Poppy seed and semolina dumplings with sour cherry ragout

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 250 ml milk
• 62 g wheat semolina
• 40 g sugar
• 60 g butter
• ½ vanilla pod(s), including the pulp
• 1 egg(s)
• some lemon zest, untreated
• 50 g poppy seeds, ground
• 15 g powdered sugar, optional
• Salt for cooking
• 200 g morello cherries
• 75 ml port wine, red
• 75 ml red wine
• 30 g brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla pudding powder
• some water

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 3 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 3 hours 50 minutes

Dessert for 4, sweet main course for 2 people

For the poppy seed semolina dumplings, bring the milk to a boil with the butter, sugar, and vanilla seeds. Stir in the semolina and stir until the mixture starts to burn, i.e., separates from the bottom of the pan. Transfer the choux pastry to a bowl and let it cool. Fold in a whole egg, add the grated lemon zest, and chill for 3 hours. Note: You can prepare the semolina mixture in the morning or even the night before and chill it in the refrigerator until ready to use – I usually do this, and it works great! For the sour cherry ragout, put the pitted sour cherries, port and red wine, and brown sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. In a small bowl, mix the vanilla pudding powder with a little cold water and add it to the sour cherry ragout, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil briefly and set aside. Using moistened hands, form small dumplings from the semolina mixture and place them in boiling, lightly salted water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cover and let simmer for about 10-12 minutes. The time depends on the size of the dumplings – I form mine tablespoon-sized and let them simmer for 12 minutes. Mix the poppy seeds with the powdered sugar and roll the still-hot dumplings in it, ideally in a bowl or pan. I always omit the powdered sugar; the sweetness of the dumplings is enough for me, and I also prefer to sprinkle them with powdered sugar when serving. Tip: I also serve with a mixture of equal parts crème fraîche and sour cream, blended until smooth, with a dash of milk and a little vanilla sugar, which I dollop alongside the dumplings along with the sour cherry ragù. It looks lovely and tastes great!