Gray Mice

My parents used to have these dumplings once a year. We children, and later our children-in-law and grandchildren, loved these dumplings. My parents both stood in the kitchen all morning and took turns grating the potatoes for it. We didn't have a food processor back then. The method of preparation goes back to my paternal grandparents who came to Germany from Poznan at the beginning of the 20th century. This dish has never been served since my father passed away in 1982. There has never been a written recipe. They just could. Yesterday I tried to recreate the dumplings from memory. And I succeeded. It tasted like it used to. Delicious. It's a bit of a hassle, but it's worth it.

I have to mention that I didn't take any photos until I had finished the dough. Unfortunately I forgot it before. But I think that's understandable.

First press the boiled boiled potatoes through a hot potato press. Let cool down. Grate the raw potatoes, by hand or with the food processor. Place on a sieve, drain well over a bowl. Then express it really well in a cloth.

Add the squeezed raw potatoes to the cooked ones in the bowl. Carefully pour off the previously drained potato water from the raw potatoes under the sieve. The potato starch has settled in the bottom of the bowl. Add this to the potatoes. In addition, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon potato flour. Knead everything well, preferably by hand. The result is a smooth dough. Possibly cook test dumplings. When it falls apart, add a little more potato flour. With the specified quantities it should work.

Bring a large saucepan of well-salted water to a boil. Mix some potato flour in cold water and add to the boiling water. The dumplings do not then dispense too much batter into the cooking water. At the same time fry the bacon and onions in a higher sauté pan with a little oil.

Cut off the dough with a spoon and shape it into small cams in your hand. Pour this into the boiling water, bring to the boil briefly and reduce the temperature to medium heat. The dumplings should only cook for about 20 minutes. When they come to the surface, they are correct.

Lift out of the water with a ladle and immediately add to the bacon and onion mixture. Actually, they are so ready to eat. My father always added some of the broth, which is very creamy, and some milk. Then mix everything well. The result is a somewhat greasy consistency that makes the whole thing more juicy. We loved it so much.

Traditionally the gray mice were eaten with us with sauerkraut, bacon and sausage.

My sisters got to try yesterday. They thought it tasted like it used to. I was very happy.