spinat-schafskäse knödel

March 21, 2012

or, spinach-feta dumplingspain de mie, cubes pain de mie | or any day-old sliced white bread onions and garlic cipollini onion | garlic spinach, bread, eggs, milk, garlic, onions bread | milk | garlic & onions | eggs | spinach plus feta feta dumpling dumpling knödel

when i began this recipe, i was afraid that this hearty meal would feel incongruous with all the warm weather we’ve been having in new york. but as i began to mix the ingredients, folding golden eggs into just-warm spinach, i decided it was the perfect dish to welcome in spring. we’re not yet in strawberry season, after all.

these austrian dumplings were my favorite thing i ate on my trip last week. i ordered them from the adorably bashful server at fruhstuckssalon augustin in vienna and i’ve been thinking of them ever since.

i cobbled together a recipe from a combination of translated websites and personal taste and i’m hoping i’ve approximated the measurements correctly. the good news is, the beauty of the dish seems to be in its simplicity. limited precision necessary.

ingredients:
1 cipollini onion
1 clove garlic (or more to taste)6-8 slices pain de mie (i got mine from our local bakery, but any day-old white loaf will do)
1 package frozen spinach – about 10 ounces (you can use fresh, too. just remember you’ll need a lot)
1/3 cup bread crumbs
1 cup whole milk
3 eggs
7 ounces (roughly) feta cheese
salt
pepper
butter, for melting
grana padano cheese, for grating

instructions:
1. remove crusts and cube 6-8 slices white bread
2. in a heavy skillet melt a pad of butter and saute diced garlic and onion until golden.
3. add defrosted and drained spinach to skillet, pour in one cup of milk and heat until just warm
4. pour spinach and milk mixture over cubed bread in a large bowl
5. stir in 3 eggs and breadcrumbs. let sit for at least 10 minutes.
6. add feta cheese to mixture. season with salt and pepper.
7. once mixed, shape evenly sized dumplings with slightly wet hands. add more breadcrumbs if dumplings don’t form easily.
8. bring a pot of salted water to boil. lower the temp so water is barely boiling and place dumplings into pot. expect some errant pieces to loosen themselves from the dumplings. don’t panic: a floating spinach leaf or two never hurt anyone. dumplings are ready when they float to the top.
9. remove from pot and serve with a spoonful of brown butter and a shaving or two of grana padano.
10. enjoy.

postcript: tiny blue bowl by asya. more here.

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10 Comments

  • Reply Bonbon Oiseau March 21, 2012 at 11:57 am

    Mmmmmmmmmm! Ach to Lieber this looks gooooood.

  • Reply Carrie March 21, 2012 at 12:42 pm

    Cheese + spinach + garlic + brown butter = delicious in every language. Your beautiful pics gave me a hankering for something savory, and I haven't even finished my morning coffee yet!

  • Reply cassie March 21, 2012 at 1:16 pm

    looks delicious! i might have to try this for lunch this weekend.

  • Reply Mal March 21, 2012 at 5:16 pm

    ooh, yum! These sound so good!

  • Reply mygirldaphne March 21, 2012 at 6:36 pm

    wow sounds lovely.

  • Reply Cindy March 21, 2012 at 7:03 pm

    scott's family loves czech dumplings (Knedliky), which are similar to these in that they're breadlike. there's a restaurant in astoria called koliba that is superb. your dumplings look great, although that sounds weird :).

  • Reply Joan March 21, 2012 at 7:56 pm

    I love your yellow bowl!

  • Reply aisling March 21, 2012 at 8:08 pm

    I very much like your line in the instructions "a floating spinach leaf of two never hurt anyone" – as Wally Lamb might say, I know this much is true…
    Great recipe, can't wait to try!

  • Reply Rebecca - A Daily Something March 22, 2012 at 2:44 pm

    This really looks fantastic, Erin. And I love your line "limited precision necessary"…my kind of recipe 😉

  • Reply Mary March 23, 2012 at 2:15 am

    Absolutely magnificently yummy! And what a place. I must go someday! I MUST! 🙂

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