Fiefhusener Brotknöpfle à la Alexander

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 100 g wholemeal toast bread, cut into fine cubes
• 100 g flour
• 75 ml whole milk
• 2 eggs, organic
• 1 tsp, heaped sea salt, fine
• ½ tsp white pepper
• 1 shallot(s), finely diced
• 1 handful of parsley, flat, medium-finely chopped
• 1 handful of chives, cut into fine rolls
• 1 handful of lovage, medium-finely chopped
• 4 slice(s) breakfast bacon, finely sliced
• n. B. Clarified butter
• e.g. breadcrumbs or panko

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 15 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 15 minutes

the Franconian secret weapon inspired by Alexander Herrmann

In an episode of Stadt – Land – Lecker, Alexander Herrmann cooked bread dumplings as an alternative to spaetzle. I thought it was fantastic while watching, so I took notes and then put together my own recipe from the little information I got. For the basic dough, whisk the flour with eggs, salt, pepper, and milk until you have a smooth, thin, and supple dough. Then fold in the three green herbs. The dough should now rest, covered, for at least 15 minutes. Finely dice the bread, finely chop the shallot, and also cut the breakfast bacon into small pieces. Heat a non-stick frying pan with a tablespoon of clarified butter to about three-quarters of the heat and sauté the shallot and bacon. Then add the toast cubes and fry until golden brown, stirring frequently. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool. After the dough has rested, fold in the contents of the pan and knead thoroughly. The mixture should now ideally have a firm, easily moldable consistency. If it’s too dry and crumbly, carefully add a little milk to make it smooth. If it’s still too runny and you can’t shape it, add breadcrumbs until you can form stable dumplings. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Reduce the heat to one-third. If you can, use two tablespoons to form dumplings and drop them into the salted water. You can also do this with moistened hands if necessary. As soon as the bread dumplings rise to the surface, put the lid on and let them simmer for a few minutes over low heat. Then remove with a slotted spoon and let drain. Heat a non-stick pan with plenty of clarified butter to three-quarters of the heat and fry the bread dumplings on all sides until they have a delicious golden brown color. Drain briefly on kitchen paper and serve. The bread dumplings are great with all roasts, pan-fried meats, celery schnitzel, and all other types of schnitzel. They’re basically perfect with anything you’d normally serve with fried potatoes, dumplings, bread dumplings, spaetzle, or fries. A true all-purpose dish and incredibly delicious. They’re also a real hit with fresh wild garlic pesto as a starter. Tip: It doesn’t hurt to use organic products! If you can’t find any green herbs fresh, simply use frozen ones or experiment with other herbs.