Anyone who says that Czech pub grub is bad is an idiot. There, I said it. Czech pub grub is great. It's the most amazing thing since the invention of beer. The problem, of course, is that there are many places that don't make it right, either because they don't know or, more often, they don't care. But that is something that happens everywhere in the world, but go to the right place and you'll be able to eat very well and for a very good price.
At home we like to cook some of that stuff, it's not too complicated and the ingredients are usually cheap and easy to find. The only inconvenient is that it can take quite a long time to prepare and/or cook it, that's why we usually do it at weekends, specially on those days when the weather invites to you stay at home.
And since I love all of you, here you have the recipe for one of my all time favourites:
Bramborové Knedlíky Plňené s Uzením Masem
(Potato knedlíky stuffed with smoked meat)
Ingredients: (for about 10 pieces)
6-8 medium sized potatoes
enough wholemeal flour
a bit less semolina (krupice in Czech)
2-3 eggs
salt, pepper, nutmeg
somoked pork, you'll have to boil it and chop it (if you boil it with some root veggies, herbs and spices you'll have some nice stock for a soup or sauce)
Boil the potatoes in their skins, once they are ready peel (I hate peeling hot potatoes) and shred or mash them. Let them cool and then mix with the rest of the ingredients, knead until you have a uniform dough and let it rest for about half an hour.
Make disks the size of the palm of your hand (smaller if you are a basketball player, bigger if you are a fairy-tale princess), place the smoked meat in the centre and wrap it forming a ball (the ideal size is something between golf and tennis). Cook the dumplings for 20 minutes in boiling water and that's it.
Serve with sauerkraut or stewed cabbage and chopped onion stir fried in lard. Wash down with a good Polotmavé or Dunkles.
Eat and take a nap.
Na Zdraví! a Dobrou Chuť!
PS: For those of you who read me in the Southern Hemisphere and don't fancy eating something so rich when its getting warm, let me remind you then of this summer treat
3 stars Hotels in Prague with 75% discount.
At home we like to cook some of that stuff, it's not too complicated and the ingredients are usually cheap and easy to find. The only inconvenient is that it can take quite a long time to prepare and/or cook it, that's why we usually do it at weekends, specially on those days when the weather invites to you stay at home.
And since I love all of you, here you have the recipe for one of my all time favourites:
Bramborové Knedlíky Plňené s Uzením Masem
(Potato knedlíky stuffed with smoked meat)
6-8 medium sized potatoes
enough wholemeal flour
a bit less semolina (krupice in Czech)
2-3 eggs
salt, pepper, nutmeg
somoked pork, you'll have to boil it and chop it (if you boil it with some root veggies, herbs and spices you'll have some nice stock for a soup or sauce)
Boil the potatoes in their skins, once they are ready peel (I hate peeling hot potatoes) and shred or mash them. Let them cool and then mix with the rest of the ingredients, knead until you have a uniform dough and let it rest for about half an hour.
Make disks the size of the palm of your hand (smaller if you are a basketball player, bigger if you are a fairy-tale princess), place the smoked meat in the centre and wrap it forming a ball (the ideal size is something between golf and tennis). Cook the dumplings for 20 minutes in boiling water and that's it.
Serve with sauerkraut or stewed cabbage and chopped onion stir fried in lard. Wash down with a good Polotmavé or Dunkles.
Eat and take a nap.
Na Zdraví! a Dobrou Chuť!
PS: For those of you who read me in the Southern Hemisphere and don't fancy eating something so rich when its getting warm, let me remind you then of this summer treat
3 stars Hotels in Prague with 75% discount.
how much is "enough" and "a bit less"?
ReplyDeleteYou should ask that to my wife, because that was her answer when I asked how much of flour and krupice she put. Both together should be enough to make a consistent dough, you should stop adding once the thing isn't sticky anymore.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant - have been looking for a recipe for bramborovy knedliky for a while now.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the recipe! Guess what I will be having for dinner on Sunday... :-)
ReplyDelete