• 3 tbsp cheese, grated hard cheese (Pecorino, Parmesan or similar)
• 2 slices of toast (let dry overnight)
• 2 egg yolks
• 200 g cream
• 2 cm ginger
• 250 ml grape juice, white
• 3 tbsp parsley (fresh or dried)
• Salt and pepper, freshly ground
• 3 rolls, Vintschgauer from the previous day (alternatively black bread)
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• 60 g bacon, diced
• 2 eggs
• 1,250 ml milk
• ½ tsp coriander, dried
• 1 pinch of nutmeg
• ½ tsp caraway seeds (only add if you don’t use Vintschgauer!)

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Total time approx. 45 minutes

Divide the chicken into four pieces, chop the soup vegetables, and briefly sauté with the onion in a large pot. Pour in 1 liter of lightly salted water and bring to a boil. Add the chicken pieces and diced toast, cover, and simmer for 1 hour. Meanwhile, thinly slice the Vintschgauer/black bread, place in a bowl, and pour over about 200ml of hot milk. Cover the bowl and let it sit for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, finely chop the spring onions and bacon, ideally in a food processor. Add the eggs and spices (careful: omit the caraway seeds from the Vintschgauer. They already have some in them!). Add the mixture to the softened bread and form dumplings. If there is less liquid, add a little more milk. Peel and roughly chop the ginger. Remove the chicken pieces from the stock, remove the skin from the meat, and remove the bones. Return the bones to the broth, add the grape juice and ginger, and simmer for another 45 minutes, until the broth has reduced. Finely chop the boned meat and set aside. Heat the remaining milk in a saucepan and let the dumplings simmer for about 20 minutes. Strain the chicken broth through a sieve and return it to the saucepan. Add the chicken and bring to a boil briefly. Mix the egg yolks with the cream. Remove the pan from the heat, add the egg-cream mixture and grated cheese. Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper.