Recipe: Potato Dumplings (using raw potatoes)

POTATO DUMPLINGS

4 cups raw potatoes, finely ground (use food processor, meat grinder or hand grater)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour (more may be added for right consistency)
Salt pork, bacon, or ham, diced or crumbled
Onion (to taste), peeled and diced

Fill a 6-quart kettle half full of water. Add 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil.

If your raw potatoes seem too wet; lay the grated potatoes out on a clean dish towel and lightly 'wring' out the excess moisture.

Mix ingredients together.* Depending on the moisture of potatoes, add flour to the consistency of meatballs

Make a ball, using 1/2 teaspoon of meat and/or onions in center. Make about the size of a tennis ball. Wet hands with water before forming balls to keep mixture from sticking to hands.

Other recipes I've found, suggest rolling only one potato ball and cooking it alone, to see if it holds together; if not more flour would be incorporated.

Carefully drop into boiling water. Cook for ONE HOUR. Make sure dumplings do not stick to pot bottom, but do not stir. Gently use a large, slotted spoon, and lift off the bottom of the pot, to keep from sinking/sticking. Stirring can break apart the uncooked dumpling.

Serve with melted butter and salt and pepper.

Serves 4 to 6

*I was a bit unclear about the original instructions; whether you make the potato ball without adding the meat and/or onion, and press into the center of the ball or, if you should incorporate (all) these in the beginning.

Note: For variation add chicken broth to boiling water for flavor. Leftovers can be refrigerated and then sliced, fried in butter or bacon grease and eaten either with salt and pepper or syrup. Slices should be about 1/4-inch thick.

Recipe source: Potato Days Festival; Barnesville, Minnesota.

My husband's family (German) would drain their cooked dumplings and then roll the hot dumplings in a skillet that had melted butter and fresh, finely rubbed or grated browned bread crumbs.