Minced meat dumplings ala Mama

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 kg minced meat
• 1 egg(s)
• some breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp mustard
• salt and pepper
• Paprika powder
• nutmeg
• Caraway seeds
• savory
• 1 onion(s)
• some fat for frying
• 1 tsp mustard
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp, leveled paprika powder
• 1 handful of gherkins, finely chopped
• lovage
• some cucumber juice, to taste
• 1 cube of stock, if necessary
• some flour
• e.g. water or broth

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 40 minutes

Minced meat, as my mother always prepared it

First, mix the minced meat with the egg, breadcrumbs, onion, mustard, salt, pepper, and spices. It’s worth tasting the minced meat after mixing to see if it’s seasoned enough. Then, fry the minced meat in a pan and break it up a bit with a spoon (or something similar) as it cooks. When the minced meat is browned and a little crispy, add a tablespoon of flour (this saves us from having to thicken the sauce later), along with the mustard and tomato paste. When the mustard and tomato paste have also turned lightly brown, add the paprika and fry briefly. Then, deglaze with water or stock and pour over the sauce. A stock cube is recommended when using water. Then, add the lovage, which you can use to taste. After the gravy has simmered for a few minutes, add the cucumbers, and enjoy. If you want the gravy to taste a little more fruity (and this is purely subjective), add a dash of cucumber juice before seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve with mashed potatoes, pasta, boiled potatoes, etc. Pickled gherkins or beetroot are also suitable as side dishes.